Prayer – Develop a Closer Walk with God

God desires a close walk with you. 

Without prayer, we would not be able to have a close relationship with God. Prayer is a wonderful privilege, yet many don’t make use of this incredible gift. God invites you to be His children and to commune with Him. We do not need to face life alone. Praying is engaging with God. 

Concerning prayer, the Bible tells us…

“Always be joyful.”

“Never stop praying.”

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT)

The Bible also tells us not to be anxious but rather to pray…

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

The Bible also tells us that the prayers of a righteous person are super powerful… 

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT)

It goes on and says…

“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crop.” (James 5:17-18)

Prayer is Communion with God

Prayer includes…

• Thanking and praising God
• Confessing our sins and asking God to forgive us
• Asking God for help and guidance
• Waiting on God and listening to His voice

Jesus Took Time Out to Pray

When Jesus walked the earth, He healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, set captives free, and provided for needs. He performed great and mighty miracles. Yet even Jesus took time out to get alone with God and to pray. 

“After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” (Mark 6:46)

“Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (Mark 1:35)

If Jesus took time out to pray and seek God, don’t you think it’s essential to do this too?

Jesus Had Much to Say about Prayer

I want to unpack this with you. 

Jesus taught us a lot about prayer… 

1. Gave us an overview of prayer’s dos and don’ts
2. Taught us that prayer is a two-way relationship between God and us
3. Taught us to trust Him and to pray in faith
4. Gave us a blueprint on how to pray and demonstrated how to pray
5. Told us to ask for help and not to try to do life in our own strength
6. Taught us to be persistent
7. Made it clear that God wants a close, intimate walk with God

Let’s take a look at what Jesus said concerning prayer…

The DO’S and DON’TS of Prayer

Don’t… 

Jesus told us not to pray to be seen by man but rather to pray intimately to God.

Matthew 6:5…
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.”  

Do… 

Jesus told us to pray in a quiet place. 

Matthew 6:6…
“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Don’t…

Jesus told us not to babble on and on when we pray. Pray in faith. Don’t know what you’re needed. Trust Him. Pray simply. 

Matthew 6:7-8…
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them…”

Do…

Keep your prayers short, simple, and to the point, “for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

Jesus gave us a blueprint for prayer. He told us…

Do…

Jesus told us to honor God when we pray. 

Matthew 6:9…
“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”

God’s Will be done 

Matthew 6:10…
“May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

Trust God for His provision. 

Matthew 6:11…
“Give us today the food we need,”

Ask God to forgive you and forgive others. 

Matthew 6:12…
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”

Resist the enemy and His temptations. Trust God to protect, lead, guide, and rescue you. 

Matthew 6:13…
“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

Jesus Also Told Us to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK…

Matthew 7:7…
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Ask. Seek. Knock.  

Matthew 7:8…
“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Receive. Find. Open-doors.

Matthew 7:9-11…
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

If any imperfect parent knows how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to you when you ask Him for help?

You don’t need to face your problems alone.

God wants you to bother Him with your troubles. 

Jesus Told Us That We Can GO DIRECTLY to the Father and ASK USING the Name of Jesus…

John 14:14…
“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

When you pray, pray to the Father in the name of Jesus.

There is power not in the name but in the person behind the name!

Related: There is Power in the Name of Jesus – Do you know the man behind the name?

John 16:24…
“You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”

Stay connected to Jesus and ask God for help. Pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.  

John 15:7…
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Don’t do anything without asking God for help and guidance. No need is too big or too small.

Jesus Told Us to BE PERSISTENT…

Luke 11:5-10…
“Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Keep on praying. 

P.U.S.H. 

– Pray 

– Until 

– Something

– Happens

Related: P.U.S.H (Pray Until Something Happens) – Praying through the storms of life!

Jesus Told Us to Pray in FAITH…

Mark 11:22-23…
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”

Put your faith in God. He can move mountains.

Trust God.

Don’t doubt.

Believe Him and trust in His promises!

Mark 11:24-25…
Jesus continued, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Forgive. Stand in faith. God can move mountains. Nothing is impossible for God. Believe. Have faith. 

There is Tremendous POWER in Prayer

You have the incredible privilege to have a close-up and personal walk with God. 

He knows…

• What’s up 
• What’s happening
• What’s still going to happen

You can pray to God. 

Don’t allow anything to get in the way of your prayer time and relationship with God. 

God offers forgiveness. 

You can know His peace that surpasses all understanding. 

You can know His indescribable joy. 

You can know God’s leading and wisdom. 

You can ask Him to help you. 

He wants you to bother Him with your problems. 

You can call on God. 

He heals, delivers, brings restoration, and sets free. 

You can know God’s supernatural favor. 

God wants you to be abundantly fruitful. 

You Don’t Have to Face Life Alone.

God wants to do life with you.

I implore you not to neglect this incredible privilege and opportunity to spend time with God daily. You can develop a walk with God, get to know His voice, and see answers to prayers start to materialize as you pray. 

Don’t Stop Praying!

The enemy will try to distract you, but don’t fall for his tricks. 

Get close to God. 

Powerful things happen when you pray. 

You can know God…

If you want to start or restart your walk with God, click here to pray a simple prayer we have set up for you.