

The Master Book of Prayer Volume 1

Copyright © 2011

By Danny Gilbert

Cover Design by Danny Gilbert

Unless otherwise cited, all scriptures are from the King James Version of the Bible

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means- electron, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews or articles that reference the author and the book.

Published By Radical House Publishers

Conyers, Ga. 30094

Printed in the United States of America

The Master Book

Of

Prayer

Danny Gilbert

Radical

House

Publishing

Conyers, Georgia

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1

The son of a king......................................................10

Saul's secret weapon...................................................12

David's secret weapon.................................................14

Enquire of the Lord.....................................................16

How to get revenge & destroy your enemies...................18

Eye for an eye............................................................20

Chapter 2

The master's test........................................................25

The master promotion.................................................28

Jesus the master............................................................31

The art and skill to pray..............................................35

The grace to pray.......................................................36

Chapter 3

The purpose of prayer................................................39

Building a relationship with God...................................44

The foundation.........................................................44

The frame................................................................46

The house of prayer....................................................47

A house divided........................................................48

Racism & sexism........................................................52

Chapter 4

What is prayer..........................................................57

Monologue vs dialogue..............................................39

The privilege to talk to God..........................................53

Why should we pray...................................................61

Our father in haven....................................................63

Religion or relationship...............................................65

Knowledge of God.....................................................68

The power of prayer...................................................70

Power defined..........................................................73

Standing with power and authority................................74

The fruit of prayer......................................................75

The prayer habit.........................................................76

Chapter 5

10 Myths about prayer................................................31

Chapter

The principles of prayer...............................................94

Conclusion...............................................................125

About the Author

Preface

To get alone with God has been the greatest blessing I have learned to appreciate since I was In High school. It was Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey. Branch Brook Park, the largest park in the city of Newark, sat behind the school as if it was the schools own backyard.

Living in a home that was congested and no privacy, it was hard for me to find a quiet, private and peaceful place to pray. My refuge of prayer became Branch Brook Park.

I found an area with trees and bushes surrounding where I could privately pray in the park every morning before the school bell would ring. I would kneel and pray just as I would see Jesus doing in the garden.

It was my daily routine to get up early and either walk to school or catch the bus. But I made sure I left early enough to pray in my private spot thirty minutes before the school bell would ring. What made it convenient was that I could hear the bell ring in the park and I was only a small distance from the front of the school.

Two year later I dedicated four years of my life to live and work upstate New York at my Church retreat called Prayer Mountain. My Pastor was a man of prayer and he taught much about prayer. It was there in Prayer Mountain that me and the staff would rise early every morning to pray from thirty minutes to an hour, before we would start the work day. It was not an option, it was a requirement that all staff workers pray together before serving the guest and working on the premises. It was the keeping power that held us together and kept us going in the hard times.

Many years before Prayer Mountain existed; there was an old lady who lived in the projects, about three blocks from my high school. This old lady was a true prayer warrior. She was my grandmother and she was a praying woman. I have never seen her go to bed without first praying and I have never seen her walk around complaining or worrying. Years later it became obvious to me that her prayer life had a lot to do with her faith & her long life.

My grandmother was a Pastor and her father was a Pastor. And I can clearly remember when she was 91 years old and could no longer walk without a cane or a wheelchair. I laid hands on her and whispered to the Lord "Lord please give her five more years". The Lord heard my prayer. She lived to be 96 years old.

Before dying, my grandmother laid her hands on me and confirmed to me that I was the answer to her prayer that God would raise someone up in the family to carry on the work of the ministry. With tears in her eyes from the joy of her knowing that I dedicated my life to serve God in the ministry, she shouted to God with thanks and praise. It was a moment like Isaac blessing his son Jacob. Truly my grandmother gave me her blessing and prayed for me. It was my grandmother that ordained me & exhorted me to go forth and do what God called me to do. What a privilege to receive ordination by my very own grandmother.

