8 Principles of Powerful Prayer

#1 Short and Sweet: Do not get caught up in long, exhaustive, flowery prayers in public. Matthew 6:5

#2 Pray in Secret: Have the deepest aspects of your prayer life in the secret place where it is just between you and God. Matt 6:6; Mark 1:35

#3 Vain Repetitions and Informing God: Avoid using vain repetition when you speak to God.  He will not act more favorably towards you just because you say some special phrase over and over.  Prayers should be conversational with God.  There should be a time where you speak and a time when you listen for the impression of the Holy Spirit on your heart.  Always be mindful that you are not informing God of anything when you pray.  We do not pray because God does not know what is going in our lives.  We pray to recognize our deep need of a Savior and because our hearts are changed when we commune with our divine Lord.  The Holy Spirit takes our weak prayers and mingles them with the mighty prayers of Jesus that is a sweet aroma before the Father. Matt 6:7, 8

#4 Address the Father: When you begin praying, address your prayer to the Father.  Many times we address Jesus first when we pray and this is not in harmony with the model that Jesus gave us.  Yes, Christ is equal with the Father in divinity, but Christ is subordinate to the Father in the role that He plays.  Christ functions as our High Priest and as such He is ministering on our behalf before the Father.  That is why He gave us the model of addressing our Father God in our prayers.  We must also never forget that God’s name is holy and must not be taken in vain or used lightly.  To do so is a violation of the 3rd commandment. Matt 6:9; Jn 14:6

#5 Kingdom of God: We should pray that God’s kingdom will be established in our hearts each day.  If God is the ruler of our hearts then He will no doubt have control of our lives and therefore be able to give us victory over sin.  It is only when divinity is coupled with humanity that victory can be obtained. Matt 6:10; Dan 2:44, 45; Luke 17:21; Mark 10:15; Rom 14:17; Acts 17:30

#6 Bread of Life: We should ask God to take care of our needs both physical and spiritual.  The Lord feeds the birds and other animals and He will feed us as well, but our greater need is for spiritual food.  When Christ was here on earth He said that He was the bread of life and that we

8 Principles of Powerful Prayer

#1 Short and Sweet: Do not get caught up in long, exhaustive, flowery prayers in public. Matt 6:5

#2 Pray in Secret: Have the deepest aspects of your prayer life in the secret place where it is just between you and God. Matt 6:6; Mark 1:35

#3 Vain Repetitions and Informing God: Avoid using vain repetition when you speak to God.  He will not act more favorably towards you just because you say some special phrase over and over.  Prayers should be conversational with God.  There should be a time where you speak and a time when you listen for the impression of the Holy Spirit on your heart.  Always be mindful that you are not informing God of anything when you pray.  We do not pray because God does not know what is going in our lives.  We pray to recognize our deep need of a Savior and because our hearts are changed when we commune with our divine Lord.  The Holy Spirit takes our weak prayers and mingles them with the mighty prayers of Jesus that is a sweet aroma before the Father. Matt 6:7, 8

#4 Address the Father: When you begin praying, address your prayer to the Father.  Many times we address Jesus first when we pray and this is not in harmony with the model that Jesus gave us.  Yes, Christ is equal with the Father in divinity, but Christ is subordinate to the Father in the role that He plays.  Christ functions as our High Priest and as such He is ministering on our behalf before the Father.  That is why He gave us the model of addressing our Father God in our prayers.  We must also never forget that God’s name is holy and must not be taken in vain or used lightly.  To do so is a violation of the 3rd commandment. Matt 6:9; Jn 14:6

#5 Kingdom of God: We should pray that God’s kingdom will be established in our hearts each day.  If God is the ruler of our hearts then He will no doubt have control of our lives and therefore be able to give us victory over sin.  It is only when divinity is coupled with humanity that victory can be obtained. Matt 6:10; Dan 2:44, 45; Luke 17:21; Mark 10:15; Rom 14:17; Acts 17:30

