Does Prayer Really Work?

Prayer is one of the most misunderstood arts of the human experience-yet it is meant to be one of the most exciting aspects of a life of faith.

1. Unanswered prayer is a major obstacle that stand in the way of a life of true faith.

2. Unanswered prayer can lead to these results:

*We feel abandoned and isolated from God, imagining that He doesn’t care about our problem and doubting His love.

*We question God’s character and integrity, and we begin to distrust Him.

*We feel as if our lives are very unsettled and unstable; therefore, we begin to rely on ourselves, or on other people, groups, or beliefs, instead of God.

*We come to premature conclusions about ourselves, and our prayer, and so we don’t learn the

Principles and truths of prayer that God has given in His Word.

*We doubt our calling as God’s intercessors, so that we abandon a major purpose of God for our lives.

3. A great many believers don’t have successful prayer lives—and successful lives in general—because they simply don’t know how or why to pray.

4. Some Christians know certain principles of prayer, but are not fulfilling their full potential as Intercessors because they don’t understand key aspects of prayer.

5. The power of prayer is the inheritance of the believer.

6. To understand prayer, we need to recognize the following:

*Prayer activity that does not bring results is an indication that something is wrong.

*God is faithful to answer prayer.

*God’s will and Word do work when they are understood and put into practice.

7. True prayer builds intimacy with God, honors His nature and character, respects His integrity,

Believes His Word, trusts in His love, affirms His purpose and will, and appropriates His promises.

8. Praying without understanding and applying the truths and principles of prayer is ineffective.

9. Prayer is meant to be answered-or God would not ask us to pray. Jesus didn’t pray without

Expecting to be heard.