There has been no other single event in my life that I have seen more powerful results from like I have with prayer. From living in the most extreme neighborhoods in Newark, to going to one of the worse high schools in Newark. I am convinced that prayer was the instrument that kept me through it all. My survival story is a story of God's faithfulness and love.

This book was written from more than twenty years of learning what prayer is all about. Learning from my own experience, from the word of God and from the experience and teachings of others, it is my intent to reveal the blessings of prayer as well as bring you a clear understanding of the power of prayer.

This book is the product of prayer itself. It was in prayer that I asked the Lord "What do you want me to write about, what should my next book be Lord?" He dropped in my spirit to write about Prayer. But more than that, he reminded me to be fervent in prayer just as I write about it.

I did not hesitate to follow the voice and leading of the Lord. I quickly begin to write as the Lord was putting the thoughts & the words in my mind, while inspiring me to write.

Thank you for taking your valuable time to read this book. It blesses me to know that this will be a blessing in your life. For this is my heart's desire and my prayer. Every word written herein is for the purpose of touching your life and leaving a God anointed impact upon you.

If this book is going to be an effective tool in your life, you must do more than just read it. You must take the time to act on what you read herein. You must dedicate yourself to the principles here and commit to a life of prayer and not just something you do as an escape from your problems.

Just as my grandmother prayed for me and blessed me, I pray for all those who will read this book. I pray that as you read you will receive divine revelation and direction for the course of your life. I pray as the Apostle Paul prayed,

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

E

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5

Chapter

1

The Son of a King

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

1 Samuel 8:19-22

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1Sa 15:23

Besides being mentioned by lineage, in the book of Ruth, David was first mentioned in the book of first Samuel while in the process of being anointed as King of Israel. God sent Samuel to anoint David as King because he rejected Saul as King. The scriptures tell us that after David was anointed... _The Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day...(1 Samuel 16:13)_

King David was the first God appointed king of Israel. Saul was not God's appointed man. God did not want Saul to rule Israel; Saul was the choice of the people. David was God's choice. Because of King Saul's rebellion against the direction of God, Saul was rejected as King of Israel.

We can clearly see two parallels in first Samuel, and a third which we will discover later. The first parallel we see is that David was chosen from a godly lineage by God. Second, David was anointed to lead a nation by God. The third aspect of David's secret success in not mentioned until several events & chapters later.

From the beginning of David's name being mentioned in first Samuel we see many successful events take place. We read David being made King, he slew the giant Goliath of the Philistines, he slew a lion and a bear, and he defeated the Philistines in war again. But before or during all this success we never read where David prayed one prayer.

In the first 22 Chapters of first Samuel we do not read where he prayed a prayer for God to guide him or prosper him. But maybe there is more that we do not see. Let's take a closer look and discover this secret act of one of the greatest King's to lead Israel.

If prayer is so important did David become successful without it? What about you? How important is prayer in your life? Is prayer something that's a last minute option? Do you pray when things are at their worse? The answer to these questions will help you evaluate your prayer life to evaluate your victories and your defeats. If your defeats are outweighing your victories, I strongly encourage you to look at David's life as an example and take heed.

Saul's Secret Weapon

David made many friends and achieved much greatness. And as the result of his anointing and his success, he gained many enemies. His ultimate arch enemy was the very one he served and followed faithfully while guarding his life. David was loyal and faithful to King Saul. He was Saul's armor bearer and the captain of his army. Yet, with all of David's faithfulness and loyalty, King Saul became Jealous of David and launched a war against him.

David ran for his life to escape death at the determined hands of King Saul. He ran from place to place hiding like an animal being hunted for family dinner. What did David do? What was his Crime? Basically, his crime was victory over his enemies and he was cheered on and Saul saw it and became jealous. Saul said:

"They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?" (1 Samuel 18:8)

Jealousy was the reason Saul wanted David dead. David was an anointed man of God and he did nothing against Saul, but because of his anointing, Saul wanted him dead. It did not matter to Saul what David did on his behalf and how faithful and loyal David was to him. He saw David as a threat and he wanted him dead.

