Praying Fervently

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

 James 5:16b, NIV

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7, NLT

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1, NLT

Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - 18, NLT

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:16, NLT

I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.

Psalm 17:6, NLT

O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

Psalm 17:1, NLT

You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own.

Ephesians 2:8, CEV

Have you ever prayed for something then got a response you didn’t expect? How about getting no response, feeling as though God were silent and ‘not answering’ your prayer? Or what about praying for something for a long time, then finally giving up because nothing seems to come of it?

I sometimes find myself praying and then think, what is the purpose behind my prayers? Is it for my own benefit, or to glorify God? Not to say, we can’t ask God for something we want. As this past year came to a close and I welcomed in 2012, I find myself seeking God’s direction and guidance more and more. It’s funny how I somehow think what I plan for my life will come to fruition,  then when it turn upside down, I wonder why God didn’t honor that request. It seems as though the ‘surprises’ of what I’ve seemed to work so hard for haven’t concluded the way I expected. But on the flip side, I find myself desiring more of God’s plan, including those areas of which I’ve held onto so tightly. I think sometimes it’s easy to hold onto what we seem to know is concrete, and then seek God in those gray areas. But I’m learning it’s in both gray and ‘concrete’ areas of life, that I need to daily seek God’s direction and wisdom. 

As you’ve already read the verses above, I truly believe there is power in prayer. If we humble ourselves, and truly seek God’s face on a daily basis out of our love for Him, He will honor that. Let’s not give up on praying, God will respond in His timing. The response or end result might not be what we expect it to be, but we can trust (yes, it is safe to trust God) our Heavenly Father, that He will take care of us, and if we walk in obedience with His Word, we will bring glory to His name. Remember, He sees the bigger picture and we don’t let’s walk in a child-like faith and grow in our relationship with Christ together.  Who knows what bigger and better plans God might have for our lives, or better yet, what charatcer attributes of Christ, He is developing in us while fervently praying...Be blessed this week!!!