PRAYER THAT GETS RESULTS

Prayer That Gets Results
Prayer is probably one of the most misunderstood and potentially frustrating topics because many people don't know how to get results when they pray. The simplicity of prayer has been lost in many people's lives and turned into a religious tradition that has a form but no real power. Prayer is not meant to be a burden or to be used as a badge of holiness. Instead, it is a gift from God that, when used properly, should yield great victory in your life.

In many cases, the missing element in prayer is confidence. But why do people lack confidence in prayer? Because they don't know the will of God concerning their prayer request. God's will is simply another way of describing what God wants to have happen. It is what He desires for your life as outlined in His Word. If you don't know God's will for your life, you will tolerate the life you have when it could be so much better.

There are only two places to go to discover what God wants for your life-the Bible and His presence. When we pray, our prayers must line up with His Word. The only prayer that God will hear and answer is a prayer that is based on what He has said in His Word. If you pray according to the Word of God, then you are praying the will of God. We can only have confidence in our prayers when we know that what we're praying for is something that God desires to bring to pass.

People often get confused and frustrated because they don't know what God has already said in His Word. How can you pray for healing when you don't know that God wants you to be healed? How can you believe God for an increase in your finances if you don't know that God wants you to prosper? The truth is-you can't. When you don't know what God has said about your situation, your prayers will be fear-based and they won't get results.

The beauty of prayer is its simplicity. Prayer is simply saying to God what He has already said in His Word. This will protect you from getting off into areas that are not the will of God. Regardless of the area of your life, the first thing to do is to find out what the Word says about your situation. The Bible covers every problem that you will ever have. What does God's Word have to say about your bills, your marriage and your children? Find out what God says and then your prayers will be effective.

Many people cancel out their prayers, once they've prayed according to the Word, because they look to their circumstances to see if anything has happened right away. However, just because your problem or situation hasn't immediately changed, it should not hinder your confidence that God has heard and answered the prayer you prayed according to His Word.

Finally, the most powerful prayer comes from the heart of a person who knows that God loves him or her enough to answer the request they've made. It's ridiculous to think prayer will yield results if you don't believe the God you're praying to, first of all, loves you. Even in the natural, a child who doubts his or her parents' love will be hesitant to ask for or expect things from his or her parent.

God loves you and gave you His Word so that you can have great results in your prayer life. Pray with confidence in the Word, knowing God loves you and will answer your prayers.