Jealousy is a tool of the enemy to give to your enemies as a cause to attack you. They fear they will lose what they have because of you or they want what you have so desperately. The devil sows seeds of jealousy in people's heart so they can hate you and he can use them to assault you.

Whether jealousy is in leadership or among your equals, it is a venomous poison that will eat at the one who harbors it and will be used to destroy the one who is the target of it. The scriptures warn us of the danger of a jealous person.

For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance Proverbs 6:34

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Song of Solomon 8:6

Beware of those close to you that you see jealousy manifest. They will eventually become your close enemy. They will not spare your soul and they will destroy you at all cost, because you are their greatest competition. You represent everything they are not and everything they want to be. Hey don't need a cause to hate you other than the fact that you have a better advantage than they do.

According to the scriptures above, a jealous person will kill you. They will kill your character by speaking falsely against you to others. They will raise others up against you and they will take from you and destroy what you have. Avoid a jealous enemy at all cost. Never let a jealous person hinder your relationship with God.

David's Secret Weapon

What was David's secret that gained him so much power, promotion and prominence to the point that he was hated by the government, the king himself? His secret weapon was revealed on record, although he used it off the record. Later we see that David had a secret private devotion that is equally attributed to his success as a king.

It's easy to read the scriptures of David's victories and fail to realize that there is more to it. Therefore, we must read the context of the whole in order to understand why God anointed David King and how David won so many battles.

No one becomes a success over night. And when God prospers someone, it is only the result of their devotion and faithfulness to God. Devotion is relationship. Relationship is built largely on communication. Communication is prayer. Without a relationship with God, there is no anointing. Without the anointing there is no victory.

David's secret is not a secret at all, it is clearly revealed to those who will pay close attention to the scriptures. After David ran from Saul several times and even had the opportunity to kill Saul and didn't do it, David performed a single act that once again gained him even more victory.

David was never wounded or captured one time by Saul and his army. He did not run from Saul because he feared him or could not defeat him, but because he respected him as king and refused to touch God's anointed. While he was on the run from Saul, he was also fighting against the Philistines; And God gave him victory over them simultaneously.

What was David's secret weapon? What did David do that made him triumphant as well as wise? Did David have an excellent staff that served him well? Or did David graduate cum sum laude from the best university with honors?

David's life is an example of how our victories can be obtained. He used the ultimate weapon that he knew his enemies could not stop and a weapon that was guaranteed to work all the time. This weapon gave David the advantage over Saul and the Philistines.

David's secret weapon was not a sling, nor a sword. These were only used to prove to the enemy that his God is greater and the Israelites have already won. The sword and sling was backed by God through the weapon of prayer. David's most powerful act was that of prayer. David prayed before, during and after all his battles. It was prayer that made David the great warrior he was.

After defeating the Philistines once, they came back again. The enemy was determined to destroy Israel. But this time the scriptures record what David did before he went to battle.

Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. 1Samuel 23:2

Enquire of the Lord

The Hebrew definition for enquire means: to request, ask, consult, desire, and pray. I want to emphasize two words: consult and pray. David consulted the Lord in prayer concerning a major decision of war. He did not depend on his past victories or his knowledge of war to make his decision. David did not consult a prophet or another king. David consulted God to make a major decision in his life.

Sometimes in our lives we get caught up in our victories and our strengths so much, that we continue making decisions without consulting the Lord. It is so important that we get consultation from God in prayer. Our success depends on whether or not we consult the Lord.

A consultant is a person who is hired to give you counsel. They are not hired to do the job for you. Their only job is to see what you don't see and give you the best advice for the benefit of your advantage. In the business world, it is illegal for a consultant to purposely give you advice that will do you harm and destroy your business.

When we have a medical problem, we consult a doctor. When we have a legal problem, we consult a lawyer. If we have a car problem, we consult a mechanic. There is a professional consultant for everything we need.

