The Power of Prayer: 4 Ways to enhance your prayer life.

Maybe you’ve never prayed before, or you don’t know how to pray. Maybe you don’t know what to pray for. Maybe you’re scared of asking too much. Even if you feel like your prayer life couldn’t get any better, keep reading. I feel there’s so much to learn about prayer: how to pray, when to pray, how long to pray, and I continue to learn every day. I’d love to share my personal experiences with prayer and how powerful it can truly be.

Prayer can be known as an ask of help, an expression of gratitude, or a release of any burden and handing that over to a higher power. I write this post because I took a Twitter poll on my followers’ average prayer life, and found that most people voted that their prayer life is often “weak.” I know that I struggle with praying, so I can relate. I’m the kind of person that can be too stubborn to accept help of any kind, or I can be too emotional, or just downright too lazy to delve deep enough to bring my problems to the fore. If you’ve ever felt this before, then this post may be for you! (Obviously, I am not a perfect Christian. I’m only sharing from experience and what I believe is my own truth in my relationship with God! These are only suggestions.) Coming from the heart, here is what I’ve learned so far if you’re curious about expanding your prayer life:

First, I want to show you a few problems I’ve found people have while praying:

Not EXPECTING from God: I’ve had people tell me that they are scared to expect things from God, or that they are scared of asking too much of Him. That’s actually the exact opposite of what God wants us to do!
Not being specific in prayer: He knows what your heart desires, but He wants to hear it from you. The more specific you are, the more mentally clear you’ll become. He promises to fulfill your heart’s desires, all you have to do is ask (in faith). [Psalm 37:4] So get down to the specifics of exactly what you want, and you won’t be disappointed.
Not always praying out loud: When you speak to God out loud, your words soon become action. .Your words become the house you live in, and they have far more power than you think. The more you speak it, the more your words become apparent not only to Him, but in your own mind as well. Speak things into existence.
Not trusting God fully. This comes with time, patience and faith. To trust something that you cannot see doesn’t make sense to the human mind. But when we get past what our mind is telling us, your heart will take care of the rest. Praying with uncertainty can hinder your prayer life, and it can place limits on what God can do to break down your barriers. Don’t create limitations in your head, it will block your blessings and favor. Instead, fully believe that you will receive what you’re asking of Him and MORE. [Mark 11:24]

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24

EXPECT YOUR PRAYERS TO BE ANSWERED:

For some, this could be a fear of yours–to pray about something, and it doesn’t come true (I know I’m guilty of this). But to really experience the power of prayer, you must pray with power. Praying without faith is like flying in a plane, but fearing risking your life because you don’t trust the captain. Even though the captain is the one qualified to fly the plane, you only trust yourself to know and attempt to control where you’re going. (Pssst..in the end, we don’t have control anyway!) When you pray, pray like you know that your prayer will be answered. I recommend that you not only put trust in what has yet to come, but also thank God for answering prayers that have not yet been answered. Nothing is too outrageous to Him, the creator of Heaven and Earth. This is in no way a burden to give your dreams, hopes, and desires to a God who can make the impossible, possible.

BE SPECIFIC: ASK FOR ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES

For example, maybe you’re praying you’ll get married someday. Now, try getting down into details about the qualities of your future spouse. What about your dream job? Pray about it, then get specific about what you want. How much do you want to earn? What work are you doing? Where? Ask for exactly that. God wants us to be specific. Don’t just pray about what seems logical and possible. Pray HARD about the impossible. God will show you that NOTHING is impossible with Him. If you ask for something and you haven’t received it, it may be that He knows your heart better than you do, or it hasn’t arrived yet because it’s not your time. And it may be something that you’ll later come to understand. But know that God will answer your prayer, and the more specific you are about your hopes and dreams, the more you can bring them to life. Just make sure you’re not holding onto the outcome so tightly that you lose sight of faith. He gave you those dreams you have for a reason. If something is heavy on your heart, it’s meant to be there.

God Typically Answers Prayers in 1 of 3 ways:

God says Yes and gives you what your heart desires
He says No and gives you something better
Or He says Wait, as he builds your faith & strength, your time will come.

BE VULNERABLE. PRAY WITH YOUR HEART + EYES ON GOD

It’s okay to let down your guard. He wants the whole-hearted and vulnerable you. When you pray, worship! When we spend time in His presence and feel nothing but fullness with a grateful heart, you will feel an overwhelming sense of peace. In today’s society, we are taught to hold back our emotions and to never trust easily. In a world like this today, release your built-up anxieties to a God who can move your mountains with one single prayer. Give it a try when you pray next, and fully disclose all of your problems to Him. God asks us to cast our anxiety on Him, so why not give our limitations to a God who has none?

“You will seek me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13

TRUST. BE CONFIDENT. HAVE FAITH

We must pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulty.

Praying in full faith creates a MAJOR breakthrough, but it’s also the most commonly missed concept. It’s even one of the biggest battles I face while praying. We get so focused on the issue at hand, that we so desperately want the problem to go away without seeing perspective.

Say it with me, “His timing. Not mine.” Look to God while you pray, and give Him your doubts, anxieties, fears, and insecurities. Today, let’s declare that there is no more thinking about solving your own problem, because if you give it to God, He has taken care of the rest. Release it entirely. He is working on fixing your hurt, your disappointment, or your frustration. Whatever you do, continue to pray. Don’t quit. Be so confident in giving your problems to Him, you know they are no longer your problem.

Here are a few more reminders:

Pray, then let it go. Don’t try to manipulate and force the outcome. Just trust God to open the right doors at the right time.
God’s voice: Stills you, leads you, reassures you, enlightens you, encourages you, comforts you, calms you, convicts you.
Enemy’s voice: Rushes you, pushes you, frightens you, confuses you, discourages you, worries you, obsesses you, condemns you.
Relying on God has to begin all over again as if nothing has yet been done

P.S. Sometimes I don’t know what to pray about, or know how to pray. Below I provided a few prayers for those of you that feel stuck in prayer like I know I have. Feel free to use these prayers whenever you need a little boost:

Prayer for seeking God:

“Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes I have trouble finding the time or desire to seek your presence. Plant in me Lord, the spirit of the seeker of God. Let your Spirit transform me and inspire me to discover you in new ways. Free me from my comfort zone, break down my structure, reign again to my heart. May it be my primary goal, and the glory yours alone. I pray for this in the name of the Most High. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Prayer during uncertainty:

“Dear God, things seem unclear. I’m not sure where I stand, or if the decisions I make are correct. Too many thoughts confuse my head. The enemy brings uncertainty and fear to my heart. Stand up for my, Lord. Cast away the darkness. Show me your will. Bring me clarity and peace. Even if I can’t, I know The One who does. Let Your spirit, Lord, bring me certainty. The certainty that you will never leave me, you will always lead me, and that I belong to You. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Prayer for release:

“Heavenly Father, I release to You the burdens that I have been carrying, the burdens that You never intended for me to carry. I cast all my cares upon You—all my worries, all my fears. You have told me not to be anxious about anything, but rather to bring everything to You in prayer with thankfulness. Quiet my anxious heart. I THANK YOU for Your promise to sustain me, preserve me, and guard all that I have entrusted to Your keeping. Protect my heart and mind with Your peace, the peace that passes all understanding. Father, may Your will be done in my life, in Your time, and in Your way. In Jesus name, Amen.”