Effective Prayer #118

Are you frustrated with your prayer life?  Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut?  Do you find yourself rushing out the door in the morning whispering a half- hearted prayer for   help with your day?  When you crawl into bed at night do you pray a quick prayer of thanks as you fall asleep?

In this edition of Finish Strong, you’ll learn how to pray powerful and effective prayers.  By making your prayer life a priority you can unleash God’s supernatural power in your life.

When you understand the reasons, requirements and methods for effective prayer, your soul will soar to new heights and you’ll live your life according to God’s plan.  

Discover Biblical truths that will turn your prayer life into a powerful engine that will energize your life in every way imaginable!  Join Brian, Terry and Dan and learn how effective prayer is the key to Finishing Strong! 

Transcript

Dan Wheeler: 0:02

How do you feel about your prayer life? Do you feel like you pray effectively? Or do you find yourself sometimes running out the door in the morning saying, Lord, I didn't have my quiet time with you, but helped me today. And then you fall into bed at night and you say, oh, Lord, I'm sorry. I was so busy. But thanks for watching over me. Good night, Lord. Today, we're going to take a really in depth look at what the Bible says about effective prayer. Welcome to finish strong. I'm Dan Wheeler, and I'm joined by Terry Steen and Brian Roland, guys, I think we have such a wide range of range of people in our audience, maybe some have memorized a prayer as a kid, and they use that others follow the Lord's Prayer. And then still others are really seeking a deeper adventure with God in their prayer life. But effective praying is something we need to learn to do. So

Terry Steen: 0:57

to so to Dan, and you know, so many people, it's like, if they hear the word prayer, they may kind of shut down and think, Oh, they're beating a dead horse. Of course, we know we have to pray for Christians. But to do prayer properly, you know, that's the key. And that's exactly right. What you were just talking about, I find myself one of my weaknesses is a proper prayer life, and I just keep working on it. But that's an area that Satan wants to fight us in, isn't it?

Brian Roland: 1:29

I call him Papa prayer. You know, they happen all day long. Yeah. You said it's, you know, when you when you wake up in the morning and got to get up the door or your bed at night, or in the car, especially boy, I had to pray for this person just cut me off. They're all popup prayers are really not praying effectively, and like they're being directed to pray.

Dan Wheeler: 1:49

Well, one of the big obstacles is time, you know, I, Pam and I really carve out time in the morning and at night. But I go into my office the morning and I'll say a quick prayer. And before I know it, I'm so busy, and to carve out that time. I mean, have you ever tried to just be alone with God for an hour, and pray for an hour, it is so tough, and your mind wanders, and I feel like Satan wants to distract us in any way we can. But boy to really focus on God is important. But, Terry, let's let's start with the reasons for prayer. Why is it important?

Terry Steen: 2:28

I think that's one of the keys. You know, if you don't know why you're doing something, you know, so one of the reasons is that, hey, it's very simple. God commands us as followers to pray. There's no other way to communicate with him. It says in Psalm 105, the fourth verse, look to the Lord for his strength, seek His face always or seek His face ever more. So He commands us throughout Scripture. It's something I want you to do beyond want, I demand that you do it.

Dan Wheeler: 3:02

Boy, it's so true. And by the way, I'm gonna warn our audience of Brian Terry, if they hear the rustling of pages, we're looking up a lot of these scriptures, we're really using a lot of Scripture today. I'm sorry, Brian, I interrupted, you

Brian Roland: 3:15

know, I was gonna say prayer is a necessary connection. And it helps us it's not just the connection to God, but it helps us to know and understand God's plan. He has a plan for all of us. And in James one, five, it says, if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you now I have a true testimony of that testament of that, of asking for wisdom, because I had none of us do. It found faults, no, but but that's one of the things is understanding God's plan, and it's receiving blessings and scenes, God's promises being fulfilled in us. Jeremiah 2911, is for all four. I know the plans I have for you. He knows every plan for us that he wants for us is for us to hear from him in the follow that direction. But he has all the plans I have for you, declares the LORD plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future. So he's got it laid out. We really don't have to worry about it. If we don't want to, we could just if we listen to him, and we're in tune, and he'll follow a step by step and at that reminds me of our moves. The last two moves that Deb and I made from Atlanta to California, California to hear we bought our homes online. I mean, God had opened the door, boom, boom, boom, and every everything happened at the proper time, the proper place, and it all was in his plan. So we just followed it. We didn't have to beg for that. We just the door was open. We went through it. And the last thing though, the prayer is necessary because it connects to God's power and to His purpose. And over. I don't have a verse for that. Well,