With all our professional consultants available, do we take the time to first consult the Lord concerning our lives? Do we make him our first consultant? Or do we wait until things get really bad and out of control before we consult the Lord?

Don't wait until you are so sick that the doctors tell you or your family that there is nothing they can do. Consult the Lord when you get the first symptoms. Don't consult the Lord after you fought your own battle. Consult the Lord before you go into battle. It is even wise to do as David did and ask the Lord, "Should I fight this battle?" Because some battles are not worth fighting and some battles, if the Lord is not on your side, you will surely lose.

God is on your side, he is not against, but for you. His heart is for your best interest. God knows what is best for you. He sees what you don't see. He knows what you don't know. And he is far wiser than you. So Consult the Lord concerning your life. This is not only the best way to win a war, but it's the best way to get revenge on your enemies without hurting or hating them. God knows how to deal with them far better than you and he knows more about the situation than you do. So consult the Lord concerning your life.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9

How to Get Revenge

& Defeat your Enemies

The greatest act of revenge you can do against your enemies is to pray for them. I speak of praying that God will fight your battle. Yes, God fights our battles and he does it just as a body guard would do to protect a client or a citizen. David prayed against his enemies, he said:

" _Plead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me:_ _fight against them that fight against me" (Psalm 35:1_ _)._

Psalm chapter 35 is one of the Psalms that David wrote while praying against Saul. This was during the time that David was running from King Saul.

David was a man of war and not a man as a wimp. David conquered his enemies because he understood how to pray and ask God to join him in battle.

David's prayers for God to defend him were so powerful, that even after his death God defended the children of Israel because of David's prayer. When King Hezekiah came to the throne, the kingdom was threatened by the Assyrians. Yes, Hezekiah was afraid, but immediately he prayed that God would save them from the hand of the Assyrians (2 kings 19:19) God responded to King Hezekiah through the mouth of Isaiah the prophet and said: _"For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, AND FOR MY SERVANTS DAVID SAKE" (2 Kings 19:34)._

God is not going to allow the servants of the devil to destroy his servants. We have an insurance plan of protection when we serve God. For if he did not protect us, then how can we do what he has commissioned us to do? Also, God protects us because we are his children and he loves us so much that when our enemies try to harm us he rises up to protects us from them. And when they insist on our destruction, God will destroy them.

"Mark the perfect man and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him". (Psalm 37:37-40)

Some people believe that we should pray only well for the wicked, but I say, why pray that the wicked prosper? If those that do evil prosper, then they will do more evil and get away with it. Is there any judgment from God against the wicked when they do you and others harm? If there is judgment against them, then why would you pray contrary to the judgment that God has set?

There are only two mandates in scriptures we are told not to do against our enemies: The first mandate was given by the Prophet Moses to the children of Israel; that we should not fight against our enemies on our own, we should let the Lord fight our battles; this is what Moses told the children of Israel concerning the Egyptians. Because Moses knew it was a losing battle against them, but he also told them that they would not see the Egyptians no more (Exodus 14:13-14).

Sometimes we take matters in our own hands because we think we can win by ourselves and come out on top. But the problem with that approach is you did not

trust the Lord to fight for you and you could have come out far better off than doing it by yourself.

We can sometimes think that our enemy is easy to defeat, and then when we lose, we want to ask God to help us. So whether it looks like you can win or not, when you want to fight your enemies, just stand back and let the Lord the Lord fight for you, he has never lost a battle and he never will.

Eye for an Eye

The second mandate we should not do against our enemies is to hate our enemies. This second mandate was given by Jesus. When Jesus said _"But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil... (Mathew 5:39)._ He was pointing to Proverbs 20:22 which say: _"Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee"_. The actual Greek rendering of Mathew 5:39 is better understood as: "But I say unto you, NOT TO STAND AGAINST THE WICKED".

