The Principles of Prayer
Publisher: Kineto
Published: 2000
Table of contents: title: Worldwide Prayer Network 24/7; title: To Teach and Encourage   the Church to Pray; title: PERMISSION GRANTED FOR PERSONAL AND NON PROFIT USE COMMERCIAL USE OF ANY FORM PROHIBITED.; title: ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS FROM THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED; title: Contents; title: Introduction; title: Principles in Prayer; title: 1. Faith in God; title: 2. According to thy Will; title: 3. Take no offence; title: 4. Clean Hands; title: 5. Settle all animosity; title: 6. Walk in humbleness; title: 7. Pray in the Name of Jesus; title: 8. Pray Always; title: 9. Pray again; title: 10. Labor in your Prayers; title: 11. Be specific when praying; title: 12. Mean what you say; title: 13. Use the means God has given; title: 14. Watch and Pray; title: Introduction; title: Does the believer really believe that God answers prayers? Or is it that God does answer prayer but it never really works for me. Generally speaking many in the body of Christ will not honestly answer this question. For one to admit that prayer does not work for them is very unchristian. Yet if we look at our prayer gatherings there seems to be something wrong. Why do so few people attend the prayer meeting of the church. If all men believed that prayer worked then all men would be praying. Again I strongly believe that we believe that there is a God who heals and what we hear and see in the lives of others is the truth and miracle working power of God but it just does not work for me. Based on this very fact I have discovered there are principles in God’s word that govern prayer. If we do not abide by these principles we will encounter unanswered prayer.; title: Principles of Prayer; title: 1. We must have Faith in God.; title: We must expect what we ask for. This expectation is a demonstration of our faith. If our faith is pleasing to God then we must have a high expectation of that which we have asked for. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11.6; title: The believer must believe in what he is praying for. He must believe in the promises of God for his life.  Our understanding of God and his purpose in creation has to be correct. We must understand that God’s creation is not random or by blind chance but by definite intelligent action.  Secondly we must learn from those of the bible that theirs was not just random faith but that they had a personal relationship with Him and saw the provision of God in their lives. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrew 11.6; title: Rahab’s faith for instance was based on her knowledge of God’s impressive deeds in the life of the Israelites. Hebrew 11.31; title: 2. We must ask according to God’s Will.; title: Paul’s prayer for the church was as follows ‘.....and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3.17-19; title: When we pray we must be God minded. In other words our goal must be to know the Will of God for our lives. Otherwise we ask inaccurately. The apostle James says that we do not receive because we ask amiss, to spend on our pleasures. James 4.3; title: What is the Will of God?; title: It is that which God has already predestined for us. Any thing that God has in store for us is the Will of God.; title: Now all of God’s Will is perfect. But there is one that is predetermined by God yet is only accomplished through prayer.; title: The both are intertwined and both involve prayer. The Greek word for Will is Boulema and Thelema. In the original Greek Boulema means the eternal Will of God. In other words it will be done whether we like it or not. The return of Christ is one example; the other is the ingathering of the elect, Matt.24.30-31. The judgement of each person according to what he has done here on earth. Revelation 20.13 is another.; title: Thelema however is God’s desire for us and is very much dependant on us praying- it involves the response of the believer. Does the believer wish for that which God has for him? Then he must pray into existence those wishes. Prayer makes known your heart to God. Jeremiah 29.12-13 ‘Then you will call upon me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’; title: Whatever is God’s desire is that which God is determined to do.; title: Psalm 37.4-5 ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.’; title: Verse 5 says ‘Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.’; title: The original Hebrew meaning of the word delight is to be ‘soft and pliable’ in the hands of the Lord.; title: God does know all things. He knows your needs and your desires. But do you know His desires and His plans. To put God first is to know the very heart of God. The desires that you now have are never has important as the desires and plans that God has. Prayer involves coming to God and surrendering your plans and your desires in exchange for His.; title: Going to God has never been about the blessing of ones own desires unless those desires have been put there by the Lord in the first place. The key is to receive from Him that which He so desires. Has this not so stalled the consistency of many a prayer life. The desire to please God comes from the in working of the Holy Spirit. Our souls are often in opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit.; title: The ‘desires of your heart’ in verse 4 of Psalm 37 has to do with you as the inner person, your inner thoughts and deepest feelings. It is also about your inner yearnings.; title: Prayer is responsible for causing this softness. Prayer is also responsible for the formation of this pliability in Gods’ hands. When we go to God in prayer we allow for our hearts to become flexible as opposed to being rigid. Prayer allows for God to remove what we want and replace them with what He desires. To speak of this desire of God and compare it to anything is foolish unless you have truly gone to God and experienced it for yourself.; title: ‘...And He will bring it to pass’  in verse 5 of Psalm 37 is the desires that He has now placed in our hearts that we then pray back to Him. To ‘Commit your way’ according to this scripture is to surrender or to turn over the responsibility of deciding on to Him. It is then that God brings to pass those new God given desires that we allow Him to place in our hearts. Any wonder why we are never the same after going to God. I hope that you will understand this very important principle of prayer.; title: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.; title: As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Isaiah 55.8-9; title: 1Corinthians 2.10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God.; title: We get to know the desires of God’s heart when we go to God.; title: Remember that you are unique in the eyes of the Lord. Gods’ purpose for you is therefore special, of which He holds the key.; title: For Heaven to release, we must first desire as God desires. This desire is the work of the Lord. It is placed there by God.; title: When this yearning has been placed there in the heart of man it is then the duty of man to bring it back to God. It is still the duty of the believer to show that he is in agreement with God for that which God has placed in his heart. We express this in our praying and worship before God.; title: 3. Our Prayers must be void of any offence.; title: Our asking must be so God minded that it is completely void of any hypocrisy. Psalm 66.18 says If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.; title: Where there is no iniquity God attends to such a voice verse 19. We must make sure that we take no offence against any man or any offence against the Lord.; title: For if our hearts condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 1 John 3.20 - 22; title: He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy Proverbs 28. 