let the power flow

I have had a few times in my life where I didn’t “feel” like my prayers were making any difference and I was right, I was praying amiss.
 
James 4:3 You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.
 
There was nothing wrong with my prayers, the problem was my motives.  One day a woman came to us and asked for prayer for her business, she wanted us to pray all the other businesses would fold up.  If we would have agreed with her we would have prayed amiss.  God wants us to operate like He does, He is upholding all things with the power of His Word.  Prayer is our lifeline to the power of God.  We can’t afford to misuse it.  We cannot pray that God bend the will of people so they will give us things they have that we want.  Praying is a pretty simple process but getting our heart right requires diligence.
 
2 Timothy 2:21 If a man will cleanse his heart, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and equipped for the Master’s use and prepared unto every good work.
 
Our heart is like a battery that is fully charged, but if our terminals are corroded the power will be impeded.  Repentance is the cleaning process that restores the flow of our power.  Some folks are not willing to take responsibility for their trespass, they just blame God because prayer doesn’t work.  Some folks pray out of tradition, they have little expectation that things will change.
 
Luke 18:1 Jesus spoke a parable unto the people to this conclusion, that man ought always to pray and not turn coward and give up.
 
We must understand something, God does not invite Himself into our lives.  Praying is always God’s invitation into our lives, if we don’t pray He has no place in our lives!  I marvel at some folks who claim God has nothing to do with them and the whole time they have nothing to do with Him.  Men ought always to pray, it is men who start the conversation, not God.  Many times I have had God come talk to me and tell me what I should be praying for.  If He knows what I need why does He require me to ask for it before He releases it?  Asking God for things requires faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him. 
 
Mark 11:24 What things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them.
 
Jesus gives us the blue print for a successful life.  We desire, we pray, we believe and then we receive.  There is one more small but very important thing we must give attention to.  With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  We must never go before our Lord with a hand full of nothing and a mouth full of “give me”.  So now you have been well coached, go out, pray and let the power flow.  The very end of every prayer project is the testimony.  How did God answer your prayer and how many people were affected by it? 

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