• When you are going through a season of difficulty or something that is wearing you out, you can pray Isaiah 40:29 (NKJV) and 31, which say, “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” and “But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” You can also pray Lamentations 3:22–23 which says, “It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.”
• When you need to know God hears your prayers, you can pray Psalm 6:9, which says, “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer,” and Psalm 55:17, which says, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (NKJV).
• When your mouth is getting you in trouble, you can pray Psalm 141:3 which says, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (NKJV). You can also pray Psalm 19:14, which says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord.”
• When you are afraid, you can pray Isaiah 41:10, which says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”?(NKJV). You can also pray Joshua 1:9, which says, “Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• When you are stressed out and under pressure, you can pray Psalm 55:22, which says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (NKJV), and Isaiah 26:3, which says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (NKJV).
• When you are struggling financially, you can pray Psalm 34:9?10, which says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (NKJV). If you have been faithful in giving, you can also pray Philippians 4:19, which says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (NKJV).
• When you are faced with a decision and do not know what to do, you can pray Proverbs 3:5–6, which says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” You can also pray Isaiah 42:16, which says, “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them” (NKJV).
• When you are concerned or discouraged about the future, you can pray Jeremiah 31:17, which says, “There is hope for your future,” and Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”
• When you are having problems with your children, you can pray and remind God of His Word in Isaiah 54:13, which says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (NKJV). You can also pray Romans 15:13, which says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NKJV).
• When you are not sure what God is doing with you or what is going on in your life, you can pray Psalm 37:23, which says, “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step],” and Isaiah 55:8–9, which says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
I realize that the examples above do not cover every single area of our lives, but I hope you can see from them that God’s Word does provide answers, direction, and prayer strategies for every situation we face. I strongly encourage you to search the Scriptures for yourself and to memorize and meditate on as many verses and passages as you possibly can. This way, God’s Word will be “hidden” in your heart and you will have a deep well of wisdom and truth to draw from so that you can include the Word as a vital part of your prayers.
God’s Word does provide answers, direction, and prayer strategies for every situation we face.
PRAYING IN A PRAYER LANGUAGE
Some Christians believe in praying in a personal prayer language that is given by the Holy Spirit (praying in other tongues). This practice is also called speaking in tongues. I certainly respect people who do not believe in this spiritual gift, but I want to address it in this chapter because there are many people who do. Personally, I believe that we desperately need all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in the church today and that the gift of a prayer language is available to every Christian. I believe these gifts are given to us so that we can exercise and experience the power of God in the midst of a dark world and the uncertain times in which we live. I believe we need everything the Holy Spirit offers us: we need words of wisdom and knowledge; we need faith; we need gifts of healings; we need miracles; we need to be able to see and minister prophetically; we need to be able to discern the spirits that are at work around us; and we need different kinds of tongues and interpretations of tongues (see 1 Corinthians 12:8–10).
I will say to you what Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians: “I thank my God I speak with tongues. . .#8221; (1 Corinthians 14:18, NKJV). In fact, I pray in tongues often because it is such a source of strength, it builds me up inside and strengthens me spiritually. It increases my sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit and keeps me in the Spirit instead of in my mind or in my emotions. I assure you that praying in a prayer language releases incredible power to those who receive and exercise this gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Power of a Prayer Language
Part of the power of praying in a prayer language (praying in other tongues) is that it is a means by which we speak spiritual secrets and mysteries to the Lord. First Corinthians 14:2 says, “For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].” When we pray in a prayer language, our minds do not comprehend what we are praying and that causes our prayers to be pure, untainted by the influence of our carnal thoughts and our reasoning. In 1 Corinthians 14:14, Paul affirmed this when he wrote: “For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].”
When we pray in tongues, we are not only praying prayers our own minds do not understand, we are also praying in a language that Satan cannot understand. Furthermore, we are often praying great things over our lives and the lives of others—things so great we would hardly be able to believe them if we understood what we were saying. Praying in tongues is also a way to pray correctly at times when we really do not know how to pray. Romans 8:26 says, “. . .we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. . .#8221; (NKJV). When that is the case, we can pray in a prayer language. These prayers of the Spirit will communicate accurately because they are given by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the one Who intercedes through us.