13; title: 4. We must have clean hands.; title: Part of prayer is the lifting up of holy hands before a Holy God. How holy is your hands. This is determined by the way you conduct yourself in conversation, business or any exchange between others. 1Timothy 2.8 says the following I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting holy hands, without wrath and doubting.; title: We must at all times speak the truth. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. James 4.8; title: 5. We must attempt to settle all disputes and animosity.; title: Matthew 5.23 – 24 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.; title: This applies to the body of Christ. And many today do not realise what a stumbling block this may be our prayers. Many in the body do not realise the strength of opposition from the enemy and how we play into his hands because of this. We need to learn to practice instant reconciliation and know that God forgives us as we forgive others. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6.15 We must learn to adopt this spirit of forgiveness into our prayers daily. I learnt very early in my prayer life that I have to love out of choice and not circumstance. That means I have to follow what God’s word says.; title: 6. We must walk in humility and approach God in humbleness.; title: One of the first requirements of repentant prayer is humility. When God withholds something, or commands a blockage or gives permission for the enemy in any area you better believe humility is needed.; title: 2 Chronicles 7.13 -14 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek; title: My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.; title: Humility brings a greater revelation of God. Even God is pleased with this response. The bible tells us that in the days of King Josiah when the book of the Law was read to him, he tore his clothes in humility and enquired of the Lord. God saw the humility in him and responded. Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord; title: 2 Kings 22 .19; title: James 4.6 says ....‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’; title: 7. Always Pray in the name of Jesus.; title: When we pray must do so in the name of the Lord. John 14.13 – 14 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.  We must know that praying in the Name of Christ means praying in accord with His revealed nature and purpose. This allows for our prayer to have the full backing of heaven.; title: 8. We must pray always.; title: We must be zealous about what we are asking. So often we are least passionate about the prayer gatherings in the church. How can God give to us if we are not passionate about what He has for us? God wants to see the evidence of passion for heaven in our lives. It is passion that gets us to pray again and again. We need to ask God to help us develop this passion for what He has.; title: Paul prayed without ceasing and made this known to others so that they may be encouraged to do the same. Paul knew that people pretend to pray with passion and without ceasing and therefore says that God is his witness in this regard. 2Thessalonians 1.11 Therefore we also pray always for you……; title: 9. We must pray again and again.; title: We pray once and never pray again. Jesus prayed thrice before His arrest. And He left them again, and prayed a third time, saying again the same words. Matthew 26.44; title: Paul did the same concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 2 Corinthians 12.8; title: The number three is not limited to only three times but it may be many times until God gives us release. We must learn to pray until God gives us release. What this signifies is that before we stop praying we must make sure that God has heard us. This principle must be applicable in our personal and corporate prayers. The principal here is thorough praying. Such prayers will be painstaking, careful and meticulous. Such praying can not be careless. We must be clear on God’s Will.; title: We have a common problem in our prayer meetings having prayed once for something we feel obliged not to pray again. We assume that one prayer is enough per request and even feel embarrassed to pray for the same thing over and over again. This is exactly what satan wants. If someone stands up in a meeting and request prayer for healing those who are present must pray as the Lord leads them. Many times we do not pray as we are led but by tradition and force of habit. We often feel that once someone has prayed about a specific need no one else needs to pray and we can move on. This is wrong. Once is not too much. There needs to be prayer till the burden is released. We must be careful of not letting our prayers jump from one thing to the other without first allowing a release of the burden.; title: Many are not aware of the enemy’s schemes and we often play into his hands. The parable of the persistent widow is about us praying again and again. This widow refused to let the adversary get away. She knew by persistence she would somehow get relief.  The parable of the persistent widow teaches us about praying without ceasing and not losing heart. Jesus asked a very important question at the end of this parable: Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?  Luke 18. 8; title: The parable starts as follows: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying ‘there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while: but after ward he said within himself, ‘though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’  Luke 18.1 -5 Based on this parable Jesus said the following, And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.; title: 10. We must labour in our Prayers.; title: Galatians 4.19 My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in you.; title: We need to pray until that thing gives birth or that thing is formed whether it is something tangible or simply character. There must be a travailing of the soul when it comes to true prayer. Intercession is like a woman in labour. That is how the bible describes it. Isaiah 66.7 ‘Who has heard such thing?; title: Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?; title: Or shall a nation be born at once?; title: For as soon as Zion was in labour she gave birth to her children. Shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery?’ says the Lord ‘Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?’ says our God.; title: Such prayers are often not meant to be in public, just as childbirth is not. There are severe pains preceding birth. They are intense and will cause much weeping. These prayers are prayers that often precede revival for a nation, for a church or for those who have strayed from the Lord. We must be careful not to fear such travailing. It is such times that the heart of the Father is being revealed through His Spirit and words are inadequate. You must be pliable in the hands of the Spirit. Romans 8.25-26 But if we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which can not be uttered.; title: It is important to note that we never really know how to pray as we ought therefore we need to learn to wait on God. When we labour with God in our prayers as opposed to presumption we see the real effects of Godly prayer and also what God desires to come forth.; title: 11. We must be specific in our Prayers.; title: This is an important aspect of prayer. God’s purpose for our lives is not random. It is not choose as you wish, but wish and choose as I have already prepared. We need to come into the Will of God. We need to know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called to His purpose. Romans 8.28 The word purpose comes from the Greek word prosthesis, pro as in before and thesis meaning a place, thus, a setting forth. It is a deliberate organised advanced plan or intention. Just like salvation of mankind was a deliberate plan of God. So too are God’s plans for our daily lives. There will always be some uniqueness to the word given by God to us about our lives.  Even in a specific situation that word is unique to us. It is this uniqueness that should cause us to be specific in our prayers. God is a God of specifics. When God wanted something done He was specific. Look at Noah and God’s specifics in building the ark, His instructions to Moses when building the tabernacle and so on. This was information already in the mind of God and all these men had to do was follow the instruction of the Holy Spirit. The same with us, God has a specific plan and we must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit to pray this plan back to God. He has a specific heavenly plan for your marriage, for your children, for your role in the work place and in the kingdom overall manifestation. Have you enquired of the Lord about the specific plan He has for your spouse, daughter or son. What God reveals is what we must then pray back to Him for it to materialize here on earth.; title: 12. We must mean what we say in our prayers.; title: Lack of attention is the main reason as to why we do not mean what we say in our prayers. We babble and think we are praying. Most people do not even know that they are babbling. To put it bluntly babbling is talking nonsense. Babbling is not repetition but not being focussed on God when praying. Prayer has become a ritual in our homes, in our classrooms, in the church and even at the work place for many of us but with absolutely no meaning. Where there is no meaning there can be no hope. When we babble we are just speaking out without meaning. We speak to God without any serious intention. How often have we walked around during the prayer meetings talking to God but as soon as someone walks into the room every ones attention is focussed on that person? We leave our conversation with God and concentrate on people and things. This shows how serious we are in our prayers. Or while praying, you may receive a text message on your phone and you abandon your praying just to see what the message is all about. If we say we want more of God, we must then place ourselves in a position to receive more of God. Nothing must come in the way of our request. The devil is very good at manipulating our thoughts and actions before, during and after praying. We must be serious that we truly desire God’s reign in every facet of our lives. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6.7.  Again it is not that there should not be many words or repetition but that our words are not in vain. Our words must have meaning and it must be Godly and Holy. Finally on this matter, if our prayers are according to the Will of God then we must reveal to God that we are serious about what we have asked for.; title: 13. We must learn to use the means to secure the end.; title: We must use the resources that God has given us now. Too often we do not see the means that God has already given at our disposal to secure the end. Many times our answers are stalled because we do not move on with what we have in our hands. There is always something or someone that God places before us that is the tool in the fulfilment of the vision. Like Moses we too complain or make excuses to the Lord But suppose..... So the Lord said to him, ‘What is in your hand?’ He said a rod..........Exodus 4.1- 2; title: God takes that which is at our disposal, such as a shepherd’s rod and uses it in an extraordinary way. That same rod in Moses hand was used to perform various miracles by God’s power.   We must grow to see what God sees. Sometimes it is wisdom, knowledge, finances; most times it is none of this but just our time that we can use effectively for praying. Ask God to open your eyes to see what you do actually have at your disposal today. Ask Him to show you how to use it for His glory.; title: Today many churches are praying for revival, yet we when we go outside we are silent. How can we pray for revival yet not minister to others outside?; title: 14. Watching unto all Prayer.; title: Finally all men must be watchful unto all prayers.  And what I say to you I say to all: Watch!  Mark 13.37.; title: Prayer brings forth revelation. What is revealed through prayer is alertness to what is coming. The end times will bring great revelation to God’s people so that they may not be unaware of the enemy’s schemes. Being watchful keeps us from spiritual exhaustion. Prayer, consistent prayer keeps us alert and from falling into temptation.; title: Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26.41; title: Prayer is what sustained Jesus through all His life here on earth. Jesus life of prayer must be a model for us today. Even now He is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. We must learn to overcome and conquer through our praying. We must prevail over the enemy’s schemes and tactics. God has given us a mandate to pray and He has given us the principles by which prayer works.; title: PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!