"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." - Luke 11:9
"So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you want before you ask Him." - Matthew 7:7
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
We don't always know what is best for us. Sometimes we are so confused we don't even know what we want. Our vision is clouded by our current situation and we don't always have an objective view of it. We don't know what the outcome will be, what God's plan is for us. But when we have a weakness, He gives us the opportunity to strengthen it - so whatever happens to us is for our ultimate good.
It takes courage to face our lives, and bravery can only exist where there is fear. For instance, I might be afraid to speak in public. If I take a sedative, this may calm my nerves, but until I confront my fear and practice speaking in front of an audience, I won't have the opportunity to overcome this weakness.
If you look at the quotes above, you will see that there are three different components to effective prayer. The first one is to ask. "If you don't ask, you don't get" said Mahatma Gandhi and it's what I've always been telling my kids. Formulate your request clearly and in a positive way. For instance, instead of saying, "Please take my sickness away," say "Please heal me" or "Please give me good health". Instead of saying, "Please, I don't want to be poor any more", say "Please allow me to have enough money to look after my family." It's good to be as precise as possible about what you want. I once needed a certain sum to pay off a big bill. So I asked God if He would please give it to me. Three months later the exact amount was in my bank account!
The second aspect is that God already knows what we want. But He also knows what we need, and this is why prayers may not always be answered, or at least not in the way we expect it. We don't have God's wisdom, so we need to be humble and patient when we pray. No matter what situation you're in, it's always helpful to pray for guidance: "Please God, show me what to do and how to do it." He will consistently answer your prayers for guidance. Just hand your problem over to Him. Forget about it, go about your daily activities and suddenly, His reply will be there, as an idea pops into your head, or as you read a sentence or hear something another person says. Just open your eyes and listen.
The third aspect is gratitude. Gratitude is like a magic wand. Everything you're thankful for in your life will increase dramatically. Even if you have nothing - you still have the precious gift of life. Say "Thank you God" as many times as possible throughout the day, even if you're going through a rough patch at the moment. Give thanks in all circumstances, good or bad, and you will open yourself to the wonderful world of miracles.
Question: - Do I have to believe in God to pray effectively?
Answer: - It helps to believe in God or a Higher Power, but it's not absolutely necessary. "Fake it till you make it" :just give it a go and see what happens... And as you notice all the good things happening in response to your prayers, your faith will naturally grow in spite of you.
Bye for now and God bless,
Bella
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