What is quite interesting is the alternative Jesus gave when he said "but". The "but" is the opposite of what he said previously said. So he tells us what to do instead of standing against the wicked. "...But whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also". In the English King James version this verse is not exact as it should be. The Greek rendering of this verse would read like this:

"I yet am saying to you no to withstand to the wicked but who any (anyone who) you shall slap on the right of you cheek turn to him and the other"

In the Greek there were no commas and periods, so sometimes the message can be misconstrued when written. Now read it with commas and see how it reads.

"I, yet am saying to you; no, to withstand the wicked, but anyone **who you shall slap** , on the right of you cheek, turn to him, and the other"

Contrary to popular understanding, Jesus was saying that if you slap someone, then you ought to let them slap you back and do it on the other cheek as well. He put them on the other side of receiving what they gave to others. The law was "an eye for an eye" If you took a man's eye out, you would lose both your eyes, If you stole from a man you had to replace what you stole. So, Jesus was really telling them to be willing to pay back when you do others wrong.

So if you do others wrong, then you need to be willing to let them harm you back twice as much. To simplify what Jesus was saying, "Don't slap someone if you don't want them to slap you twice". He summed this lesson up later in the same teaching when he said _"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Mathew 7:12)._

So refuse to take matters in your own hands because it will only perpetuate a cycle of anger, bitterness, and revenge & violence. You put your own life at risk when you fight your battles and not let the Lord do it. Always remember that no matter how strong you are, there is someone stronger than you, there is someone who can defeat you. But, there is no one, neither in heaven or earth that is stronger than the Lord. God has never lost a battle.

God sees you as his own child. You are his child just as David was his servant. You are more than a servant, you are a born again & sanctified child of God. This is what Jesus said about you; "you are my friends if you do what I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant. And because you are his child, he will protect you, preserve you and not allow your enemies to triumph over you.

This Psalm was one of the Psalms of David during his escape from King Saul:

Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them. For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. Ps 35:1-9

The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

Luke 6:40

Chapter

2

The Master's Test

All of our failures and our success can be rooted back to one single most important action in our lives. Prayer determines our success in life and our failures. Prayer is not necessarily a fix all solution to our problems, but it is a means to get answers to the most perplexed of all problems and get the grace we need to go through anything.

Prayer not only produces results from God, but it also produces resistance from the devil. The devil hates a praying Christian but also, he hates a Christian that spends time in both prayer and God's written word.

Looking back over my life, there were times I felt so discouraged. It seemed as though the more I served God, read the word, and prayed the more problems would arise. It took many seasons of testing that made me realize that the Christian life is not about trying to get God to deliver us from all our problems. _Yes, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12)._

Therefore, I had to accept the fact that if I was going to live a victorious Christian life, I had to do three things: 1. accept the fact that I will suffer persecution for Christ, 2. spend daily time in God's word, 3. spend daily time in prayer. Furthermore, I learned that the devil will work overtime to hinder me from doing the last two of these.

In fact, my toughest battles in life were faith battles. The devil was attacking my faith in God and my faith in his word just as he did with Eve in the garden by making her question the authority of God's word. He even tried to use the word of God against Jesus. Likewise, he has done the same to me and you. This is part of the battle of the Christian walk. It is a walk of faith and a fight of faith.

This book is not designed to promise you a problem free lifestyle. This book is not designed to teach you how to get anything you want from God and boast saying "I'm blessed and highly favored". Yes, you are blessed and highly favored by God, if you are a child of God, but make sure you make that same confession when the storms of life come and the battle is on. Make sure you understand that an empty confession alone does not bring victory, but a strong relationship with God through prayer and his word is where victory is.

You must remember each time you draw closer to God and further away from sin and the world, your faith is going to be tested. You will be tested on every level of the word of God. Because of this, you must prepare and train for the testing and learn the keys to becoming victorious.

For example, if you believe that God has healed your body, the pain will test your faith. If you believe God is going to deliver you, the delay is the test. If you believe God heard your prayers, time will test your faith. You must prepare yourself to take every test through training so you can pass each one successfully.