#6 Bread of Life: We should ask God to take care of our needs both physical and spiritual.  The Lord feeds the birds and other animals and He will feed us as well, but our greater need is for spiritual food.  When Christ was here on earth He said that He was the bread of life and that we

must eat His flesh in order to be saved.  If we make the spiritual food of the Word of God our priority then we will have the assurance that our physical needs will be met.  We must seek first the kingdom of God and then all else will be added to us. Matt 6:11, 33; John 6:53-56

#7 Forgiveness and Forgiving: Without Christ in our lives we stand as debtors before God.  We have a sin debt that we owe God and the only payment that is suitable is death.  When we pray and ask God to forgive us of our debts we are essentially asking Him to take away our sins.  It is important that we confess each sin to God so that we can pray to have victory over that sin.  We must be careful to not just pray in vague generalities.  In public, yes, we should speak in general terms because it not everyone’s business what we have done against God.  But in private we should seek to have all of our sins washed away before the eyes of God.  If you cannot think of sins for which you need to ask forgiveness then ask the Lord to reveal it to you and He will do so.  Once you have asked for forgiveness of your sins and received God’s forgiveness, then pray and ask the Lord to give you a heart that is willing to forgive others.  We cannot expect God to forgive us if we are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us no matter how severely they may have done so. Matt 6:12; Heb 9:22; John 1:29; Matt 18:34, 35

#8 Safeguard from Temptation: Lastly we should pray that God will keep us free from falling back into our old ways.  When a person comes to Christ they are said to be a new creature and that all things are become new.  We must embrace this and move forward in that promise.  To linger in the past and to wallow in our guilt is to give Satan a victory in our lives.  It also says that we do accept God’s forgiveness or that perhaps we do think Him capable of pulling us from the pit of sin in which He found us. Matt 6:13; 2 Cor 5:17; Jer 17:9; Rom 7:19, 25

 

“…Jacob’s company, unarmed and defenseless, seemed about to fall helpless victims of violence and slaughter. And to the burden of anxiety and fear was added the crushing weight of self-reproach, for it was his own sin that had brought this danger. His only hope was in the mercy of God; his only defense must be prayer.” Great Controversy pg. 616 (emphasis added)

 

must eat His flesh in order to be saved.  If we make the spiritual food of the Word of God our priority then we will have the assurance that our physical needs will be met.  We must seek first the kingdom of God and then all else will be added to us. Matt 6:11, 33; John 6:53-56

#7 Forgiveness and Forgiving: Without Christ in our lives we stand as debtors before God.  We have a sin debt that we owe God and the only payment that is suitable is death.  When we pray and ask God to forgive us of our debts we are essentially asking Him to take away our sins.  It is important that we confess each sin to God so that we can pray to have victory over that sin.  We must be careful to not just pray in vague generalities.  In public, yes, we should speak in general terms because it not everyone’s business what we have done against God.  But in private we should seek to have all of our sins washed away before the eyes of God.  If you cannot think of sins for which you need to ask forgiveness then ask the Lord to reveal it to you and He will do so.  Once you have asked for forgiveness of your sins and received God’s forgiveness, then pray and ask the Lord to give you a heart that is willing to forgive others.  We cannot expect God to forgive us if we are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us no matter how severely they may have done so. Matt 6:12; Heb 9:22; John 1:29; Matt 18:34, 35

#8 Safeguard from Temptation: Lastly we should pray that God will keep us free from falling back into our old ways.  When a person comes to Christ they are said to be a new creature and that all things are become new.  We must embrace this and move forward in that promise.  To linger in the past and to wallow in our guilt is to give Satan a victory in our lives.  It also says that we do accept God’s forgiveness or that perhaps we do think Him capable of pulling us from the pit of sin in which He found us. Matt 6:13; 2 Cor 5:17; Jer 17:9; Rom 7:19, 25

 

“…Jacob’s company, unarmed and defenseless, seemed about to fall helpless victims of violence and slaughter. And to the burden of anxiety and fear was added the crushing weight of self-reproach, for it was his own sin that had brought this danger. His only hope was in the mercy of God; his only defense must be prayer.” Great Controversy pg. 616 (emphasis added)