EFFECTUAL PRAYING RECEIVES THE ANSWER
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“Now this is the confidence that
we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears
us. And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”—1
John 5:14-15
Recently, I have been rereading Answers
to Prayer by Rev. Charles G. Finney which was compiled and edited by Louis
Gifford Parkhurst, Jr. Rev. Finney
lived from 1792 – 1875. I highly
recommend that this book be added to your library as it contains wonderful
encouragement and enlightenment upon the subject of prayer and revival amidst a
nation that had suffered the decline of Christian and biblical teaching
following the war. Mr. Parkhurst writes
in his biographical sketch of Finney’s life that he was not raised as a Christian,
nor did he ever hear a prayer in his father’s house. Finney was self-taught and while studying to
become a lawyer he discovered that the foundation for American law was the
Bible. So, he bought a Bible and as he
studied law and the Bible, he became convinced that the Bible was God’s
Word. He gave his life willingly and
completely to Jesus Christ on October 10, 1821 and at the age of 31 he was
licensed to preach and became a Presbyterian missionary. Through prayer and the
study of the Scriptures he became a well-known revivalist minister. His revival ministry resulted in multitudes
turning towards Christ and many miraculous healings. Additionally, he held three pastorates and
helped found Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio where he often taught.
This book inspired me to pen a short
poem.
WHEN I PRAY
Is it only in the throngs of death
That I take up the fight for my fellow man?
To seek my Saviors face?
If I lack the will to persist,
Still, I seek to fight on─
Knowing that it is my Savior’s will
To win the battle and the fray
So—I continue to pray… and to pray.
Rev. Pamela
Tattershall 09/23/2012
For the believer, over time praying can
become such common practice that it becomes easy to fall into habits that
result in a lifeless and empty prayer life.
Instead of a dynamic conversations and requests that are thoughtful and with
our ears and hearts listening for God’s response, our prayers can seem more
like a grocery list. Rev. Charles
Finney said that, “Prevailing, or
effectual prayer is that prayer which attains the blessing that it seeks.” Because
communication with the Lord is such a vital part of our Christian life, we need
to occasionally reassess and examine our prayer life.
Begin by asking yourself these questions.
How
effective are my prayers? Our my
prayers being answered, or does it seem as if my prayers never go past the
ceiling?
Who
am I praying for? Are most of my
requests from myself, or others?
What
am I asking God to do? Have I looked
in the Scriptures to see what He wants, or am I trying to get the Lord to
intervene according to my plans and desires?
When
do I pray? Is it only during
emergencies or when I need something?
If you discovered any selfishness in
your answers, you are not alone. Most of
us struggle to enter God’s presence with our eyes focused on Him instead of our
needs. But the only way we will be able
to pray effectually is to fill our
minds with Scriptures so that we can find out what the Lord wants to do.
Your prayer life can become effective and dynamic if you will approach the lord with a clean heart, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). Align
your requests with His will, and believe He will do what He says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you
ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark
11:24). Then you will be able to
pray with absolute confidence, knowing that He will hear and answer your
petitions.
Prayer—Father
today I come to You asking you to clean my heart, O Lord, and renew a right
spirit within me. Lord I desire to pray
effectively help me to persevere in prayer always seeking Your will and Your
ways, in Jesus Name. Amen.