Dan Wheeler: 4:56

no, I do. Interesting enough, but I'm glad you asked. Connect because, you know, for power to work, we have to plug something in when I got ready, plugged in my light plugged in my computer. And really that's what prayer begins it begins the connection with God so that his divine power can and wisdom can flow to us. And it says in James four, eight, I love this verse drawn nearer to God, he'll draw near to you. And a lot of people say, I don't even know how to begin, will you just begin by talking to God, you can start out in so many ways. And we're going to go into thankfulness and praise and some of the requirements, but it's that initial connection without it, how can we tie into God's power, that's what we need His power and His wisdom

Terry Steen: 5:50

that comes through His Holy Spirit. And he that's what he said, Wait till the Holy Spirit comes before he left, because we need that Holy Spirit. He he wants to talk to us. But at the same time, he knows the positive ramifications of that prayer life, and he wants it for us.

Dan Wheeler: 6:08

There's a word that's used throughout Scripture. When when talking about prayer, it's energy to and it's the Greek word meaning to energize. And God through the Holy Spirit, as you just said, Terry, he energizes our prayers. Yes, very important there. I tell you that energy, you know, we need it. I've talked about oh, and carry said, the busier the day, the more prayer I need. But let's talk about some of the requirements for effective praying, because today, we're not just talking about prayer, we're talking about effective prayer, and what makes it

Brian Roland: 6:45

effective, well, true, sincere faith that God hears us that he has the ability to accomplish what is needed. And he knows what is best for each situation. I mean, that's, I think that's says it right there in that little statement. But that's a requirement for effective prayer over in Norway. And here. Mark, Mark 1124 says, Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for, in your prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. I'd like that. And I don't. And I'll tell you what, I like that you can ask him for anything he's telling you to. But it's an insult. You're praying for asking for something in according to God's will. But a lot of people look as God and I've said it before in the morning cup as a celestial Butler. You know, they they look at him as if here's my wish list. And this is what I need. At this point I want I want to walk by Have a good day, you know, and that's not what it's about. It's really true and sincere faith in Him that He hears your prayers, and that you are asking for things that are really needed. And not just in your life, but other people's lives, healings things that they need, or as financial matters. They're facing struggles in marriages that they're facing. And this is what is needed. And that's when you're what you're really praying for. And then over in Hebrews 1022, it says, Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart, and with the full assurance that faith brings having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. And having our bodies washed with pure water was one of the thing what prayer, it cleanses you, you know, going before God and you don't even go before him with a guilty heart. And that was sin in your heart. So you're always asking God there, you know, give me a clean harder. I'm sure there's sins that I've committed that I didn't realize, so please forgive me that so I could come to you with a clean heart and I can come with you open open up my my spirit to you and your spirit to me.

Dan Wheeler: 8:37

But that's good. So so we have to have that true and sincere faith.

Brian Roland: 8:42

Yeah, believe in James one. 611. Within it says 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. Boy, isn't that the truth, and we call it fearless faith. I mean, we've been tossed about here, but at the same time, we've held steady, and we know how to hold steady, we know what that means just to dig in and have faith and believing. And without doubt, knowing that God is going to hear us he's going to be there.

