‘This, then, is how you should pray...’
Matthew 6:9
If prayer came naturally, God wouldn’t have to
remind us so often to do it. A consistent prayer life requires crucifying our
selfish nature. But when prayer doesn’t seem rewarding, we’re apt to abandon
it. So how can you pray and get results? 1) Before you ask, adore! Any prayer
that begins with asking can become self-centered and shallow. ‘Enter his gates
with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his
name’ (Psalms 100:4 NIV). When God’s love, goodness and faithfulness are your
starting point, you’re lifted out of yourself, your spirit is prepared for
‘connecting’ with God, the content of your prayer becomes more scriptural, and
you get results. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus directs our attention first to
God’s name, then His kingdom and then His will. After that, we ask for ‘our
daily bread.’ Thanksgiving doesn’t condition God to bless you—it conditions you
to receive His blessing. 2) When you pray, persist! God’s not an automated
teller. You are supposed to stay engaged with Him until He decides to answer
you. This involves an attitude of faith, persistence and patience. Jesus gave
us a parable about a woman who kept pleading with a hardhearted judge to grant
her petition. When she finally wore him down, he gave her what she asked. Jesus
had only one purpose for the parable: ‘To show them that they should always
pray and not give up’ (Luke 18:1 NIV). The point is not that persistence forces
God’s cooperation, it’s that God wants you to pray and not quit. When you
persist God will answer, ‘and quickly!’ (v. 8 NIV).(
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