Things I've learnt about prayer
1. Prayer is intentionally conveying a message to God.
2. Its possible to pray without words. Sometimes when we are speechless before God, the Spirit in us prays - 'in groaning too deep for words'.
3. It pleases God that we ask. God is never too busy to listen. He is always in total control of the universe. His prayer cache never crashes, his inbox is never too full. And He reads all our mails.
4. We should complain to God. Ps 24 'I pour out my complain before God'. Our heart complain and doubt God anyway, the least we can do is do it in his face. Classic example, "God, help my unbelief'.
Hey, He knows what is in our heart anyway, might as well come clean and not add to the sin of unbelief, the sin of hypocracy.
5. Prayer should be unceasing.
Wake up in the morning, press the green 'call' button on your heavenly handphone to God. Then press 'speaker mode' on and don't press the red 'end call' button. Leave it on the whole day and go about your business. Mindful that the speaker is on and God can hear you and you can hear God. Keep the conversation going. That's praying without ceasing.
6. If God doesn't answer the prayer that I have made, He will answer the prayer that I should have made.
"there was given me a thorn in my flesh...Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:6-9
7. God only answer prayers that are according to His will. Before we bring our request before God, we need to ask ourselves, 'why am I asking for this?" Is what I'm asking for in alignment with what I know to be God's purposes?
8. When in prayer, you are in doubt about God's will for a particular situation, it is okay to present to God what you think it's best, in the light of His known purposes. Give Him the reasons why you think He should answer your prayer in this way. Then tell God that if there is another way He thinks its better, then He should to do that instead.
"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
9. What kind of requests God will not answer?