Dan Wheeler: 9:08

There's so many verses in the Bible. So we must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. But we must so so Brian talked about true and severe, sincere faith, knowing that God can answer and will answer in his time, need to pray in Jesus name and be aware of his powers compassion, his desire to respond. John 1413 and 14, we read and I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may be bring glory to the father, you may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Now. People say I can ask him for anything I can ask him for a million dollars or$10 million or you know incredible fame and fortune. I think we have to ask within his will All right, let's we pray in Jesus name. And I think it's important to pray in Jesus name because, you know, I just did a morning cup of inspiration. I think it's gonna aired this week. But I talked about how I hate when I hear the term higher power. There's this ad I've been seeing, and it's a Catholic nun and she says, I can teach people how to get in touch with their higher power. While I always think that can be anyone. Satan can be a higher power, the wind, an earthquake, a lightning thunder, no, we have to name very important because Satan will take any name, you know, the universe, you ever hear people say, Oh, I asked the universe? No, that's an impersonal, that's a part of the creation. Let's speak to the Creator. That's why it's important to pray in Jesus name.

Brian Roland: 10:48

And you said to the praying in Jesus name, that's why he wants it across to that's one of the reasons remember the veil split into we have a direct contact to God through Jesus. Without him we're not gonna we're not speaking to the Father. I mean, we got to we have to ask in Jesus name because he's that bridge. And of course, he's part of the Trinity is part of father and all that, but But still, it's something that people they forget about during that crucifixion, will you forgive me my sins? Yes. But he also gave you a direct street to the father now to

Terry Steen: 11:15

then why? Why is the world so upset when they hear the name Jesus? They don't care at all. If you say, God, once you bring up the name of Jesus, the power that's in that name, there's something about that name that scares the world. Yeah, you're right. And you know that prayer, you mentioned to Dan, it's most effective, it's really for any promises to be fulfilled. It has to be in harmony with God's Holy Will, His perfect will. First John 514. I know we can't read every scripture we have written down or we won't have time to get through this. But it says now this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything, according to His will, He hears us. So we know he's hearing us. And we have the promises that if it's according to His will, he'll do it. So that's a great requirement to always pray based on his well being accomplished,

Brian Roland: 12:15

then what you're seeing there is we must be living in God's will. I mean, the same thing for his well, it must be living in his will to be to be open to that.

Dan Wheeler: 12:24

But what if somebody says, How do I know I'm praying and God's will? Is it that we actually say, God, I want your will to be done? Is that how we pray in his voice? But

Terry Steen: 12:33

I think I think it's an attitude of the heart. And if we're praying with that conviction, if we're not praying with pride, if we're not praying selfishly, if you're not praying, I think he Well, we know, he knows our heart, He knows our mind. And if we're truly praying his will, then we're going to be open to accept the results of that prayer, even if it's not what we would have wanted to

Brian Roland: 12:59

call prayers are answered, let them just aren't the answers we want.

Dan Wheeler: 13:03

Right, Brian, you made a good point. You said we got to be living in his will to be praying effectively, right? What Why is that important?

Brian Roland: 13:11

Well, because we want to be in alignment with him. I mean, if you have the Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit's living in you, and you're in alignment with God, that makes all the difference in the world. That's when you're talking to God, he's hearing you and you're hearing him. And that's just his people. They want to pray, but they don't want to take the time to listen. They want to hear from God to Yes. When you know you're in communication with him, and it's complete. It's it's goes right around. It's not like to one way,

Terry Steen: 13:37

the two way street.

Dan Wheeler: 13:38

Yeah. A lot of people say man, I asked God, he didn't answer I tried. Oh, yeah. How much did you try? Well, I asked him what? We need to be persistent. If we really want to see God. In Matthew seven, I think it's verse seven. It says, Ask, and ye shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be open, you know, that all involves action? Yes, you're asking, but also you're seeking, seeking God's seeking that answer, and you're knocking on the door. And I heard someone say, ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking knock and keep on knocking Be persistent. Yeah,

Terry Steen: 14:20

that reminds me of that Bible story. And I can't remember where it is. But it was a lady or the widow that went to the judge to get justice. And the judge would just send her away. And she kept coming back every day. And the judge said, I have the power to send her away and not answer it, but she has bugged me so much. I'm just gonna give her what she wants, and send her on her way. And that is that story in the Bible that tells us just keep on asking. God loves it when we're persistent.

