The Foundations of Prayer

The effective, passionate prayer of a person who does right in the eyes of the Lord benefits man greatly. We, as believers, have confidence to enter into the holiness of God by the blood of Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice we have a new and living way that Jesus Christ declared for us through His body. We have a High Priest over the house of God so let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with great confidence through faith our guilty conscience will be washed by the Word. We are born of the Holy Spirit when we believe the Word of God and receive Jesus by faith. We are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit the moment we believe.  We receive the anointing of the Spirit and through Bible study and prayer we are taught things of God. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit lives within our mind as He comforts and councils us to righteous living.

When Christ was on earth He was all powerful and all knowing. He was capable of controlling the elements, and He knew the thoughts of those around Him. But He was missing an important attribute. He was not omni-present, or everywhere all the time. This is why it was important for Him to return to the Father so the Holy Spirit of God could abound on earth. ^“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes He will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment, about sin, because people do not believe in me  about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:7-11 NIV

  Faithfulness is the foundation of prayer. Without it our prayer life is useless. Loyalty to God’s Word is paramount, our obedience to His discipline entitles us to a leaning ear from God.  We cannot live today’s lifestyle and expect God to hear us when we pray. Our first objective is to remove sin from our life, and then confess those sins to our heavenly Father. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:6-8 NIV We are to ask in faith, and faith comes from hearing and reading the Word of God. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:7-8 NIV

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:15-16 NIV The prayer of faith comes from a blameless heart.  If we keep God’s commandments and do what pleases Him, whatever we ask for in prayer we will receive. We place our life in God’s hands and trust in the purpose He has created for us in His will. We place our faith in the power of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6: NIV

If we abide in Him we will not pray foolish prayers. We will ask for wisdom and understanding from the Lord. Our main focal point will be on behalf of others, because as we serve others we serve Him. Through our prayer and Bible study we produce good works. When we serve others we share Christ. The Holy Spirit leads the way in our life and failure to do so will hinder our prayer. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NIV Now when we pray we should not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God… Psalm 95:6-7 NIV

Let us pray.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen. Psalm 23 NIV