What if I told you there is a way to dramatically boost the "response rate" to your prayers. Someone might protest that "all prayers are created equal." But, the undeniable fact is they're not.
One of the reasons some prayers are of lower quality is our natural obtuseness - we don't know what to pray for (Rom. 8:26). The Holy Spirit is kind enough to compensate for this limitation but there is something WE can do, too. Jesus taught, "If you ask Me anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14). Does this mean we just pipe up and say "in Jesus name, amen" at the end of a prayer? NOT! The phrase "in Jesus name" is about asking for the things that Jesus would ask for. To pray in Jesus name means to give Jesus the pleasure of hearing us ask for the things that He most wants to give us.
Way too much prayer is like a visit with Santa Claus where we rattle off our wish list. Jesus would reply, "I want to give you what would be way better than the stuff on your list." One of the best ways to know what Jesus has in mind is to use Scripture as a window into His heart for us.
Here's an example of how this could work. Ephesians 6 describes the saint's armor, a piece-by-piece description of what every armed and dangerous saint needs in enemy territory. Take what the Bible teaches about each component, frame requests accordingly, and you can declare your desire for things that make Him say, "Finally, someone is asking for the things I know he needs." Go ahead, check this out! It is a prayer informed by Scripture, a prayer that reflects Jesus' knowledge of what we should do and how He can help, and one that asks for the kind of help Jesus would be pleased to provide for saints on the front lines.
What an amazing tool! I can't wait to see how God answers!
Posted by: shego4th | October 26, 2007 at 08:05 AM