Proven principles of prayer from Biblical Figures whose prayers were powerful and effective.
I want to show you a useful approach for organizing your steps in prayer. The principles that follow will be developed from evaluating the prayer lives of Jesus, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Ezekiel, and others in the Bible. When you study these biblical figures, you see that they all used a simple pattern in prayer. Their prayers received the attention of God and produced powerful results. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
1. BECOME SILENT
2. GIVE ADORATION
3. MAKE CONFESSION
4. GIVE THANKS
5. MAKE SUPPICATION
6. SPECIFY PETITIONS AND REQUESTS
7. SECURE THE PROMISES
8. PLEAD THE CASE
9. BELIEVE
10. GIVE THANKS
11. LIVE IN EXPECTATION
12. PRACTICE ACTIVE BELIEF
PRINCIPLES
1. Become Silent: Be still and gather yourself. If your spirit, body, mind, and emotions are separated, then you will be unable to pray God’s will with singleness of purpose. Silence helps bring you into unity with God.
2. Give Adoration: Worship God for who He is: King of all the earth, your Creator, your Savior, your All in All.
3. Make Confession: Agree with God about what He says to you and about you. Don’t dwell on past sins but obey God immediately when He show you that you are wrong.
4. Give thanks: Offer sacrifices of praise to God with a free heart for all that He has done for you.
5. Make Supplication: As God shows you what He desires, whole heartly agree with Him in prayer to fulfill His will.
6. Specify Petitions and Requests: When you ask God to do something for you, bring evidence relevant to the case—in the form of God’s will and Word—through specific, intentional communication.
7. Secure the Promises: When you petition the Lord, take God’s promises before Him, applying them to the specific request you are making. Then hold onto God’s promises.
8. Plead the Case: Don’t beg or moan before God but pray intelligently because you rightfully deserve the answer based on God’s promises.
9. Believe: Believe right at the time you are asking that you have the answer to your request, and you will receive it.
10. Give Thanks: Thank God for what you don’t yet see because you believe it is already done.
11. Live in Expectation: Anticipate the answer to your prayers by preparing the way for them.
12. Practice Active Belief. Don’t stop after you have prayed. Get up and look for what you asked for. If you seek and knock, it will come to pass.
CONCLUSION
As we learn how to pray according to biblical principles, we will become powerfully effective believers. Use these twelve action steps as a guide for your prayers, and make sure everything in your life is in order according to God’s will and purposes. Then watch what God does in your life as you grow in the grace and knowledge of God and His ways and continue to live before Him in holiness and truth.