The Basics of Prayer & Seeking God

Many people have never learned how to pray before the Lord.  James 5:16 tells us:

James 5:16-17 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. NKJV

What is effective and fervent prayer?  And doesn’t this imply that if you are not righteous your prayers may not avail as much?  Yes it does.   The scripture warns us that we are to be doers of the word not just hearers of the word.

James 1:22-23 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. NKJV

The Word of God commands us to do many things in our walk.  Give to the poor, feed and help the poor and widows, witness to people (preach the gospel), lay hands on people and heal the sick, cast out devils (Mark 16:16-18) and SEEK God through prayer, supplication and praise (Phil 4:4-7).  Prayer and praise are the most neglected and yet the most important of all the things we must do to serve God. God WANTS our time and dedication and He needs us to seek Him.  This is critical in our obedient walk.

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ALSO BE SURE TO READ AND LEARN FROM THIS!

Combat in the Heavenly Realm (How Satan Stops our Prayers)

http://www.divinerevelations.info/how_satan_stops_our_prayers/how_satan_stops_our_prayers.pdf

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The Power God Affords His Prayerful Saints

Before the kids wake up in the morning, before you start your busy day, set aside at least an hour of your time to get on your knees before God.

Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint on his knees

– William Cowper

Many people do not know how to pray and what to pray about.  They ask me “What can I say to the Lord for an hour?  What can I pray for that would take that long? The Lord hungers for our time.  He created us for His pleasure.  He hungers for our time before Him.  He created all things for His pleasure and purposes (Rev 4:11).  The Lord affords great privilege and protection to his righteous saints that fear him.

Ps 31:19

Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! NKJV

Ps 11:5 5

The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
NKJV

 

Ps 33:18-19

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.
NKJV

 

Ps 34:15

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
NKJV

 

Ps 34:9

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
NKJV

 

Ps 34:17-18 17

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

NKJV

There is a reason why Jesus told those He sent out among the towns and villages …

Matt 10:14-15

And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
NKJV

And there’s a reason why Jesus said:

John 14:12-13 12

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
NKJV

And there’s a reason why Jesus also said:

Mark 11:22-23

“Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
NKJV

The point I am hoping to help you understand here is that YOU are given the POWER OF JESUS and even more so YOU are expected to use that POWER to serve the King and the Kingdom as a “doer” of the Word.  God does not give these things to us without an expectation of our obedience to Him.  We have an obligation to make Jesus our LORD and not just our savior.  This requires ACTION.

Prayer (and praise) is the single MOST POWERFUL thing we can do to serve the Lord on behalf of the Kingdom. Practice makes perfect.  We all have to walk before we can run.  Here are some prayer examples you can use to spend time serving the Kingdom on your knees before our mighty Father of Lights, Ya va El, the great and awesome Holy Father God and our King Yeshua Jesus Christ our Lord.

Types of Prayer and Instructions

In Phil 4:4-7 we see a number of things that warrant our attention.

Phil 4:4-7 4

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
NKJV

Let’s quickly look at this instruction.  First in verse 4 we are instructed to rejoice in the Lord always.  So no matter what, you always sing praises and praise our Father.  No matter WHAT you always PRAISE His name.  Praise is absolutely NOT OPTIONAL.  Please understand that 100% of all your prayers must be gushing with praise and worship.  Thank God in advance for fulfilling your prayers KNOWING that He will provide as His will see’s fit.  Trust him (Prov 3:5) for His wisdom and love in your life and the lives in those for whom you pray.  Never let your earthy tendency to complain and grow tired get in the way of receiving what God has for those you seek to help.  TRUST.

Ps 78:41

Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.
NKJV

Do not limit God.  If  you have unbelief or problems with faith then “Dam the Torpedoes” and JUST DO IT anyway.  Eventually you will develop the necessary faith as your seeking God causes supernatural changes in your walk.  You will see. Learn by DOING.  Believe. Notice in Phil 4:6 it says … But in EVERYTHING …

• PRAYER
• SUPPLICATION
• THANKSGIVING

Supplications (Petitions) to God

So in everything that affects your life and those around you, we are instructed to pray, supplicate and give thanksgiving (which is praise).  Supplication is a “petition” before God. It differs from  standard prayer in that it is something formal you raise up to the throne of God and ask for repeatedly.