I believe in the power of praying in tongues (a language that is not a person’s native tongue or that they do not have natural knowledge of??). It has made a tremendous difference in my prayer life, as well as in my practical, everyday circum
stances. It brings the power of the Holy Spirit to bear on every aspect of our lives and enables us to walk through life with supernatural wisdom, supernatural grace, and supernatural strength. I received this gift from God in 1976 during a time of intense seeking. I sincerely believed God had more available to me than I was experiencing as a Christian. I surrendered to Him, and He filled me with His Spirit and enabled me to speak in other tongues, even though I had only briefly heard of this experience at that time.
When we pray in tongues, we are not only praying prayers our own minds do not understand, we are also praying in a language that Satan cannot understand.
Literally thousands of people all over the earth pray in a prayer language and I personally believe it is available to all. Some people fear other tongues because their minds do not understand; some have been taught against speaking in tongues (and the practice of other supernatural gifts), some may have the mistaken idea that these gifts disappeared with the early church. Still, others merely need teaching in this area. We cannot put our faith in something we have never heard of.
I want to encourage you to study this topic more for yourself. None of us should accept the doctrines of men without searching the Scriptures for ourselves. A person does not need to speak in tongues to go to heaven. The Bible doesn't even tell us that speaking in other tongues is the greatest gift (actually, Paul told us that love is the greatest gift of all). I personally know people who do not speak in other tongues and they have godly character. I also know people who do speak in other tongues and they remain very selfish, unloving, and carnal.
Speaking in tongues is not a guarantee of spiritual maturity, but it does give us an opening in the spiritual realm and an ability to tap into the secrets and mysteries of God. It gives us an ability to pray accurately when we don’t know how to pray and is a way that we can edify and build ourselves up in faith.
SUMMARY
One sure, simple way to pray effective prayers that align with God’s will is to pray the Word. God values and honors His Word, and in Isaiah 62:6, He invites us—even urges us—to put Him in remembrance of it. We need to know the Word so that we understand what God has promised us and so that we do not keep asking Him to do things He has already done.
Another sure way to pray effective prayers is to pray in the Spirit, which is being led by God’s Spirit and/or praying in other tongues. We may be led by the Spirit of God to pray in our known language or in other tongues. Such prayers take place spirit to Spirit with God; they speak mysteries in the spiritual realm, they are free from the influence of our fleshly thoughts, and they are unintelligible to the enemy. When we pray in other tongues, our minds do not comprehend their meaning, but our spirits bear witness of their accuracy and power.
The Word and the Spirit are an unbeatable combination in any situation—especially in our prayers. So, pray the Word and be led by the Holy Spirit!
Prayer Points
• Praying God’s Word is an especially effective way to pray. It keeps us mindful of God’s promises, aligned with His truth and in agreement with His heart.
• When we see in the Word that God has already given us something, we need to declare it and thank Him for it, instead of asking Him for it.
• Paul did not pray for people to be spared trials or troubles. Instead, he prayed that they would see—have revelation of—what God has already done. He also prayed that they would be able to endure whatever they encountered, they would live in the power of the Spirit, they would be steadfast, and they would be walking testimonies of God’s grace to other people.
• We can find a Scripture to pray in every situation life brings. The Bible does not include verses that specifically address all the details, but it does provide wisdom, principles, and general direction to help us know how to pray in all kinds of circumstances.
• Many Christians believe in praying in a prayer language called other tongues, which is a spiritual language that our minds do not comprehend and that Satan cannot understand.
• I believe that praying in this type of supernatural prayer language makes an enormous difference in a person’s prayer life. It brings supernatural wisdom, supernatural power, and supernatural strength to our lives, to our decisions, and to the everyday situations we face.
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Keys to Powerful Prayer
One of my prayers for you is that your prayers will be powerful and effective, and that you will be able to talk with God in ways that successfully bring His heart and His plans into your life and the lives of the people around you. The Bible says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16, NKJV). If we want to pray effective prayers that avail much, then we need to know what God says about them, because all of our prayers are not necessarily successful. For example, sometimes we want something so desperately that we fail to pray according to God’s will—and those prayers are not effective. Sometimes we are so angry or so hurt that we pray prayers that are based on our emotions instead of on God’s Word or His heart—and those prayers are not effective, either.
