How To Pray Prayers That Get Heard And Answered
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We’ve been talking about how we can abide in the Vine–spending time with Jesus. We’ve learned as we remain in Him we will produce fruit. It’s just a by-product. Click here if you missed that post.
The last two posts, we’ve been digging in to spending time with Jesus in the Word. You can check out "How to study the Bible in Five Easy Steps" and "How to dig deeper into your Bible Study - Three tools to change your life."
So, what’s another way we can spend time with Jesus–abiding in the Vine? I think, for most of us, our first thought is prayer.
What is prayer?
Prayer is talking to God. It’s how we communicate with our Heavenly Father. It’s how we connect with the Holy Spirit and access His power in our lives. It’s another way we spend time with Jesus.
For so long, I’ve struggled with this one. I’ve typically been good about reading my Bible, but prayer always seemed so much harder for me to grasp. I don’t know if it’s because it can “feel” intangible? I can’t touch God, but I can touch my Bible.
Another way I’ve struggled with prayer is feeling like I’m good enough. That’s a recurring theme with me I’m sure you’ve noticed.
God tells us to come boldly to His throne of grace. Not because we deserve it, but because Jesus paid for it all.
Hebrews 4:16 NKJV
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
You know, I’ve also struggled with feeling like I wasn’t “saying” the right things. I would hear others pray and think to myself, “I can’t prayer like that! I’m not that good.” Have you ever felt that way?
Prayer isn’t about how “well” we pray? It's about spending time with our Heavenly Father
Think of it this way. When a child comes to you and tries to ask for some thing, like a drink of water, and they don’t say it quite right, but they’re trying, do you get upset at them? Most of us would give them a little slack. After all, they’re just a child right?
Well, we’re God’s children. He’s our Father. Come to Him like you’re His child because you are. He’s going to give you some slack.
Matthew 7:9-11 NKJV
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Another way to think of prayer is like this: spending time with our Heavenly Father is like sitting down over a cup of coffee and a piece of pie with our friend.
In fact, Jesus calls us His friends.
John 15:15 NKJV
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
How do we pray?
There are many ways to pray, but one of my favorites is to pray the Word of God. That’s what we’re going to cover today.
Pray The Word
1 John 5:14-15 NKJV
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
This scripture is telling us if we pray His will, then He hears us and then we know we have what we asked Him.
What’s His will? His Word is His will.
Scriptures that are talking about us, His children, are God speaking to us. It’s His will for our lives.
So, by praying His Word, you are praying His will. WHEN you pray HIS will, He hears, listens and gives us our requests.
Some of my favorites scriptures to pray are “Paul’s prayers.” I like to take these and change them to first person so I’m talking about myself to God. I also like to speak them out loud. I find it’s good for me to hear the personalized scripture.
Romans 10:17 NKJV
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
For example I would take Ephesians 1:17-18 and say it this way:
Thank you Father, the God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, for giving me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. I thank you that the eyes of my understanding are enlightened; that I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, etc…
Here’s a few of my favorite scriptures to get you started:
Ephesians 1:17-20
Ephesians 3:16-20
Philippians 3:10-15
Colossians 3:1-17
My friend Sharon Fletcher at gods-best.com gave me a laminated paper with Proverbs 31 on one side and Ephesians 1:17-19; 3:16-20 on the other. She put blank spaces so you could personalize it or insert someone else name to pray for them. I have this taped to my shower stall so when I’m getting ready in the morning I can pray for wisdom. You might give this try.
There are more ways you can prayer, but let’s just start with Praying His Word.
As, you spend time with Him in prayer, over that cup of coffee and piece of pie, you’re abiding in the Vine. And, remember, when you abide in the vine, the fruit part will happen.
John 15:5 (NIV)
I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Resources
Tools for Living by Greg and Sharon Fletcher
The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word by Joyce Meyer (affiliate link)
Discussion
I’d love to hear your favorite scriptures to pray or which one you’re going to start with if this is new to you. Let me know in the comments below.