Matt 7:7 7-12

Keep on asking for something to be given and it shall be given you. Keep on seeking, and you shall find. Keep on reverently knocking, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking for something to be given, keeps on receiving. And he who keeps on seeking, keeps on finding. And to him who keeps on reverently knocking, it shall be opened.

– The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest

An example of supplication before God is asking Him to help you hear his voice better.  Make a list of things you need in your life to improve your walk with Him.  Ask Him to give you a humble and contrite heart.  Ask Him to “create in you a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10).  Ask Him to fill your heart with joy so you can lead others to the Kingdom.  Make a list.  Make it formal.  And supplicate before God’s throne each morning. Here is an example of supplications before God.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Holy Lord God, I raise before you Supplication Number 1.  Father God, whoart in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Glory to you Father God, for you alone are worthy. Father, as you know I am raising this petition before you to help me hear your still small voice better so I may be more obedient to you.

Please Father God, help me hear you speak to me so I know it is your voice.  Help me to trust it so I may follow your will with sureness.

Thank you Father God.  And now I raise before you Lord, petition number 2.

(and so on)

Pray for the Lost

The Father depends on us to pray for the “Lost”.  This is  not just for our loved ones and people we know but it includes people we do not know.  A recent prophecy from the Lord through Wings of Prophecy was a delight for me to hear and a wonderful promise from our Father God.  An excerpt reads:

Pray diligently and petition consistently for the salvation of the lost and of your loved ones, for I shall answer your prayers to save them! Great shall be your joy and you shall enjoy the fruits of your labor!

(read more here)

Here the Father is conditionally offering to save our loved ones as long as we pray over and over again (consistently) for the lost of the world.  Here is an example of how you can pray for the lost.

Dear Heavenly Father,

In the Name of Jesus Lord God, that you may be glorified through your Son, I lift up before you the lost of Africa.  Father God, I come against the forces of darkness and clear the air with the power of Christ, Jesus in me.

Principalities, Powers and Strongholds in High Places, I come against you in the name of Jesus. by the Blood of the Lamb of God, I sever your heads with the sword of the spirit and command you to fall NOW, into the abyss in Jesus Name!  Get OUT!

Unclean spirits, deaf and dumb spirits, in Jesus name I loose you from your captives in Africa and I command you to leave now.  Come out of them in Jesus Name!  Get OUT NOW! Father God, in Jesus Name I ask you Lord to surround these people with a supernatural hedge of protection.  Father God send your angels to take charge over them and protect them from the evil one.  Fill them with your Holy Spirit and prevent the demons from re-entering them Father.

Lord God, in the name of Jesus, hear the cry of your servant.  Father God PLEASE save the souls of the lost people of Africa Father God.  Send your ministering angels upon them Lord.  Reveal yourself to them in a dream, in a mighty vision of the night.

I CLAIM those souls for the Kingdom of Heaven in the Name of Jesus.  For the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Praise you Holy Father God for you alone are worthy.  Glory and honor and power and dominion to You Lord God both now and forever  – Amen.

You can take this prayer and apply it over and over again and walk across the entire world targeting different parts of the globe beseeching God to save those souls.

The Pray for Your Loved Ones

Father God, please save the soul  of (insert relatives / loved ones name here).  Thank you Lord God.  I know you will save them for me.  I praise you for this glorious promise and seek to serve you in any way you will use me.

Summary in Jesus Name:

Keep a list of people who need prayer.  Write their name on a line and state beside each name what it is they need.  Pray for each person one by one.  For example: Sally Neidermeyer – (depression)

Dear Heavenly Father,

I lift up sister Sally before you and ask you Lord to give her the peace which passes all understanding in her life.  Renew a spirit of gladness in her heart Lord God and help her to stay focused on your Glory and the promises of the Kingdom.

The move to the next person on the list: (and repeat)

By the time you cover your supplications (daily petitions), prayers for the Lost of the world, and prayers for specific people on your prayer list one by one, over time you will wonder how you didn’t spend at least one hour in prayer with God.  Over time you will YEARN to spend more time with the Lord.

Over time, it will become one of the most peaceful enriching periods of your entire day.

SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM

AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

And then all these other things will be given unto you.

Matt 6:33-34

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV