Prayer

"And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  Matthew 21:21

The Five Parts of Prayer

Praise and thank God for His blessings
Repent  for sins committed 
Ask God for His help with needs
Yield mind and spirit in holy surrender
Experience divine peace within
Release faith  for answers to  requests 

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A Prayer of Faith

Father in the name of Jesus, I come to You with my petitions. In faith I stand on Your word and Your divine authority. I believe that Your power is able to heal every sickness, defeat every evil, protect me from every danger and supply all  I need. 
I do not look at my circumstances for answers nor listen to what others say. I look to You alone and Your word. You are my healer, my protector, my provider, my deliverer and the God of my salvation. By Your mighty power I believe that You have heard and answered my prayers.  I thank You Father, in Jesus name. Amen  

A Prayer for Healing 

Father in heaven I pray that Your healing power is manifested in my body to cast out all sickness and disease. I receive Your healing of my spirit, mind and body, as I come to You in full surrender.  In Jesus name I thank You and believe that every symptom and pain is removed from my body. Your word says that I am healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ and I believe that I am healed.  I thank you Father for restoring my health and preserving my life. Bless me Father with the guidance of Your Holy Spirit to live a long healthy life serving and praising You. In the name of Jesus: Amen  

From the earliest of times, human beings have engaged in the practice of praying. Some people chant and sing, others pray in simple conversational language, and there are those who engage in long, structured petitions.  But regardless of the format used, we pray for different reasons.  Sometimes it is to praise and worship God, other times it is to repent and often it is to make requests. Indeed, our human experience, demonstrates that we have an innate desire to pray; especially when facing situations and circumstances that are beyond our control. Plus, there is the unspoken understanding that prayer operates in the spiritual sphere. Hence, we know instinctively that when we pray it is our spirits that make contact with God's divine Spirit.  Jesus confirms this when He says, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24.  

What is Prayer? 
Simply put, prayer is communicating with God. As with all communication, prayer is a  two-way process of speaking to God, and listening for what He says to us within our spirits. Prayer is the spiritual conduit through which the power of God can be released into our circumstances and situations in life. We pray because God has placed within us a yearning to worship Him and to seek His help with our needs and desires. So, although we communicate with words, God, who is omniscient, knows and understands our motives and what is in our hearts.  Furthermore, prayer emits a powerful, spiritual force not because of the format we use, or the length of time we pray but because  we tap into God’s power. Several passages in the Gospels record Jesus praying in simple language to God, the Father.  We too can do the same. The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 is the most remarkable example of the prayer formula that Jesus said we should follow.  First, He shows that we must acknowledge the supremacy of God and His relationship to us -  "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,  your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He then tells us very specifically that God wants us to pray for both our physical as well as spiritual needs - "Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."

How does Prayer Work? 
Prayer operates in the spiritual realm where God is omnipresent. As such, it doesn't matter where we pray; in a church, in our cars or at home. God hears us wherever we are in this universe and whenever we call. No issue, problem or challenge is too big or too small to take to God. We can bring all of our cares and fears to Him. All that is needed is belief and faith in His power to answer our prayers. Jesus tells us to "have faith in God" Matthew 11:22 and that "with God all things are possible". Matthew 19:26. In these passages He is telling us that God is the supreme source of power for our faith and our prayers. So when we  believe in God's power "all things are possible". But our prayers are futile if we do not believe. Faith and belief are absolute requirements for getting our prayers answered. Jesus says in Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  It is clear  that when we pray and believe in God's almighty power, we will get His answers. Jesus has also given us the promise that if we stand in faith without wavering,  we will receive only what is good, and in accordance with  God's love.  He said - "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11. 

What Effect Does Prayer have on Our Lives? 
Prayer takes us beyond the boundaries of our limited human efforts.  Prayer lifts us from a place of helplessness and hopelessness because of God's supernatural power. Jesus says ..." men always ought to pray and not lose heart.", - Luke 18:1. This means that prayer not only strengthens our spirits to resist the temptations of doubt  and fear, but to also be patient while we wait - "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak - Matthew 26:41.  Especially, when facing dire circumstances in life it pays to pray. Prayer is the greatest stress reliever because if we truly trust God, there will be no need to become anxious about what is happening in the present or to worry about what will happen in the future. Our faith helps us to accept God's timing and His answers with gratitude, because He is all knowing. Yet it all comes down to whether we really believe that God, whom we cannot see,  hears and answers our petitions.  Ultimately, this is a personal decision that we all must make.  Yet there is evidence that prayer works. The bible is filled with numerous accounts of answered prayers and we have experienced or heard similar testimonies from people around us. Even scientific and medical studies now validate the power of prayer.  In Matthew 21:21 Jesus said, "And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  Through the avenue of prayer and release of unwavering faith in God's power, we can see the impossible reversed to what is possible, and negative situations turn positive. Jesus said "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" Luke 18:27. But the most vital benefit of earnest prayer is that our  spirits are drawn into relationship with God and we are assured of His abiding presence in our lives.