Dan Wheeler: 14:53

But it does. Wow, at times really run by reason for prayer requirements for effective prayer, there are biblical elements and methods that are necessary for effective prayer that you need to know about. And the first one is that we must genuinely praise and the door God. Psalm 100, verse four says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Yeah, there's something about praise that invites God in and telling him how much that you love him and you adore him. And people might say, Oh, does God need that? Does he have to be constantly praised and adored? No, I'm sure he doesn't, but But he, he inhabits the praises of His people. So that's an element that we need to think about just praising him and adoring him. And you know, the truth is, guys, we asked him for so much, how often do we just say, Lord, I love you, I thank you, I adore you. You've been so good to me. And I don't want to ask you for anything, right? I just want to praise you so powerful, is

Terry Steen: 16:12

just

Brian Roland: 16:13

take a look around you. He's created a whole. Nobody else can do that, or has done that or ever will. He deserves our honor and our praise. And

Terry Steen: 16:22

to me, it comes back to what we just said, the attitude, the attitude of the heart, the humbled purity, in coming before him, and praising him for just who he is nothing to do with anything else. And then go into a time of thanksgiving. He expects us to be thankful. Yeah. Because that is our responsibility. It says in First Thessalonians five rejoice always says pray without ceasing. In everything, give thanks for this as the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us. So it's his will for us to be thankful. I always remember the story of the 10 lepers. They've been lepers for years and years, no one would come close to them, they miraculously get healed by Jesus. And they run off to tell everybody and only one, only one is conscious enough to go, Wait a minute, I never think that guy and go back, you know, way too many times. Where the other nine Lappers, aren't we? Right? It's good.

Brian Roland: 17:33

One other thing we we must do, which we just touched on a little bit ago, must confess of any sins in our lives. And we said that before. And then the verse to back that up was first John 191 said, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. And, you know, I was thinking, as I was going over the elements of our podcast today, and I was thinking, man, just go back to the Old Testament. I mean, they had that they had to mix animal sacrifices in this. But that was the cleanse them before the end before they spoke to the Lord, you know that before they can, before they can even enter into the temple there and look at their will and say, Wait a minute. So that's what we're doing when we're confessing our sins of Jesus already died on the cross for us. But we have to pray and say, Lord, you know, I'm sure I know, I failed. We everybody does we send daily and ask him just to clean up my life. And I always ask them to show me what I've done. So I don't do it again. Show me what's wrong. Let me let me really feel guilty on something. So I know that it's not right. And that right for me, you know, and then and that so I can avoid that the next time around or not have to have that pitfall.

Dan Wheeler: 18:42

Yeah, here's one that I think we all. We all keep learning, not to hesitate to go to God to ask them what we need. Yeah. How many times do we worry first? Were like, oh, no, this has happened. How's this gonna work out? And then, you know, after a while you think have I prayed about this? Lord Philippians four, six says, Do not be anxious about anything. And in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, He wants us to go to him, always in about everything. And without hesitation, you know, whenever you lose something, it's funny how you'll check it every place you could think and find you're like, Well, man, Lord, hey, please give me wisdom. You know, right away we say, Lord, I know I've misplaced this but you know where it is? Help. isn't weird that we hesitate to pray.

Terry Steen: 19:41

Yeah. Yeah. Another thing he asks us to do is to passionately pray for others, not just ourselves. We need to turn that prayer outward. Ephesians 618 says, talking about Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit we need Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. So we have to persevere. We have to do it with passion, in supplication for all the saints. So it's everybody that we know that's in need. And for our churches and for our politicians, and for our world. We have to do it with a passion, he expects that of us.

