Praying properly should be the aim of every Christian. We must strive to learn how to pray correctly so that all or most of our prayers will get answered. There are no rewards in praying wrongly or asking for things that are unacceptable to God. A true praying Christian is one who knows how to pray right at all times.
Before we can pray properly, we must have a sound relationship with God. In the Old Testament, people reconciled with God through the blood of animals. Today, New Testament believers have direct access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. – John 14:6 KJV
Jesus paid for all our sins so that God can accept us back as His sons and daughters of the kingdom. When we become members of God’s family, we build a strong foundation for proper and effective prayers. Prayer becomes sweet and something we eagerly await every day. Apart from this foundational relationship with God, proper prayers require that we do the following:
How to Pray to God Correctly
Have Faith in God
Hebrews 11:6 KJV
But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Without faith, we cannot please God or get Him to hear our prayers. Faith brings us into God’s throne of grace. Grace is like God’s invitation, while faith is our acceptance of God’s invitation. Even though Jesus Christ has opened the way to God through grace, we need to demonstrate faith in these privileges. Faith trusts that God will not drive us away when we come to Him in prayer. Faith doesn’t doubt the promises of God to answer prayers. Faith believes that God exists and that all things are possible to Him. We must have faith to pray properly (Mark 11:22-23).
Be Patient in Prayer
Hebrews 10:36-37 KJV
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Some answers to prayers come faster than others. While we wait for God to respond to some of our requests, we need to wait patiently. Faith and patience go together in prayer. A person of faith should be a person of patience. A person of patience should be a person of faith. Most of the Bible characters who demonstrated faith in God in prayer were patient enough to wait for answers. Elijah, for example, prayed seven times for rain. He prayed and patiently waited until God answered him. We must be patient with God, and for our sakes, when we pray. God knows the best time to answer our prayers.
Persevere in Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV
Pray without ceasing.
Prayer is a battle against the forces of evil and darkness. These enemies don’t want us to receive answers to our prayers. An example is shown in the prayer of Daniel (Daniel 10:9-13). Daniel prayed for many days and an angel finally appeared to him. The angel told Daniel that God had heard his prayer from the first day he started praying. So when the angel was sent to give Daniel the answers, demonic powers in the atmosphere stopped him from passing through. But as Daniel persevered in prayer, a stronger angel came to the rescue of the first angel. That intervention allowed him to bring Daniel’s long-awaited answers. We must pray until something happens. Those who pray and give up won’t be able to overthrow the powers of darkness.
Forgive Others
Mark 11:25 KJV
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
God is concerned about our relationship with others as much as He is concerned about our relationship with Him. Forgiveness is a basic Christian character God expects to see in us. This is because our relationship with God begjns with the forgiveness of our sins. God wants to see us show the same thing to others especially when they offend us and we are innocent. Jesus told a parable on the topic of forgiveness. He mentioned that a steward owed his lord lots of money, but when he begged for mercy, the lord forgave. However, the same steward could not extend similar kindness to a fellow steward who owed him a tiny amount of money. When the lord heard about it, he arrested the ungrateful steward. He locked him up in a prison until he could pay all the debts he owed. If we want to pray properly, we must pray in the spirit of forgiveness and kindness towards others.
Stand on God’s Promises
Isaiah 43:26 KJV
Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
God’s promises to us are like a father’s inheritance to his children. They belong to us as soon as we know they are ours. There are thousands of promises in the Bible. These promises cover our spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, and financial needs. God answers prayers that are anchored on His promises. The more relevant promises we mention in our prayers, the highly effective our prayers will be.
Speak Words of Faith
Romans 4:20-21 KJV
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
The words we say during and after praying show whether we believe in our prayers or not. If we believe in God’s promises, we will confess what we believe. This is necessary especially when we need to pray longer than we had expected. As you pray regularly and wait patiently for God to answer, speak words of faith about your needs. Use the promises of God to assure yourself that God has heard your prayers and that the answers are on the way.