Keys To More Effective Prayer

This is an outstanding article written by Kenneth Schott. It was published in the February 4, 1982 edition of the Gospel Advocate.

In Luke 11, Jesus' disciples came to Him with a serious request. Day after day they had observed Jesus praying. They were convinced that prayer was the source of His remarkable powers and they wanted to learn His secret. They asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." This was the only thing they ever asked Jesus to teach them. Christians today have the same desire as these disciples - to know how to pray more effectively. This article will offer some positive suggestions as to how you can make your prayer life more meaningful.

A study of the prayers of our Lord indicates two kinds of prayer. The first kind we will call spontaneous prayers. These are the quick, spontaneous prayers we say throughout the day. Due to the feelings of the moment or the exigency of the hour, Jesus frequently prayed brief prayers as in John 11, when He lifted up His eyes and prayed before raising Lazarus from the tomb. In the garden, Jesus prayed, "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Thine be done." On the cross, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" and, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit." Perhaps this is what Paul had in mind when he instructed Christians to, "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Paul obviously didn't mean we should lock ourselves in a room and pray around the clock. He wanted us to cultivate an attitude of prayer every day that would cause us to pray spontaneously and naturally whenever we feel the need. Christians should have a constant awareness of the presence of God. When we rise in the morning, for example, we pray, "Father, thank You for this day." When we're rushed for lunch in a noisy restaurant, we pause momentarily to say, "Thank you, Father for this food." In time of crisis, the Christian bursts into prayer spontaneously, "Dear Lord, give me strength." These are spontaneous, thought prayers.

The second kind of prayer is the planned, worship prayer. Effective worship requires a certain amount of time, a quiet setting and a proper frame of mind. Jesus taught us about worship prayer. "In the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place and prayed" (Mark 1:35). He spent the entire night in prayer before choosing His apostles. This is the kind of prayer James had reference to when he wrote, "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

Christians need both kinds of prayer. We need the quick, spontaneous prayers to get us through the trials of each day but this type of prayer is not sufficient, by itself, to hand the weightier burdens of the Christian's life. We need the quiet, "sweet hour of prayer" when we can be alone with God and pour our hearts out to the Lord. The prayers we most often neglect are the worship prayers - these are the prayers that lift us up and draw us nearer to God. Here are eight keys to more effective prayer.

1. Make time to pray.  Jesus occasionally spent the night in prayer. He planned times when He could be alone with God. According to one survey, the average Christian spends five minutes a day in prayer! We often complain, "I just can't find the time." We make time to read the newspaper and watch our favorite TV program. We make time for important business appointments. Let's make time for a daily appointment with God.

2. Find a quiet place to pray. Jesus said, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closest and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father" (Matthew 6:6). you can't pray with the TV blaring or with the children running around the house. Everyone needs a quiet place, a bedroom, a closet, or a secluded place on top of a hill to be alone with God.

3. Kneel down, if possible. We know that kneeling is not commanded as a posture for prayer, but one's physical position is important. Many of us have started to pray while lying down only to fall asleep halfway through. This is frustrating to us and degrading to God. Imagine having an appointment with the President of the United States and falling asleep in the middle! Kneeling is an outward sign of submission and reverence.

4. Pray out loud. This helps to keep our minds on what we're saying. It also makes God seem closer to us, like an intimate friend. When you pray, it helps to imagine that God is right there in the room with you and that you are talking to Him as you would a highly esteemed friend.

5. Ask God to bless you while you pray. If Satan can't get us to postpone our prayer, he will try to distract us by a ringing phone or a sudden thought about the letter we forgot to mail that day. Before you begin to pray, ask God to protect you from all distractions. Picture a circle around you and determine that nothing will get through to disturb you as you pray.

6. Remember to confess your sins. Sometimes we have to remind our children, when they come to the table, "Wash your hands first, honey." What if God feels this way? Usually we being by praying for all the things we need and forget to confess to God. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Confession must be a part of our daily prayers. We need to confess specific sins when possible.

7. Pray with thanksgiving. "With thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). It's good to take a few minutes to tell God what we're thankful for and to avoid using the catchall phrase, "thank you for all my many blessings." We need to mention our gratitude for Jesus, for God's word, for our salvation, for our health, for our family, etc.

8. Pray with faith. "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" (James 1:6). This is the hardest part of prayer. Faith is believing before receiving. We must believe that God will answer our prayers. He will answer in one of three ways according to His will: "yes," "no," or "wait awhile." Jesus said, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). We should form a mental picture in our minds of our prayers being answered.

Prayer was part of every great moment in the life of Christ. If God's Son gained strength through prayer, how much more do God's children today need the power of prayer. May God bless you as you use these keys to more effective prayer.