How to pray effectively In Philippians 4:6 it says, Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. Basically prayer is talking to God just like you would talk to your best friend. Jesus really does care about each and every one of our problems. He is just waiting for us to come to Him for help. The Bible tells us many times to constantly bring our problems to Jesus. Prayer is not to inform God of som...

Question: Is it Okay to Pray, "If it Be Your Will, Lord?" A reader, A Christian friend told me that it is not okay to say, "If it be your will, Lord," when I pray. Do you have any insight on what the Bible says about this? I truly do not see the harm, because I know that God will answer prayer based on His perfect will for our lives. Sometimes the prayers that are not answered the way we would like, end up being the most life-changing, especially when we look back on our l...

The apostle Paul prays for spiritual wisdom Ephesians 1:15-23 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has give...

In this New Testament prayer, Paul prays for Christians to know God’s will Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power acco...

After God makes a covenant promise to David, he prays this prayer of thanks. 2 Samuel 7:18-29 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving me a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD? What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign LORD. For the sake of your promise an...

Elijah prays for God to reveal Himself to the people of Israel at Mount Carmel. I Kings 18:36-39 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their ...

Hezekiah, on his deathbed, cries out to God in prayer and God extends his life. Isaiah 38:2-8 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen yo...

Daniel pleads for the Lord’s mercy in petition and fasting for the captive Jews Daniel 9:4-19 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, an...

In this prayer, Ezra intercedes to God for the guilt and sin of the people Ezra 9:5-15 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God and prayed: “O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Becau...

In this notable prayer found in the Bible, the prophet Habakkuk prays a prayer of worship and rejoicing to the Lord. Habakkuk 3:2-19 LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague ...

Intercessory Prayer by Jesus Christ Before Going to the Father, Jesus Intercedes for us: John 17 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life–to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to ...