Hey friend,
I have always been an empathetic person. Being empathetic has been both a blessing and a curse. You may, or may not, be able to relate, but if you can you know exactly what I mean.
Everyday things such as scrolling through Facebook, watching television, talking with a friend going through hard times, or simply walking downtown and seeing so many homeless people, can easily trigger heavy emotions. Those emotions will often lead to prayer sessions, or going above that and offering to help tangibly.
At one point my empathetic nature began to interrupt my life. I had a hard time not taking on other people’s emotions. I’ve gotten much better, but there are still times where I have to shake those feelings off, and realize that I can help when I’m led, but I don’t have to take on another person’s emotional state.
One thing that I have been noticing, repeatedly, is that so many people are desperate for a move of God.
So many people are on their last leg and don't know how much longer they can believe that God is a God who still answers prayer.
You may be one those people who has been praying about the same thing for weeks, months, or even years, and you're wondering where God is.
You see other people getting blessed and you can't help but feel forgotten, discouraged, and depressed.
I was recently watching a church service on periscope and on one part of the broadcast, the preacher was talking about the promises of God and the power of prayer. If you aren't familiar with periscope, you can leave comments and read the comments of those who are also watching the broadcast.
There were hundreds of people watching the service along with me and comments were flashing by rather quickly. However, one comment caught my attention.
One viewer wrote that she had been praying for healing for years, and she still wasn’t healed. I could feel her desperation. I decided to reply to her comment and give her some biblical advice. I simply said, “now it’s time to start declaring and decreeing," and she replied back “how do I do that?”
I realized in that moment that declaring and decreeing was a foreign concept for so many people, and so, I offered to send her a resource I had just finished working on as a bonus for my course, Increase & Flourish.
Friend, Perhaps you may be feeling the same way.
You’ve been praying the same prayer for a long time, with no manifestation of that prayer in sight.
Your faith is growing faint and you question whether your prayers are falling on death ears.
I must say there are many different reasons why your prayers may not have been answered yet -- one of those reasons may simply be that it’s just not time yet.
However, sometimes time isn’t the issue.
The hindrance may be in what you aren’t doing (or saying) in addition to your prayers.
Here are three important elements to make sure you are including along with your prayers.
To help keep things simple and easy to remember, each element starts with the letter P.
The first P is to…
1. Pray God’s will to be done:
When you pray, ask according to God's will using the example from The Lord's prayer, “Thy will be done.” Praying this way ensures that God hears your prayer.”
“This is the confidence we have in God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14, New International Version).
You may be asking, how do I know what God’s will is? And the answer is you can find out God’s will by reading His word. If it’s in His word, it is a promise for you that you can grab ahold of.
Which leads me to the second P. After you have prayed for God’s will to be done the scripture says he heard you. Now it’s time to…
2. Plead your case:
Find a promise in the bible based on what you are praying for and bring that word before the court of heaven and begin to plead your case. The word of God is the law and you have legal access to every promise written in the book of law if you are in right standing with God.
“Put me in remembrance [remind Me of your merits]; let us plead and argue together. Set fourth your case, that you may be justified (proved right). (Isaiah 43:26, Amplified Bible)
Once you understand this principle you realize your authority to bring the law before the judge (God) and plead your case. God’s word will not return to Him void, so attach a scripture that pertains to your specific prayer request, and watch God perform His word over your situation as you begin to speak that scripture with authority.
Once you know your legal rights, next…
3. Put a praise on it:
We learned that God heard you the first time you prayed. He already intends to answer your prayer in His time. What happens is we go to God in prayer and ask Him for the same thing(s) day after day, not realizing that He already heard you. Now it's time to go a step further
Praise is the missing ingredient. Praising and thanking God is the ultimate way to show your faith. It's hard to praise God for something you don't believe He will provide. Praise is your faith in action, and without faith, it is impossible to please God. Believe God and praise your way to victory.
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Psalm 95: 2-3, New International Version).
To recap:
-- Pray God's Will
-- Plead Your Case
-- Praise and Thank God in advance
Friend, I hope you found this helpful!
Leave a comment and let me know what you’re believing God for this year and let me know if you intend to add these three elements to your prayers (if you haven’t already)? I’d love to hear from you.