Dan Wheeler: 20:26

You know, Terry, I was just convicted yesterday about praying for our politicians and those that we don't agree with. And I just, I complain, I almost yell at the TV. But well, okay, I do I have a man, we need to pray for him. And you know, I've been praying that God will raise up godly men and women to serve our country. That's what I pray and that those that don't know him, I said, Lord, bring them to you. That's the only thing that will truly change hearts. And we say things today that just come across as pure evil to me, and seems like there's a desire to destroy this great country of ours. It's hard, but we need to pray for our enemies. Not that they should be our enemies, but we need to pray for people who don't agree with.

Terry Steen: 21:16

That's true. You know, as we go through the Bible, we come up with different scenarios, as we read through have different ways to pray. And so maybe it'd be good for us to finish this section with just talking or this episode, we're just talking about different ways that the Bible has shown us to pray, and one and we've referred to it so far in our discussion, but with a sincere heart. And in Matthew, the sixth chapter, it talks about that, and it's saying, it brings up not doing it with vain repetition. I mean, you can go you can be saying words, but if your mind is somewhere else, and it's not a sincere prayer, then God's not going to listen to it. If it's with it can be with many words, He's talking about how the Pharisees use all these words, and they're always praying and they want to be in front of everybody. But if they're not sincere, then they don't carry any weight. And it's interesting that he said those things and then led right into that was during the sermon on the mouth of lead right into the Lord's Prayer.

Brian Roland: 22:28

Good. Another way to pray is silently and I love this. In First Samuel 113 says Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. I think that okay, she's just sitting and she's praying. So her lips are moving. But nobody's here. But I thought that was when I was a kid. I was in the back of the car. And I had a book and I was reading it and I started reading this Hey, Mom, Hey, Dad, and reading this and my mom's looks at me. She goes, Brian, read to yourself. When she was read to yourself, like what do you mean she was just read? So and that's first time I really was just reading it without saying anything and hearing my inner voice reading this, you know, while this is cool, but it's and that's what I get out of this too, is like, you can be praying anytime, anywhere, praying silently, but keeping God foremost in the front of your mind and in your thoughts and in your prayers while you're praying to and

Dan Wheeler: 23:25

for our charismatic friends. You can pray aloud as well. That's true. A lot of people don't know you can but you know, sometimes you're in a car and all sudden someone turns in front of you say Lord help. You know that's a prayer and it's out world. But in Nehemiah nine, chapter four, it says standing on the stairs where the Levites Joshua ban I kid meal Shanaya bunny, Shara baya Bonnie and Kalani all names I considered for my kids.

Terry Steen: 23:55

You said those all correctly? mispronounced a couple of

Dan Wheeler: 24:00

mean I said. No, I didn't. But it says who called called with loud voices to look Lord their God. And I pray out loud, sometimes in church and sometimes at home in my office, sometimes contain yourself. So

Terry Steen: 24:17

I go to a church, I go to a church that's pretty boisterous and pretty out there. And sometimes I miss the awesome silence that speaks louder than words could and just aren't sitting quietly in the presence of the Lord. And then there's other times that you do want to shout it from the mountaintops. So there's a place for both of that. And another thing is to pray in our own words. A lot of people just pray something that's written down like written prayers or written Creed's. Well, you know, sometimes the Lord just wants us to share what's on our heart. And or read directly from Scripture. I mean, that's why I put the Lord's Prayer in there. It's it's in their cup. It's in Matthew and Luke, where that's a good thing to recite, but he wants to hear our hearts. And we can do that through just using our own words.

Brian Roland: 25:17

And then another one's a tough one is praying in the Spirit. A lot of people say when you mean praying in the Spirit, in First Corinthians 1414, through 17, it says, For if I pray in the tongue, my spirit prays, and this is speaking in tongues, and but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit. But I will also pray with my understanding, I will sing with my spirit, but also sing with my understanding. Otherwise, when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else who was now put in the position of an inquirer, say amen to your Thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is, is that a fight? I just, I find that interesting, because I know that there's always one, there's somebody speaking, when they're when they're praying in tongues, and you're by themselves. I know, there's intercessory there, too, you can be praying for somebody else you don't even know about. And it's an intercessory prayer. But when you're in a service, as somebody speaks in tongues, you can almost always count on an interpretation. Because what God wouldn't do that, I mean, he doesn't, he doesn't just speak like that and just ignore everybody else and stuff in your tongue, you're gonna get an interpretation as to what's been said, I just wanted to pass it off you guys real quick, too, because this is something as I was looking at this going both people they there's there's not a lot of understanding for people in this matter.