The disciple is a student that spends time training and preparing to be successful in his walk with God. Jesus said _"and whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27)._ Jesus requires that you be willing to go through some things before you can even qualify for training under him as master.

I encourage you to take this journey of faith and make a decision to follow Jesus and let him lead you and teach you. It is then that you receive the qualifications as master student- a disciple because you have taken the master's test it's then you qualify to become a leader and thereby teach others to live a successful Christian life of faith.

As a disciple, you are following Jesus who is the master teacher. He knows the way better than you or me. Moreover, if we want to master the way, we must follow Jesus by prayer, the Word of God, and faithful obedience. Understand that it is then we qualify for the next level of promotion.

Prayer is only valuable to the one who finds his refuge in God, because he has learned that prayer is the only shelter from the storms of the world. _"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty"(Psalms 91)._ This type of believer understands that problems will come, nevertheless, he also knows that God is a problem solver.

It's important to understand that before you follow Jesus, you must be willing to go through some hard things because you are a follower of him. After you have qualified, it is then that training begins. When training starts you will see why it's important to pray and stay in God's word. The praying believer has learned from the hard knocks of the trials of life. **"** Jesus said to His Disciples,

_"If anyone_ **desires** _to come after me, let him_ **deny himself** _, and_ **take up his cross** _, and_ **follow me.** _For whoever_ **desires** _to_ **save his life** _will_ **lose it** _, but whoever_ **loses his life** _for_ **my sake** _will_ **find it** _."_

Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)

The Master

Promotion

_And if a man also strive for masteries,_

_yet_ _is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully._

2 Timothy 2:5

The word _Masteries_ comes from the Greek word _athlos_ , where we derive the English word Athlete or Athletic. It means to contend in the public games. The Roman games were the highlight of Greek cultural entertainment for the citizens, but for the athlete it meant the grand event of a long period of training and preparation. In the Greek games, athletes were not only sportsmen or entertainers; they were also chosen to be soldiers.

Soldiers, Scholars, and Athletes were expected to be masters in their particular trade because they were well educated and trained with intense discipline. Just as it was at the apex of the Greek empire, so it is today. A soldier is trained to be a master at war, a student goes to school to earn a master's degree and an athlete becomes a gold, bronze or silver competitor. The word master is still used in golf today signifying the play of the best golf players in our country.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, the goal and expectation is no different. God wants to raise up an army of praying believers who will walk by faith and fight like a true soldier of Jesus Christ. To find ourselves fit for the task we must train, we must discipline ourselves and we must be willing to suffer hard times. Intense training coupled with longevity of experience will produce a master soldier, athlete or student.

The English definition of the word master coincides with the Greek word Athlos, but in English, master has a more detailed meaning. Here are some of them:

1. Highly **skilled** or **proficient** ; a person with exceptional skill at a certain thing

2. To **overcome** or **defeat**

3. A person who has **complete control** of a situation

Other synonymous words for master includes: **expert, master hand, artist, craftsman, genius, grasp, learn thoroughly, be apt in, and excel at.**

The soldier and the Athlete are parallel examples the Holy Spirit is using to show how we ought to live, pray, and fight the fight of faith as Christians. All the scriptures that admonish us to become a master do not tell us to be passive and wait for God to do something. On the contrary, they tell us what we have to do in order to claim the victory that belongs to us because of what Jesus did.

The soldier, the athlete, and the student all have one thing in common: no matter what profession they pursue in their field, they all desire to be masters in what they do. If they did not desire to excel in their field, they would soon be replaced or become a failure altogether.

Sometimes we get comfortable and we forget that God wants us to be more and take a step up & excel to the next level. We cannot afford to stay where we are, so we must prepare ourselves to go higher and achieve more. The higher we determine to go with God, the greater the benefits and blessings we experience. The Apostle Paul said, " _I press toward the mark fort the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14)._

God's will for you is not for you to stay where you are right now. He wants more for you. God wants to give you more of all that he has for you. But he bids you to come up higher, to begin to excel in your relationship with him. He wants you to spend more time with him so that he can lead you in a prosperous path.

