What a wonderful privilege, the ability to speak directly to God!  So often we forget the seriousness of prayer!  Prayer is entering into the majestic throne room of Heaven where the King of kings is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

In the Old Testament, when Esther went to see King Ahasuerus, she entered into the throne room with fear in her heart.  “...Whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live...” (Esther 4:11).

Thank God, we can come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) because Christ has shed His own blood and applied it to the mercy seat!  Yes, we are allowed to enter the throne room into the presence of our King Jesus.  Remind yourself when you pray, that you are speaking to God Almighty! 

                                                            Place for Prayer

 The Lord Jesus had a place for prayer.  “And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples” (John 18:2).  He had a place apart from the crowd.  Christ often went off alone to pray; Jesus went to pray alone when he sent His disciples into a storm.

Daniel was known for his place of prayer, “...he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).

You and I must have a special time and place of prayer!  Yes it is true that you can pray anywhere because God is omnipresent and hears us always.  “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” ( Matthew 6:6).

As creatures of habit we go to sleep at a certain time, we wake up at a certain time and we eat meals at a certain time.  I submit to you that we should pray at a particular time every day.

                                                        Procedure for Prayer

 Be careful NOT to quote memorized chants over and over again.  “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7).  Even “good Christians” often find themselves repeating the same words and phrases in their prayers from day to day.

The procedure is to speak honestly from your heart!  Be honest with God, He knows everything anyway... Be fresh, speak thoughts as they come to your mind.  Be thorough, ask God to search your heart and He will search it.  He will give you something to pray about!  Communicate with the Lord.   As we speak to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our inner being, we receive insight and enlightenment.

                                                 Purpose of God from Prayer

 God has a plan for your life and for my life!  When our Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray He gave them what we refer to as the model prayer.  We too should pray,“... Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  God’s purpose, His will is often not even considered.  The battle that all men face is the matter of the will.  Nobody wants to be told what to do, it is difficult to surrender your will, your ambition, your supposed purpose in life, into the hands of an unseen God.  But when we pray we need to seek the guidance of the Great Shepherd, and submit ourselves to Him, His will is always best!  “... according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11).

People make decisions in life without even consulting the Master.  They select marriage partners, take job offers, move to a new location, buy houses, etc., and neglect to seek the Lord’s will in prayer.   The Word of God teaches us, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6).  Praying for God’s will and purpose helps us to avoid self inflicted troubles and trials.  We should pray with a submissive and yearning heart as the Apostle Paul, “ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).  Again, I tell you,“... men ought always to pray, and not to faint”  (Luke 18:1).

                                                Provision of God from Prayer

 “... Yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2).  Unfortunately, many Christians don’t believe that their Father in Heaven will supply all of their needs according to His riches in glory.  But it is a promise of God.  Jesus said when you pray, ask for daily provision; “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).  This is a divine principle in the Bible.  In the Old Testament, although God’s people were wandering in the wilderness without out food, they were provided with Manna from Heaven by God every day.

I am reminded of the great man of God, George Mueller.  He operated an orphanage and never asked any man for material assistance, He prayed to God for provision.  He raised over 5,000 orphans and all by faith in God through prayer.  One evening, Brother George Mueller sat at the table with the children and NO food before them.  It was a difficult time... But He bowed His head in prayer giving thanks, trusting God and while he prayed a local baker came to the door with loaves of bread!  What a wonderful provision of God from Prayer!  

The skeptics ask the question, “... Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” (Psalm 78:19).  I tell you, He can and He will   will provide for His children. He provides!

                                                  Praise God When Praying

 If you are a true born-again Christian you must praise your Father which is in Heaven!  In John 8 we are taught there are two distinct categories of people, those whose father is the Devil and those whose Father is in Heaven.  Consider the sacrifice the Lord made for you and you will praise Him!  Consider His love, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8), and you will praise Him!  Remind yourself daily how longsuffering  and merciful the Father is, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not”  (Lamentations 3:22); and you will have to praise Him!

We need to tell God regularly in our prayers  how wonderful He is, how thankful we are for His love and how much we love Him!  I tell you,“... men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).

                                                People in Our Prayers to God

 Too often when we pray we neglect to pray for others.  We all have family and friends with needs.  There are people we know who we should be concerned about.  People with physical problems, spiritual problems, financial problems, family problems, etc.  But most important of all, people without Christ.  Others that are going to Hell.  Even the rich man when he lifted up his eyes in the torments of Hell he prayed for others!  “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:27).  When you consider the eternal destiny of those in your sphere of life, remember to pray for them!

                                                Peace With God through Prayer

 This subject of prayer to the Father is based on the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour!  There must be a point time when you prayed the “sinner’s prayer”, and asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin and received Him into your heart!  “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).  No person can have true peace in their heart unless they have forgiveness from the Father, because we are all sinners by birth.

The honest person knows that they have sinned against God.  For this reason Christ came into the world, to save sinners!  “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  “...and Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

  

If you never have received Jesus as your personal Saviour make peace with God now!  You could say something like this in your own words… “Dear Father in Heaven, I thank you for sending the Lord Jesus to die on the cross for me.  I repent with sorrow for my sins, and ask you to forgive me and help me live for You.  Please cleanse me with your precious Blood.  I open my heart by faith and ask You to come into my life. I now accept Christ as my personal Saviour!  In Jesus name I pray, Amen

                                                                                                                                   Tom Meador​