Effective Prayer

"The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous."

— Proverbs 15:29 (KJV)

¹⁶ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. ¹⁷ Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

To be effective means to be successful in producing a desired result. Prayer is the act of communicating with God through words, thoughts, or actions to express thanks, praise, requests, confessions, etc. Effectively, prayer therefore means to communicate to God what is intended and get the anticipated result. It is powerful (James 5:16b) and centred on God's will (Philippians 4:6; 1 John 5:14).

Some of the keys to praying effectively are:

• Uprightness: God delights in the prayers of the upright, that is, one who is saved and righteous (Proverbs 15:8).
• God's Word: Effective prayer involves praying the word of God (John 15:7).
• Obedience: Obeying divine instructions and taking faith-based actions are keys to praying effectively (1 Kings 17:8-14; Luke 17:11-14).
• A Heart of Love: Prayer from a heart that is rooted in love avails much (Matthew 8:5-8, 13). It is difficult to pray for others if it is not coming from the place of love (Matthew 5:44-46).
• Persistence: Praying ceaselessly and maintaining a right relationship with God can remove hindrances to effective prayer (John 16:23-24).

Some of the hindrances to effective prayer include disobedience (Proverbs 28:9), wrong motives (James 4:3), lack of faith or doubt (Hebrews 11:6; James 1:6-7), and unforgiving attitudes (Mark 11:25; Proverbs 21:13).

• Prayer of Faith: A powerful kind of prayer rooted in deep confidence that God hears and answers prayer (Mark 9:24). It is also based on the demand of your rights and privileges in Christ (John 14:12-14; James 5:15). It involves applying your knowledge of God to get results through prayer (Hebrews 11:6).
• Prayer of Consecration: A prayer to be set apart or dedicated for a holy cause (John 17:17-19). It involves presenting your whole self — your mind, body, and will — to God's plans (Leviticus 20:7). It is not a one-time event but must be life-long, like Jesus did (Luke 22:42). Believers are called to offer themselves as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1).
• Prayer of Intercession: Standing in the gap on behalf of others to change a situation or course of events (Exodus 32:11-14). Jesus prayed not only for His disciples but also for the unity of all future believers (John 17:18-21). The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers, helping us in our weakness when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27), and Christ, our High Priest, continually makes intercession for our ultimate salvation (Hebrews 7:25).
• Prayer of Supplication: Approaching God with a plea for help or to make requests, rather than making demands (Philippians 4:6-7). Believers approach God's throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16), accompanied with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). Supplications can be made for oneself, other saints (James 5:16), those in authority and the unsaved (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

You too can pray and get results.

What are the keys to effective prayer? Mention the four kinds of prayers that you know.