This is why you must take the time to pray and read God's word daily, because there is so much more than what we are living _."...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)_ You must start to see yourself as a soldier who fights to survive and as a student who learns the secrets of his master in pursuit of becoming like the master.

Jesus the Master

And it came to pass, that after three days

they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst

of the doctors both hearing them,

and asking them questions.

Luke 2:46

A master student starts off as a regular student but after intense training with focused discipline, he becomes a master teacher. The master teacher is a senior leader who trains others to become a master. If the student is to master anything he must humble himself and learn from a master. Remember, Jesus did not break rank; he was a student and a follower. He was raised to study as a Jewish student and became a rabbi (master teacher). He also was a follower of his cousin John.

Jesus was baptized by John and went and preached after John's ministry ended. He preached the same place as John preached & with the same message. He said it was all to be done to "fulfill all righteousness". Jesus did things decently and in order and he came up in the ranks. He did not come from out of nowhere telling people to follow him. He followed and learned for many years before he started his ministry and had disciples. (Mark 1:1-15; Mathew 3:15; 4:12-17)

The student will only become as sharp as his master. This is why we must have a master with master disciplines and master controls. Jesus is the master teacher. And if we are going to be successful in life and in prayer we must humble ourselves and learn from Him. Jesus admonishes us to: _Take my yoke upon you and learn of me... (Mathew 11:29)._

There is no one who is more qualified to teach us how to live and pray other than Jesus Christ. We cannot afford to try to learn on our own, for this is the result of pride, and can cause us many devastating errors along the way. It is vital that we follow Jesus and do it his way. He knows what it takes for us to become masters at prayer and get powerful results. And not only does he teach us by principle and instruction, but we see throughout the scriptures that he teaches us by practice. That is why he said "follow me" many times throughout the gospels.

Jesus was a master and he was a leader. He was good at what he did. And he was so good that even the best gave him accolades and recognition, even though they did not agree with some of his practices and doctrines. Even the most scholarly, prominent, religious and wealthiest of the Jews recognized Jesus as Master:

**The Scribes & Pharisees**  
_And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest._ _Matthew 8:19_

_And when the Pharisees saw_ _it_ _, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? Mathew 9:11_

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Mathew 12:38

A Rich Ruler

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 18:18

The Sadducees

The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said,

Mathew 22:23-24

The master concept is about knowing how to skillfully pray to get results. The master teacher is Jesus Christ and the instruction manual is the Word of God-the Bible. So if you are in this class; it is important that you bring your manual and pay close attention to the teacher. The master and the manual will guarantee that if you apply yourself you will gain a working knowledge and clear understanding of the scriptures.

If you do not know and understand the scriptures you will follow traditional practices and walk in your own ways and most likely miss it. This is where many people have gotten off the path of truth.

While some were aware that they have gotten off the path of truth, because they learned what the word says; many are yet in the dark crying, wondering and blaming God. You cannot blame God if you fail to do your part.

I admonish you to pray daily and spend quality time in God's word daily. These two disciplines will help you develop and understand all the others. Whatever problems you face you will get clarity with instruction on how to handle the situation. The instruction will come both in prayer and in God's word. Sometimes God will not speak directly to you, but he will lead you to a scripture. Other times God will speak to you while you are praying. But either way God does it, he wants you to do your part in the word and in prayer.

What will determine if you are ready to teach others is whether you produce mature fruit from seasons of testing and training. God wants you to learn humility, love, obedience, and self-control in the learning process. These are master qualities that are the product of a mature Christian who really follows the master teacher. It does not mean you will not make some mistakes and fail sometimes, but the proper training will give you the skills to advance in the kingdom with a diligent passion to serve him more.

The Art & Skill to Pray

Prayer is both a skill and an art. A skill has to be learned, taught and mastered. Prayer is also an art that can be done freely and creatively. However, when we pray we must follow rules known as principles, which I list in the upcoming chapters. Once we are skillfully taught how to apply those principles it is then we can pray with liberty, creativity and effectively.

