Biblical Guide for Prayer
By Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam
Though God is not bound or limited by the laws which he has set for nature to function, yet nature exists only according to the laws of God. For example, there must be sufficient, air, water, and mineral water before the plant seed can grow. God works according to His laws. How often we become discourage and give up praying when our prayers are not answered. Yet the true reason for unanswered prayers is that we fail to keep God’s operational laws that govern prayer.
I want to list down some of God’s very important operational laws that govern prayer.
1.
The Law of A
Pure Heart
“Let us draw near with sincere
heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews
“If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalms 66:18).
The Lord told Joshua to stop
praying. Why? God will not commune with the soul that continues in sin (Joshua
2.
The Law Of
Forgiving
“And whatever you stand praying,
forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your father also who is
in heaven may forgive your transgressions” (Mark
This is a condition of answers to
prayer. A forgiving spirit is so essential that the Lord made a drastic
statement: “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is heaven
forgive your transgressions” (Mark
3.
The Law of
Right Motive
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasure” (James 4:3).
A right motive is essential to
obtaining answers to prayer. There is only one motive which is right, stated in
1 Corinthians
4.
The Law of
Faith
“But let him ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).
“And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to go God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
How often our prayers displease God because they are not made with faith.
5.
The Law of
Praying in His Name
“If you ask Me
anything in My Name, I will do it” (John
What does it mean to ask in His name? It is asking for what Christ wishes, and God will not refuse His son.
May we be determined to pray even after the Prayer Emphasis. Let His Laws guide every one of our prayers. You can expect God’s answers!
Issue No. 6, September 1987