Praying Effectively: Part 8

September 17, 2020
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| Prayer, Praying Effectively

Part 8 (Final) – Always Let God take the Lead

One of the greatest myths of all times is that God will not speak to us directly and individually. The unfortunate thing is that because this has been believed for generations, some people do not even attempt to pray. They think that it is a spiritual practice reserved only for those who are special. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are all God’s masterpieces, and He calls us His finest work. We are all special in His eyes. The truth is that God never ceases to speak. He speaks through His Word. He speaks through the Holy Spirit that indwells us, and He speaks through people and situations in our everyday reality. God also speaks to us through visions and dreams, and this is a very impactful way that He communicates with His people. God responds to our prayers through these and other ways, because He wants us to align our will with His Will. Then the very best can be achieved for our lives, and in the lives of those we pray for.

As sons and daughters of God, it is possible for us to pray and always receive results. The Lord loves to partner with us in prayer so that His almighty power may be released in situations. Heavenly Father made us in His image. We are intellectual beings, with the ability to think, reason, and pose critical questions. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith, and we must also know that faith is a spiritual muscle. It requires flexibility. This flexibility is so important because sometimes we need to make adjustments in our prayer lives. Humility dictates that we must seek God first, find out what He desires, and then begin to believe in faith according to His Will. So, when we don’t readily receive an answer from God that lines up with our expectations, we must not give up. The intelligent thing to do is go back to the Father and ask why we have not received an answer.

James 1:5(NLT) says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Heavenly Father also tells us in Proverbs 4:7 that wisdom is the principal thing. Wisdom is first rate, and God encourages us to get wisdom and understanding. This applies to our prayer lives as well. We have this extraordinary earth experience to learn to communicate with Heavenly Father and to receive from Him spiritually, because receiving Spirit to spirit is the intimacy He desires with His children. Sometimes, we are so impatient, and we end up losing this opportunity. We should never make the mistake of wanting our desire more than we desire to know and please God.

We often underestimate how closely God wants to walk with us. He wants to be so intertwined in our lives that we consult with Him on everything. This is the relationship that Adam and Eve had with the Father. They walked with Him daily, and He was involved in every area of their lives. Heavenly Father always knew He was going to create human beings in His own image, but we will be blessed to closely examine His methodology. Adam and Eve were clever, capable, and able-bodied in every way, but God didn’t need their help to create all that we see. He did all the work, and after He finished, He plopped Adam and Eve right down in the middle of paradise. Everything they could possibly want was supplied. This is the pattern for us today.

There are many things that we want to accomplish for our lives, and we’ve been praying about these things and many others. Admittedly, some of us haven’t gotten as far in our aspirations as we desire. It may even appear to us that things are not going to come together. I’m sure this is how Abraham and Sarah felt when God told them they would be parents at such old ages. Ultimately, they trusted God more than they doubted their own ability. They received the Word, then began the process of lining up their faith with the word they had received. They became fully-persuaded that God would perform what He promised.

There is a Word from God that will direct our paths and help us to pray more effectively in His Will. Sometimes, when we’re not witnessing movement, it is because we have not invited God into our prayers the way we should. God can never be in the number two spot. He must always be number one because this is the position He deserves. Heavenly Father is a God of miracles. He deals in the exceedingly abundantly. So, we will never be disappointed for letting Him take the lead. There is none like Him, and we must submit ourselves to Heavenly Father with a child-like faith. We must recognize that He is sovereign. When we don’t receive the results we expect or in the time we expect, we need to remember that it is available to ask God why. He will not keep the answer from us, but we must be humble enough to hear it and flexible enough to receive His instruction and allow Him to help us grow in faith.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Praying Effectively: Part 8 – Always Let God take the Lead”, written for Springfield Fellowship, Inc. Copyright© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

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