The Abc’s Of Prayer

Illustration by James Chandler

It started as a slip up during a prayer before a church softball game. The minister was leading everyone in prayer. As he closed in prayer he accidently said, "In Jesus’ name we play." That phrase caught on and soon others were praying before softball games "In Jesus’ name we play."

Prayer works even when we mess up the words. Prayer works, even when you don’t know what to pray! When you don’t have the words to pray, you can pray in the Spirit, The Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray for you and it works!

Prayer gives God free reign to do whatever it takes, to bring about not just your desired outcome, but His will in the situation, which works everything for your good!

Acts 12:5 NASB

5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

The Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman avails much! Who is a righteous man or woman?

A righteous man and woman is someone who has accepted and believes Jesus is their Savior and that Jesus can do everything that God sent him to this earth to accomplish!

They believe their salvation experience, unlocks and entitles them to every blessing and promise God the father himself made available to his children, and delivered by the hands of His own Son Jesus! Which along with His side were pierced on the cross so we could receive His righteousness and forgiveness of our sins!

Today were going to look at the word prayer as an acronym, to study and analyze the word prayer and bring about some topics and ideas a righteous man or woman should both know and be ready to apply to every situation, or need!

P.R.A.Y.E.R.

#P

Protection

Exodus 14:13-14 King James Version (KJV)

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Finding peace during a struggle, is like trying to find calm in a hurricane. But just like there is calm in the eye of the hurricane, we can find peace and calm right in the middle of our struggles.

God also wants us to know when a righteous man or woman stands up and takes authority, their prayers offer a blanket of protection!

Notice scripture reminds us the whole nation of Israel had seen the miracles God performed to bring them out of slavery, but only Moses had to faith to believe God would protect them when the situation looked impossible!

God wants us to know it’s not about our efforts, it’s about our faith in His abilities. Our efforts at best are only capable of delivering temporary relief, while faith in God and His abilities are capable of delivering permanent and lasting results in our lives.

We should always expect God’s permanent protection on everything, in every circumstance we face and our prayer is key to the activation of that protection!

P also stands for Praise

Praise should always be part of your prayer to God.

Duet. 10:21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.

TBS God inhabits the praises of his people! Never forget as your faith begins to arise and the answers come as they surely will, to always give praise and glory to God for answered prayers!

#R

Remember

Far too many people in general, are too quick to forget the victories that God gives them and the miracles He makes happen in their lives!

It’s good to remember the victories when God delivered you from your situations, so when new needs and battles present themselves you can take comfort. Knowing if God delivered you before as the song goes, He will certainly and stands ready to “do it again!”

Psalms 77:10-12 MSG

Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?

    Will he never smile again?

Is his love worn threadbare?

    Has his salvation promise burned out?

Has God forgotten his manners?

    Has he angrily stalked off and left us?

“Just my luck,” I said. “The High God goes out of business

    just the moment I need him.”

11-12 

Once again I’ll go over what God has done,

    lay out on the table the ancient wonders;

I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,

    and give a long, loving look at your acts.

The comfort that comes from remembering what God has done for you in the past and He is willing to do for you in the future, should make my next point easier than what it is to accomplish.