Five Strategies of Prayer
The Lord says, “… we ought always to pray …” (Luke 18:1). The Lord urges us to “Ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will open unto you” (Matthew 7:7). We should pray (make a request to God) always, seeking His will continuously until we – enter His holy presence. The Word of God says the Holy Spirit wants to pray through us. “Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes” (Romans 8:26-28).
Five Strategies of Prayer are as follows:
- Seek God’s Will
God knows what is best for us. Align your will with God’s will. This is an important key to answered prayers. (Read: Acts 13:22-23; Matthew 6:10; 1 John 4:6, 8; Romans 8:7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 40:8; and Luke 22:42)
Acts 13: 22-23
“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’”
Matthew 6:10
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
I Timothy 2:1-4
“Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1 John 4: 6, 8
“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
Romans 8:7
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Luke 22:42
“…. saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”
- Study Your Bible Daily
In addition, read the entire book of John in the New Testament and read the remainder of the New Testament. Read: Romans 10:17; Daniel Chapters 3 and 6; Exodus 14; Acts 12:5-11; Acts 16:24-40; Matthew 15:30-31; Acts 5:14-16 (Evidence of Answered Prayers).
Romans 10:17
“So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Acts 12:5-11
“And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds, and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also, a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
Matthew 15:30-31
“Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He Healed them. So, the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”
- Claim God’s Promises
There are over 3,000 promises in the Holy Bible of which 127 of those promises of God are in the New Testament. Read: 1 John 2:25; 2 Peter 1:2-4; Philippians 4:19; Matthew 7:7-8; Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 6:23; Romans 5:15; Psalm 37:4-5; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Acts 2:38. These are just a few. However, as you read your Bible daily, you will be able to write more and begin to learn some of them.
1 John 2:25
“And this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life.”
2 Peter 1:2-4
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all this that pertain to life and godliness, through
the knowledge of Him who call us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Philippians 4:19
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Ephesians 6:23
“Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:15
“But the first gift is not like the offense. For it by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”
Psalm 37:4-5
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him.”
Philippines 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Acts 2:38
“Then Peter said, to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
- Follow Christ’s Instructions
The Lord said surely the harvest is plentiful, but the Laborers are few. He commissioned every born-again believer to preach the gospel to all creation. We should love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. We should forgive others as God has forgiven us. We should also love our enemies and pray for them. Read: Matthew 9:35-38; Matthew 24:15; Matthew 24:20-22; Luke 21:36; Mark 2:28.
Matthew 9:35-38
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their Synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Matthew 24:15
Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).”
Matthew 24:20-22, 23
“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath, for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
Luke 21:36
“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all those things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Mark 2:28
“Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
- Pray for Others
We should pray for our nation’s leader and our government for peace and salvation and for them to have the knowledge of God. Make your requests known to God daily and draw near to Him daily. Read: Acts 20:35: James 5:16; Matthew 5:44-45; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Matthew 7:7-12.
Acts 20:35
“I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
James 5:16
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Further readings: 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and Matthew 7:7-12)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You, dear LORD God for another day, the chance to live another day in Your will and walking in Your footsteps to feel again your love, joy and peace that You have given me. I pray and hope that this information about the importance of daily prayer and reading Your Holy Bible will encourage all readers of this message. Thank you for friends who understand and for Your peace that flows from Your loving hand. Lord, help me to wake each morning You give me with the prayer, “Today Your will be done in earth and it is in heaven.”
Help me to share the gospel news with all You send my way and thank You again, dear LORD God, for another day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
By Constance A. Burns, NAAV Contributor for Moments of Meditation and Scriptural Readings; email: cburns@naavets.org