Category Archives: Praying

Praying, an integral part of our walk with God, is about spending time with Him as we pray. Prayer isn’t merely making petition but also connecting with Him.

Prayer Ministry an Outgrowth of Relationship

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Training Category: Prayer Ministry

Connect with a Personal God in Prayer

To have an effective prayer ministry, whether that be personal or corporate, we must begin on the basis of a personal relationship with God. Praying is rather meaningless and empty if we don’t sense that Someone is seeing, hearing, and caring.

We must understand and value the relational aspect for prayer ministry to be effective. Remember in Luke 11:1-4 when one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Our Father …’.” Jesus was teaching the personal and intimate nature of prayer.

To be effective, prayer ministry must be …

more than attending a meeting.

— It is connecting with our heavenly Father.

more than a programmed event or activity.

— It is coming into the presence of the Almighty God.

more than a Christian discipline.

— It is communicating with a living and personal God.

Make your prayer meetings or prayer efforts about relationship, not merely praying requests. Words are shallow and meaningless when there is no sense of connection. You’ll find that when God Himself is the main attraction, you won’t need gimmicks or arm-twisting to keep people coming.

Order the Prayer Ministry Manual for a study on each of the above points involved in the relational aspect of prayer — connecting, coming into His presence, and communicating.

For More on what will help you develop and maintain an effective Prayer Ministry, read the following:

For More About Praying: Resources for Prayer Ministry

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God’s Word & Prayer Go Hand in Hand

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We find verses in the Bible which reference both God’s Word and prayer. Certainly there must be a connection between the two.

prayer-WordTake the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word 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. (Eph. 6:17-18)

If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable. (Prov. 28:9)

The Connection Between The Word and Praying

God speaks to us through His Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and through prayer we respond to Him which results in true communion (Ps. 145:18; Jn. 15:7).

God’s Word enables us to pray in keeping with God’s will. How will we know what His will is unless we are in His Word? (John 14:13–14, 1 John 5:14-15)

Scripture shows us our sinfulness so we can confess it (1 Jn. 1:9) and helps prevent us from sinning (Ps. 119:11) so we are able to keep in fellowship with the Lord which involves talking with Him in prayer (Ps. 66:18).

How to Personalize This Truth About God’s Word and Prayer

Do you lack focus in prayer? – Turn what you read in the Word into prayer.

Are you unsure of how to pray? – Look at the examples of praying in the Bible.

Do you lack confidence in praying? – Hold forth the promises found in God’s Word as you pray. (Ps. 119:58, 82, 116, 154, 170; Heb. 4:16)

Do you have a hard time studying or understanding God’s Word? – Ask God for help (James 1:5).

God’s Word and Prayer Go Hand in Hand!

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Effective and Powerful Prayer

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Powerful Prayer
Would you describe your prayers as effective? What is powerful prayer?

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

Examples of Effective Prayer

The context of James 5:16 gives examples of powerful prayer.

  1. “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:15) — physical healing
  1. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16) — spiritual healing
  1. “prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain … Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain” (James 5:17-18) — phenomenal change in nature
  1. “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20) — transformation of the heart

Powerful Prayer Doesn’t Always Fit Our Definition of Spectacular

How easy it is to pull on the example of Elijah praying for God to do the miraculous in the natural realm … obviously what could be considered powerful. Praying for physical healing? — Again, certainly an answer to that request would cause us to say “powerful prayer.”

Notice, however, the other examples in the context of James 5:16 — spiritual healing. Let’s not minimize these results of prayer. Both moving a mountain or moving a heart require God’s power.

Remember that the same Elijah whose powerful and effective prayer resulted in a phenomenal change in the course of nature also had this experience:

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

God’s answer came in the “gentle whisper.”

Let’s not get discouraged when we don’t see obvious or spectacular results. That doesn’t mean praying isn’t effective. Prayer is just as powerful when God is working behind the scenes, out of view to the human eye. To be used by God through our prayers in a person being saved from spiritual (eternal) death or to become spiritually healthy is powerful!!

For more on praying, go to: Prayer Resources

Church leaders, read more about the power of prayer looking at James 5:16 from a different angle and its implications for leadership: God’s Power for the Church – Prayer

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