Pray in Jesus' name

1. Pray in Jesus' name. The Bible says, "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14). To pray in Jesus name does not mean that you tack His holy name in your wish list. It means that your prayers are consistent with what Jesus Himself would pray about a particular situation.

2. Pray according to the Word and the will of God. "Now this is confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14). The Word and the will of God are synonymous. To pray for anything not promised in the Word of God is a waste of time, but not pray for what we know is God's desire is a surefire winner!

3. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess.5:16). Set aside a few minutes for concentrated prayer every day. Be very still, and get quiet before the Lord. Don't worry if you don't receive instant answers. Remember that Daniel prayed for twenty-one days for an answer to his prayer. Finally, an angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel and said, "We heard you praying the first day, but I was intercepted by the prince of Persia" (paraphrase of Dan. 10:13). Can you imagine that? One of Satan's archangels tried to prevent the angel of the Lord from bringing the answer to Daniel's prayer. But Daniel won the battle on his knees. What Daniel did on earth in prayer determined what happened in the heavenly realms, and eventually the answer came. So don't get discouraged. Pray until you get the answer. This is what you call "praying through."

4. Pray audibly, using simple, natural words. You don't have to impress God with your vocabulary or your spirituality. Do not feel that you must use religious phrases. Talk to God in your own language. He understands it.

5. Do not spend so much time asking God for the things, but, instead, confess that God's blessings are being poured out upon you. For most of your prayer, give thanks to God for the answer that you know, in faith, is coming.

6. Practice the attitude of putting everything in God's hands. Ask for the faith to do your best and to leave the results in the hands of a loving God. The Bible says, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7).

7. Pray for people you dislike or who have mistreated you. Resentment blocks spiritual power because it separates us from God.

8. Practice the presence of God. You must put yourself in an atmosphere that allows you to focus on Him. The importance of experiencing God's presence cannot be overemphasized. The Bible says, "…for in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). After he rediscovered God, Tolstoy expressed this fact in an unforgettable phrase: "To know god is to live."

9. Agree with another believer for the answer to your prayer. Find another believer and ask that person to join you in prayer for God's answer. The Bible says, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on the earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:19-20).

10. Pray in faith, believing. Many people say, "My faith is weak." When I hear that statement, I remind them that it doesn't take great faith to believe in a God who never fails. The Bible commands, "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22). The scripture also says, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt. 17:20). Believe that God is hearing and answering your prayer, even as you speak it.

God's Word makes it very clear: prayerlessness is sin. Samuel said, "…far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you" (Sam. 12:23). At pivotal moments in your life, prayer should be your first choice, not your last chance. Remember, as powerful as God is, He does not answer prayer until you pray.