Through His Word, God tells us what to do in order to pray powerful, effective prayers, and I would like to explore some of His instructions in this chapter. As I have written previously in this book, powerful prayers do not result from following formulas or abiding by certain principles. Powerful prayers are based on God’s Word; they are simple, sincere, and filled with faith; they have nothing to do with rules or guidelines; they have everything to do with the attitudes of our hearts.
OBEY GOD
One of the most important aspects of our Christian lives—and a condition for effective prayer—is obedience, which reveals our love for God. We simply will not make progress with God or excel in prayer unless we are willing to obey Him. Disobedience of any kind, on any level, is sin. Just as sin will always keep us from praying successfully, obedience to God will make a way for our prayers to truly be effective and fruitful.
Over the years, I have had many opportunities to obey God. One such time, when obedience seemed especially challenging, was when I received my call into ministry in 1976. At the time, I was working a full-time job, plus trying to raise three children and be a wife. I had very little time for anything except survival, but I desperately needed to begin preparing for the teaching ministry God was putting on my heart.
God began to deal with me to take a step of faith and quit my job so I could spend several hours each day studying and praying. I would be putting it mildly to say I was afraid. Petrified would be more accurate! First of all, I had very little experience trusting God to meet my financial needs. God was calling me to a new level of faith, but I was accustomed to taking care of myself and found it difficult to be obedient.
Our monthly bills exceeded my husband’s income by $40, which meant we would need not only to trust God for the money, but also for anything extra that came up like car repairs, home maintenance, clothes, and other things we needed.
With our financial situation in mind, I decided to quit my full-time job and get a part-time job. That was my way of obeying God and still having assurance that our needs would be met. In other words, I was not willing to trust Him fully. I was offering a sacrifice instead of obedience. That is not pleasing to God, nor is it true obedience.
A few months went by and my new part-time job was not going well. Normally, I was a very good employee, but I could not seem to do anything right on the new job. To make a long story short, I finally ended up getting fired (something that had never happened to me before) and realized through that incident that God was serious when He said, “Quit your job; trust Me to meet all your needs and start preparing for the teaching ministry.”
Over the next few years, I learned so much about God’s goodness by watching Him meet our needs in miraculous ways, month after month. The things He did may not have appeared miraculous to someone else, but they were to me. I remember keeping a list of items I needed and was asking God to provide. On my list were new dishrags and
dish towels. You can imagine my amazement when a friend showed up at my front door saying, “I hope you don’t think I am crazy, but I felt that God wanted me to get you new dishrags and towels, so here they are.”
Had I not taken that step of faith years ago, I could not trust God for the finances we need to run the ministry today. As one preacher said, “You have to believe God for your socks before you can believe Him for a new house or car.” As we take steps of obedience, we learn to trust God. We gain experience in trusting Him, and that increases our confidence.
Let me caution you not to try to do what I did just because it worked for me, but be willing to do whatever God is asking you to do. Radical obedience will lead you into an exciting life with God, a life that will thrill and amaze you.
I encourage you to make up your mind that you are going to be extremely, even radically, obedient to God. First John 3:22 says: “We receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders.” Does that mean we have to be perfect? No. It is true that God in His grace will bless those who make mistakes, but we should not be satisfied to stay the way we are. God blesses us even though we are not perfect, but at the same time, our hearts need to be longing for growth and improvement. We cannot knowingly, deliberately, and habitually sin and then expect God to give us a life filled with His blessings. Our attitudes need to send God a message that says: “I don’t want to stay this way. I want to grow. I want to change and I’m pressing toward that mark. While I’m on my way, I know I won’t get everything right, but You are so gracious and merciful that I can still believe You will bless me while I keep maturing.” On the other hand, if we wallow in disobedience, knowing we are disobeying God, then we really do not need to be blessed because if God blesses us in the midst of that attitude or behavior, we will not want to change or grow.