Effective Prayer

 

    Mourning is a miserable experience, but it is necessary to be able to have joy.  It is the process of letting go of the things that you can't change: people, circumstances, culture, government, personal sins, and more.  Once you go through the mourning process though, then you can move forward.  We should mourn over our sin and pray to move forward with God.

    Wealthy is dangerous because a person can have all that they want in the world, but walk straight into hell.  There are wealthy people that are genuine Christians.  They use their wealth to serve God.  We are not talking about them.  On it's own, wealth is not a bad thing.  It is what you do with what you have that matters.  

    The wealth that solidifies independence from God is the wealth that I am talking about.  Wealthy people tend to make themselves their own god.  They think they can abuse other people with no consequences.  This is wrong.  Wealth can lead to a life of self-indulgence instead of learning endurance and perseverance.  It can actually make a person weaker in character because they care more about it than people.  Wealth can be destroyed or taken at any time, so why put your security into that.  Eternal wealth will be discovered only once we enter the eternal life, but it is forever.  Do you turn your food, clothes, and money over to God prayerfully?

    We all have to learn patience.  The world is not ideal.  We want Jesus to return, so that things will finally be right.  What we tend to forget is that before Jesus does return that things will get so much worse.  When you pray over your conflicted heart, pray that Jesus puts you where he wants you in your life.  Focus on being near him in your heart, if not in physical form.  Suffering will come either way.  You might as well be prepared.

    Perseverance is a blessing.  God is compassionate and full of mercy.  He allows us to live.  He did not bring misery or suffering.  They are just a biproduct of sin in the world.  He has given us everything we need to be able to have a joy filled prayer life to get us through the bad parts of life.  

    Do not swear or talk about people.  Be a person of integrity, so that your noes mean no and your yeses mean yes.  Allow your words to have power and not just be words that take up space.  When you are troubled pray.  

    If you hit a crossroad of indecision, pray.  Pray through every aspect of your life and you will find peace.  When you are happy sing songs of praise to God in thanksgiving and worship.  When you are sick, let other people pray over your healing.  Do no suffer alone.  No one was meant to journey life alone.  

    Confess your sins to each other.  This is not for penance, but to release the burden of it and so that your prayer partners know how to pray for you.  It is God that will release you from your sin.  God always responds to a sincere and transparent heart in prayer.

    A righteous prayer is powerful and effective.  Pray earnestly.  If you discover that you have wondered from the truth, then allow other people to pray with you to bring you back to the closeness you once had or desire to have with God.  Prayer saves lives.  Prayer saves souls.  Prayer gives life to your life by removing any and all sin if your truly repent.  Being authentic with God is the key.

James 5