How to recognize and remove spiritual blocks to answered prayer and find new confidence in your prayer life.
Have you ever wondered how to talk to God? Does He still answer prayers today? Dr. Henry W. Wright was known to pray passionately. Here are some of his thoughts about how to develop your prayer life.
How to pray according to God’s Word
What is prayer? Is it a mystical or magical way to move the hand of God? Or is there anything we can do to partner with Him so that we can see our prayers answered?
In truth, prayer is simply having a conversation with God, and it comes from our relationship with Him. It is the method by which we approach our Father. In the original Greek, prayer means to make supplication or petition. Jesus taught us in Matthew 6 how to pray:
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:9-15 KJV
The Lord’s prayer is our model for how to approach Father God in prayer.
God’s heart for your prayer life
It is not difficult to apprehend your Heavenly Father. You can have personal contact with the Father of all spirits by faith. We can have a conversation with Him about anything. It should not be any different for you to talk to your Heavenly Father by faith than if He stood in this room and you looked Him straight in the eye and said, “Father, I would like to speak to you about something.”
You do not have to be afraid to approach your Heavenly Father. If you are born again, you qualify. When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, the veil to the holy place was rent so that you may come close to Him. It is not necessary to strive to pray; you are in a relationship with Him already!
Why do we pray to Father God?
Rather than going to the Father, many people still pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. If you have been asking God for something and your prayers have not been answered, perhaps it is because you are talking to the wrong member of the Godhead.
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. Matthew 16:23-24 KJV
In this Scripture, Jesus tells us that we shall no longer ask Him for anything when He returns to be with the Father. We should go to the Father directly and ask Him.
Pray to God continually – Casting every care on Him
The key words for us are: seek and ask. Most children bug their parents when they want something. It should be no different with your Heavenly Father. The secret of prayer is to talk to Him all the time. Have you ever heard the phrase, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease?”
James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.” When we need something, we go to the Father, the giver of good gifts. We can ask Him anything—we can constantly chew off His ear. He loves it. Tell your Heavenly Father everything that is in your heart, and do it out loud.
Pray to God in Faith
When we pray to our Heavenly Father, we must come to Him in faith. Prayers can be hindered because of a lack of faith. If you believe He hears you, He hears you. But if you doubt He heard you, He closes His ears to you. For without faith, it is impossible to please God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6 KJV
You have to have faith; you have to be confident. If you do not have confidence in your faith, you do not have faith. Instead, you have fear which is a counterfeit of faith. If you say, “I hope God heard me,” that’s faithlessness. You can be confident that if you ask according to His will—He hears you. The process of having faith is a verb; it’s an action in motion!
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalm 37:4 KJV
Seek forgiveness towards all people
Even with faith to move a mountain, there may be a stumbling block to your prayers being answered if you have bitterness or unforgiveness against anyone. That mountain will not budge if you have violated the principles of the kingdom.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25 KJV
This is a difficult verse, but it is the basis for the Kingdom of God. If you do not forgive, you establish unforgiveness in the earth and overthrow the Father’s forgiveness for others. You cannot expect to have a relationship with God and live a spiritual life and not have a relationship with others. If God has forgiven others, so should you because you are not greater than God. You cannot command a mountain to move if you hold onto unforgiveness in your heart toward others.
Answered prayers based upon obedience to God’s Word
Along with walking in forgiveness, there is another provision for us as we pray: obedience. In 2 Chronicles, we read about a conditional prophecy—the blessing depended upon God’s people to turn from their wicked ways so that He would heal their land.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
In this verse, we see that the healing of the land was conditional to the people praying and coming into obedience to God. We cannot continue in unrighteousness or wickedness and expect to bear good fruit. It is a choice whether or not to obey his commandments.
God delights in our humility and obedience toward Him.
If you are a hearer and not a doer of God’s Word, you are deceived. If you are a doer of the Word, the blessings of God will overtake you. When you walk in obedience to God, you are under His protection and know He will hear your prayers. Prayer is more than a declaration; it is conditional and depends upon our participation with His Word. We can trust that He will keep His promises when we obey His Word.
God Hears Our Prayers!
Prayer is often a misunderstood topic. In reality, prayer is just a conversation with our Heavenly Father, whom we cannot see with our physical eyes, but whom we believe hears us. To pray effectively, we must address any unforgiveness or unrighteousness in our lives. God wants to use your prayers to establish His kingdom and execute His will in the earth.
This is an excerpt from a conference teaching by Dr. Henry W. Wright called Prayer That Makes a Difference, which is available in our store.
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If you would like to hear more about this subject of prayer by Dr. Henry W. Wright, you can purchase this teaching in its entirety or join our Overcomers’ Community®. The Overcomers’ Community is an exciting opportunity for you to participate with and be plugged into Be in Health® on an ongoing basis.
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Blessings,
The Be in Health Team
Would you like to learn more about how to pray to God?
Praying to God the Father – How to Connect With God
How to Enter the Kingdom of God – By Pastor Benny Parish – What is the Kingdom of God, and how do we walk in it?
How to Be Restored to the Father’s Love – By Pastor Adrienne Shales – Bridging the gap to understand, fall in love with and receive love from Father God.
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