Bible Studies

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How Does Prayer Change Lives?
When you have learned that prayer does not just mean asking God for your personal needs but the needs of others and you begin to intercede for others you will begin to change. God can rely on you more as He lays people on your heart to pray for. You become more selfless and caring and your love begins to abound. You become more fulfilled as you see changes in the lives of those you have interceded for . The more you grow in your prayer life the stronger you become. That was why Jesus said, ‘ Men ought to pray always and not faint’. Paul said, ‘Pray without ceasing. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you
He also said praying with all kinds of prayer (Ephe6:18) which means there are different types of prayer. Find out about them and pray them.
Pray for the Church- your local Church and the World –wide Church. Jesus said, ‘I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent shall take it by force. Let us affirm these in our prayer for the Church. We are also told that He is coming back for a Church that is pure unblemished, radiant, ready to be raptured. Let us pray that the Church has made
Herself ready for His glorious appearing, for the marriage supper of the Lamb

How To Pray.
It is important to know how to pray. Different games have their rules which when applied give pleasure and the desired results and so does prayer. For your prayers to be effective, you have to know how to pray. James tells us that we ask and receive not because we ask amiss

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.(Jam4;3)
In other words, if you ask amiss you will not receive what you asked for. We are told in 1John ‘..14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1John 5:14-15
. It follows that if we do not know God’s will and hence do not ask according to His will, we will not have the confidence in our prayer that He hears us.
In Roman12:1-2 we are told how we know the will of God- by allowing our mind to be transformed by the word of God.
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
There will be no prayer of faith as a result and without faith it is impossible to please God and we would not receive what we have asked for if it is not according to His will.
It is therefore imperative that we take time to study the word, meditate on it day and night so that we have confidence when we come before God to pray. We know we are asking according to His will and that bolsters our confidence and faith.

Pray The Word
It is also important to learn to pray God’s Word. Our words are often feeble and ineffectual but when you pray the word of God from your heart, it is powerful , dynamic, effectual, mountain-moving. You are as it were laying the word of God before Him and saying, ‘Lord you said this in your word …., and you are not a man that You should lie. You said you will not alter that word that has proceed de out of your mouth; tat heaven and earth will pass away but your word will not pass away; that the word that has gone forth from your mouth will not return to you empty but will accomplish that which you please prosper in the thing whereunto it is sent; that the flowers may fade and the grass may wither but your word abides forever; now Lord fulfill your word. God Himself said: ‘Argue your case. Tell Me why I should answer you? ‘

26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted. Isa43:26 NIV

God responds to His word which is a covenant- not your emotions. So, pray the word. But to pray the word you must know the word – not head knowledge but also heart knowledge.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col3:16
Jesus Himself said : 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you John15:7.

Be led of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy spirit knows the mind of God and the perfect will of God. this is why we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in our prayer. He came on the Day of Pentecost and has been here to comfort, strengthen, standby and intercede with us and for us. He is the Helper, the Teacher, the Anointing that indwells the believer. We need to acknowledge Him when we pray. Paul said in
26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Rom.8:26 John 16:23

You Pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus.

No one can come to the Father except through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Champion, who paid the price, for us made the greatest of sacrifice, by shedding His precious blood to take away our sin and the sin of this world. It is written;
17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17-18)
:. 23And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.John16:23
The name of Jesus is powerful. Demons tremble at that name. His name is the name above every other name at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven of things on this earth of things underneath this earth.(Phil2:5-11) The Pharisees were disturbed that the disciples had filled the region with the name and warned them not to preach in that name again, why? They felt threatened by the name they could see what was being wrought in that name. But Peter was bold enough to say, ‘We would rather obey God than man.’ And they went to their company and prayed a powerful prayer and concluded ‘that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
And when they had finished the house in which they prayed shoot from its foundations. That is what the name of Jesus can do when we pray in that mighty majestic, matchless name above every other name.
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘ Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the LORD and against His Christ.’
27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
(Acts4:7-11,17-19,23-31)

Posture, Mode or Place of Prayer
Although there are rules governing prayer there are non-essentials of prayer-like your posture in prayer or where you pray. Whereas it is wise to be in a conducive place to pray, you can pray anytime or anywhere without announcing that you are praying. You can pray loudly or silently, individually or corporately, standing or sitting, walking or kneeling, quietly or loudly (provided you do not encroach on others).

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