Dan Wheeler: 26:42

Right. I know people speak in tongues, sometimes when they're just praying to the Lord and praying, sometimes that happens in church, but whenever there is a message for the church is given in tongues, there should be interpretation. Yeah. So we can also pray with singing so many songs are a prayer, and the Lord and I love worship music. And I know the three of us are big music lovers. And I've, that's a great form of prayer for us. And we read about it in Psalms 92, Psalm 92, one and two, it is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name almost Hi, to proclaim your love in the morning. And your faithfulness at night. Boy, that's good. I love it. Faithfulness at night, sometimes you feel like singing to the Lord.

Terry Steen: 27:30

And I just finish up this section by saying another thing that can deepen the quality of our prayer time is if we add it along with fasting. Sometimes if we get really focused, and you know, the Bible tells us in Matthew six, it's talking about Jesus was talking about fasting in the Sermon on the Mount. And he said, When you fast, not if you fast, and we've talked about that in the past, that that should be part of our prayer lifestyle, that as we do that, and commit ourselves in a deeper way, that the that the intensity of God's presence seems to be more real. And so that's another good approach for people if they're looking at different ways to connect, and deepen their prayer life. That's a good one to try.

Dan Wheeler: 28:21

And I think prayer is more important than ever, as we want to finish our life strong finish strong. Prayer is so important. Because as we age, you know, we have so many more challenges. But instead of worrying, instead of getting anxious and seeing what's going on in the world, we know that we're pretty much in the end times. I just don't know how it can get worse the things we're seeing the things we're hearing, never thought even five years ago, right, see what we're seeing. But boy, prayer is so important, be praying for our country, for each other for God's leaders for pastors, you know, they're under attack so much you hear crazy things, pastors falling into sin. And, man, it's it's not easy. And you know, guys even doing our ministry, we have to be careful that we don't get so busy trying to do things for God that we forget to spend God spend time with God. Yeah,

Terry Steen: 29:23

yeah, it's so easy to do. It's so easy to do. And I find that happening in my life. You know, the devil knows that. He knows if he can disjoint that communication that he's winning. And so we have to be very intentional about our prayer life.

Dan Wheeler: 29:40

Yeah. Well, it's been a great podcast again, the time flies. And hopefully we brought you some things that are important for you the reasons for prayer because God commands it. He uses it as that connection between the two of us requirements for effective praying true and sincere faith. praying in Jesus name, be in harmony with God's will live in God's will be persistent. And praise and adore God give Him thanks confessing our sins, so important because if you have sin in your life that will prevent that will really harm the communication between us and God. It's hard for God to listen to us when that sin is between us. Pray with passion, sincerity of heart, and you can pray in a number of ways silently aloud, singing in our own words from scripture, fasting, so much about prayer. But you know, I remember years ago, I had Robert Schuller on QVC. And we sold his book and I just love the title of the book. It said prayer, my soul's adventure with a god. And that's good. Thanks, guys. Thanks for all your insights and thanks, John Matarazzo, our producer, we hope you'll join us on Facebook at Fearless Faith Ministries our logo is three flames, YouTube boy we've got a very active YouTube channel and that's fearless Faith Ministries. It's free to subscribe, go there and subscribe and we have an Instagram page. We have a website of faith.org What am I missing guys anything

Brian Roland: 31:18

that you hit a wall you got to the park.

Dan Wheeler: 31:23

Thanks for tuning in and we'll look forward to having you right here for our next edition of finished strong.

John Matarazzo: 31:31

Thank you for listening to finish strong for more information about finished strong and fearless faith. Check out their website F faith.org. Make sure that you rate and review this podcast to help more people accomplish their God given purpose so that together we can finish strong