I was young when I first learned to pray.  I learned the “God is great” prayer, and the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer.  Maybe some of you did too.  I don’t actually remember praying much else besides those two prayers at that early age.  In fact, I didn’t learn much more about prayer until years later.  Sad, but true.  Looking back at my experience and many of my friends, we were not taught to pray the Word of God.  That too is sad, but true.  I was actually about 30 years old when I first heard about the healing power of God and that our words have power, and that we can pray the very Word of God over my life.

We are instructed in the Bible to pray but many people struggle with how to pray so we are going to look at a few truths that will help us pray more effectively.  There are different types of prayers of course, but my focus today is on the fact that we should being praying – speaking- the Word of God in our prayers.

Parents, you are missing it if you are not teaching your children Scripture and how to pray the Word properly.  By that I don’t necessarily mean what stance or position they are in so much as I mean actually speaking/praying the Word of God over their lives. Yes, praying on bended knee is good, bowing our head in reverence in good, but it is also good to know that we can carry on a conversation with our Lord at any time, any place, during any circumstance, in church, at home and even in school.  Anywhere.  I think that one of the most wonderful benefits of praying to our God is that we can be at home with Him. God knows us better than we know ourselves and He loves us with an everlasting love. We can be personable with our God.

Jesus gave the disciples a guideline of how to pray in what most of us refer to as The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. It is meant to instruct us in what to include in our prayers not necessarily to just pray the exact word.  We need to acknowledge our Heavenly Father in reverence, praying that His Kingdom will be done in this earth as it is in heaven; asking Him daily to meet our needs; asking Him to forgive us and help us to forgive others; leading us not into temptation but delivering us from all evil, because all power and glory belong to Him.

In Ephesians 3:14-21, we learn to pray for ourselves and others to be strengthen by the Holy Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; to be rooted and grounded in love; that we are able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge and be filled with all fullness of God; according to the power that works in us.

Then there is First Timothy 2:1-4. We are called to pray for all people everywhere and in every walks of life.  Yes, that includes politicians too!  Even if we don’t like what they are doing, especially if we don’t like what they are doing, don’t you think!  However, we should also pray for those who are doing their best so they will not grow weary or be discouraged, and for each to have the wisdom and strength to do what is right before God.

The Word of God is powerful and sharp like a sword (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12) If we are dealing with fear, we should meditate on Second Timothy 1:7 which tells us that God does not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

After reading this Scripture, I say out loud, “I will not fear because God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind. I have the power of God reigning in my heart, my life and my mind, and have the love of God in my heart and I have a sound thinking mind”.  When we speak this truth over ourselves or love ones, we are setting us free from the grasps of the enemy who comes to steal, kill and to destroy, and it allows Jesus to give us life and life abundantly. (John 10:10)

If sickness or disease has attacked your body then you and I need to speak/pray the healing power of God so His truth can heal and restore good health to us.  Psalm 107:20 informs us that God sent His word, and healed us, and delivered us from destruction. Sickness and disease are destructive.  Jeremiah 30:17 confirms to us that He will restore our health and heal us of our wounds.   Proverbs 18:21 tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue, so we need to be speaking words of life and good health, not sickness and death.  We need to understand that our words are powerful.

Our prayers should be based on the truth that God has created us in the righteousness of Jesus, and that our hearts are established and holy before God.  (Ephesians 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 3:13)

We also learn from Matthew 6:5 that our prayers don’t have to be the same repetition that we have prayed before, even though there is actually nothing wrong in repeating prayers IF we are really praying them and not just saying words and calling it pray.  Notice also, that this verse says, “when you pray”, which tells us that we are to pray.  Mark 11:24 and 25 give us strict instructions that we are to believe when we pray, and we are to forgive others when we pray.  If we are not believing what we are praying then our faith and prayers will not work correctly.  If we are not forgiving others of their faults then how can we expect God to forgive us. (verse 26)

Remember that prayer is a two-way relationship; you talking to God and God talking to you, so be sure you take time during your prayer time to listen for His voice. The reason some people think it is difficult to pray is the same reason they think it’s difficult to talk to people they don’t know very well.  The closer we are to someone the easier it is to carry on a conversation with them; the same is true with our Lord.  The more we know about our Heavenly Father, the easier it is to pray.  Don’t be selfish with your prayers, ask God to expand your prayers to pray for what He wants you to pray for; what nation, what crisis or situation.  Our prayers are powerful in bringing His heavenly kingdom into our world.