1] Believe- know that you have your answer already and start to thank god for it.
It may not be what you expected it to be but you have an answer to your prayers.
You don’t have to see an answer to know that god has heard your heart felt prayers.
It’s expressing your faith and trust in the nature and character of god to have your best interests at heart as well as those you pray for.
2] Sin- harbour no sin in your hearts.
Unconfessed sins have a negative effect on our prayers.
They block and hinder your prayers.
Your sins and rebellion have a blanketing effect on prayer.
No unforgiveness against another, no anger or hatred or revenge.
Do not despise another, thinking lowly of them for whatever reason.
Get rid of pride in all it’s forms both passive an aggressive.
(Eg: passive-self pity, aggressive-arrogance and conceit)
3] Confess your sins to god as you commit them.
When you become aware of them get rid of them.
This will take a concerted and consistent effort on your part.
You don’t usually commit them in bulk and so it is with confession of them,
One by one.
4] Prayer and Fasting- The humbling of oneself before god and making an offering of your body and time.
It can be a type of mourning.
A sharing of god’s sorrow over our sins and those of another.
It is not the self centred, helpless grief of the unbeliever but rather the Holy Spirit prompts it.
(2Corinthians 7:10 “ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of : but the sorrow of the world worketh death”).
It’s getting involved body, soul, emotions and will.
It can also be used when you are in need of directions.
The early church modelled it for us, as they would gather in prayer and fasting before taking each new step.
It’s saying to god “I am serious lord”
It is being committed to the task.
Done rightly it is getting ourselves in line with the Holy Spirit.
It’s dealing with 2 key areas of resistance in our lives.
The first is the desires of the body.
It’s bringing our bodies under the submission of the Holy Spirit.
The second is the area of the will, dealing with our stubborn self will and desire to do it our own way.
5] Praise and Thanksgiving upon sight of your answer.
Its simply saying thankyou to god for his revealed will and answers to your prayer. It’s recognising god’s intervention in your circumstances, and giving him the credit for the outcome.
Ephesians 6:18
“Give yourselves wholly to prayer and entreaty; pray on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Blessings
Kazza.
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