The Ingredients For Effective Praying

The Ingredients for Effective Praying!

Matthew 6:5-15

Surveys show that more than 90% of humanity pray daily understand that it is an essential part of our Christian walk. The Scriptures give us clarity regarding the importance of Praying. When believers pray unto our Father in Heaven many times, we pray for various reasons for health, wealth, and even happiness. The one important message is not when we pray but how we pray. Let me ask everyone today what the key ingredients are to having a practical Prayer Life? This directs me to this passage Jesus presented in the Sermon on the Mount. He taught many lessons, but the most specific lesson is regarding praying. In Matthew 6:5-15, he teaches the details of how we are to pray and teaches The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus presents critical points that we all must think about and examine our personal prayer life.

Furthermore, even when we pray as we may face situations or circumstances, we cry out. We have sometimes gotten to a place when we pray our request: i.e., Lord, I need this, I need that, and I need it right away; this is just a suggestion Lord for my life. However, the best one is Lord, if you do this for me; I promise to do better. Jesus teaches each of us not to pray to impress others, be repetitive or babble while we pray. The point in this message is that Jesus teaches us “The Model Prayer.” Understanding that prayer is not a recipe that we are to follow, but while we pray, there are vital ingredients we should strive for to have a practical prayer life. As we all know, this model prayer displays all five elements:

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13

Let me expound on these key elements for an effective prayer life.

1. Thanksgiving and Praise – Matthew 6:9

2. Consistency and Devotion – Matthew 6:10

3. Humility and Confession – Matthew 6:11-12

4. Pure motives and a Clean Heart – Matthew 6:13

5. Faith that God Loves you and Listen when You Pray – Matthew 6:8

Keep in mind that there is no recipe for prayer, just instructions from Jesus on praying by his example. Matthew 6:9 is when we learn how to come before the Lord with Thanksgiving in our hearts and Praise for being who He is in our lives. At this point, Jesus demonstrates how we are to acknowledge God as our Father and to position our hearts in Praise for hallowed means honored as holy. For at this point, declaration of Praise is essential to honoring Our Father. When we called out unto God as Our Father, he shows unto us despite ourselves of his loving-kindness and tender mercy. Jesus shows us how to feel at home when we come unto God in prayer by using the word Father is critical in presenting Thanksgiving and Praise. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 18:2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God” at this point, he clearly states I AM, which displays all-powerful God the creator of all things in Heaven and on earth. Deacon Walker, we all must understand the position that we place God in when we pray. Do we place him as the Father, i.e., ABBA or Yahweh, or do we acknowledge him out of respect? The critical factor to having a solid prayer life because it transcends our relationship with God into a more intimate relationship with him. See calling upon him in your prayers with just simply Father, Which art in Heaven is adoration the exemplifies his position in your walk as a Christian. We must understand why Jesus used the words OUR FATHER at the beginning of this prayer. He teaches the nature and essence of God’s character for Christians to understand that we begin to overcome through thanksgiving and Praise by positioning him in the correct position in our daily walk for in Psalms 100 tells us to:

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;