We cannot pray outside of the word of God and His Word is the Bible. God and His Word are indissoluble (bound together forever). God cannot say anything different from His Word. He declared “.. for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” (Jeremiah 1:12) God will stand by His Word. What He says that is exactly what He will do. All the provisions God has made for all who believe in Him are contained in the Bible. We can count on every promise He has made to humanity that is found in the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation. All we have to do therefore is to go into the Word and take what He has already been provided for us.
One of the reasons for unanswered prayers is our ignorance of what God says in His word with regard to a particular issue. On the question of our security, safety and protection from danger, the Psalmist writes: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2) We are assured that we shall find shelter when we dwell in God’s presence, because God is our refuge and our fortress (a strong tower). We can only invoke God’s presence when we pray. Outside of His blanket coverage, we cannot be sure of this clothing of protection. Since we are safe under God’s shelter, why not seek it often.
Again most of us pray and soon after we say ‘in Jesus’ name, amen,’ we are up and going. We do not wait to hear from Him. It is not any different from making a request to our earthly fathers. We want to know whether our request will be granted or not; so we must wait for an answer. When we feel an inner peace within us after making our supplications unto God, then God has given His approval. On the other hand, when we are not at peace, the request has not met with His approval. Sometimes, we will hear a sweet small voice telling us what to do. Most often, we are referred to a Bible passage for the answer; at other times, a third party will be directed to intervene. He would have a word from the Lord for us. God can give us an instant vision or a dream showing us how the issue would be resolved. We need to be sensitive to His voice; over time, we get acquainted to His voice and the way He operates.
Avoid distractions
The best time to pray is when there is less interference; in other words when everyone is sleeping. Even if you are in a noisy neighbourhood there must be a time when the noise level subsides, zero in on that hour and engage in an encounter with God. Keep to that time as best as you can, to create a sense of His presence.Of course, you can pray anytime but it makes a world of difference when you have an appointed time. Look for a convenient place in your house where you can go and talk to your Father. The more you are accustomed to that meeting place, the more you develop an atmosphere where you meet with God. No sooner you get on your knees you sense the overshadowing atmosphere. Actually, our Lord Jesus prayed early in the morning and in a quiet place; away from His disciples even.(Luke 5:16)
Intercessory prayer
Do not always pray for yourselves, pray for others – our brothers and sisters less fortunate than ourselves. Stand in the gap for them and plead to the Father. You may not like what you see around you; people under the oppression of the devil. Do not judge them (that is God’s prerogative), just pray. Prayer changes things, so pray for a change in the circumstances you see in the life of a friend or a neighbour. Pray for a change in their circumstances. You see a family struggling to make ends meet, pray; but also do something to alleviate their suffering. The more you spend time praying for others the more God will take care of your needs.
It is important that we make prayer a habit not out of obligation. Pray for the pleasure derived from talking to the Father. He would not scold you for not talking to him in the course of the day, but be sure your spirit will not be at ease when you do not talk to your Father. You need Him every hour. You can talk to Him at all times and in all places. Pray one line prayers when you cannot pray for long; pray under your breath when you are not alone. God hears our every cry and He promises He will wipe the tears from our eyes. (Revelation 7:17)