The master concept is about knowing how to skillfully pray and get results. A skill must be taught, but it must be taught by a master if we are going to properly learn it. As I said previously, Jesus is the master teacher of prayer. Without following Jesus our praying is in vain. Jesus said we cannot even come to the father but by him (John 14:6). So Jesus is the standard of a successful relationship with God.

While mastering the art of prayer, we must also make sure we utilize the necessary tools to be a powerful prayer warrior. A skilled craftsman is only as good as the tools he uses to get the job done. And if you want to be successful you must become an apprentice of Jesus and use the tools he teaches you to use.

Jesus has given us the proper tools to be successful in prayer. We have at our disposal the word of God, the name of Jesus, the love of God, the power of God, as well as the grace of God. The power of God is made available by the grace of God.

If you have the power of God, then you have the grace you need. In fact, you need the grace of God to pray and fight the good fight of faith.

The Grace to Pray

_Blessed_ _be_ _the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly_ _places_ _in Christ..._

Ephesians 1:3

_And God_ _is_ _able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all_ _things_ _, may abound to every good work:_

2 Corinthians 9:8

God has given you everything you need to pray and have a relationship with him as well as to be successful in this world. His grace is that which he gives you before the mission to accomplish the mission. There is nothing you have to do to earn his grace; he gives it to you so that you can win. God is so merciful and loving that he wants to make sure you have the advantage before you play the game. So he gives you grace, that is the unmerited favor of all that he gives you.

The word of God, the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the love of God, the peace of God, salvation, and all the spiritual and material blessings of God are all that he has given us by his grace. These grace blessings belong to all of us as children of God, and we did not ask for them, deserve them, or earned them. Although he knows we so need them all.

God knew we would fail to realize our need because sin has depraved us so deeply. This is why we must daily thank God that we can obey him and love him, because he has graciously blessed us with everything we need.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3

Chapter

3

The Purpose of Prayer

Purpose is what something was created and designed for. Without understanding the purpose of something there is a greater chance that you will not use it properly. Abuse is misuse or improper use of something. If you use something for anything other than what it was made and intended for then you will abuse it. Abuse will always cause destruction and breakdown. The lack of knowledge of purpose will also keep you from understanding the full power and potential of that which you abuse. Abuse does not always happen on purpose. Most of the time, it happens because of neglect or ignorance. In fact, ignorance of purpose will lead to abuse.

How do we abuse or misuse prayer? We abuse prayer by not prayer by the purpose it was intended for. If we pray for all the wrong reasons, then we are abusing the power of prayer. If we pray without the knowledge of the principles of prayer, then we will most likely abuse prayer. Prayer is not to be used as a wishing well or a good luck charm or a slot machine to get rich. Prayer should not be used to manipulate God to do our bidding for us and yet we don't want a relationship with God. Clearly, all of these are abusive tactics to prayer that will always cause us not to get answers to our prayers.

What is the purpose of prayer? I have carefully pondered this question in light of the word of God and have come to the conclusion that there is only one great purpose of prayer. The Bible speaks a lot on prayer and it is from the scriptures we can clearly see this purpose in full view.

**The purpose of prayer is to build and maintain a relationship with God.** Let's test this one statement in light of the scriptures and see if it adds up. We can start with the first man and woman, Adam & Eve. As you read about them, it is quite clear that God made them to have a relationship with him.

_Adam &_ Eve

" _And God said; let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26)_. There is no record of God making anything in his image and likeness other than man. Also, there is no record of God speaking to any other creation other than man. When he created the animals he spoke about them, but he never spoke to them directly like he did man.

God talked to man as soon as man was created. He never talked to the animal kingdom or the plants or the earth, it was only man he talked to. This tells us that God made man for the purpose of relational communication. Communication with man was the bi-product of God's relationship with man.

According to Random House dictionary a relationship is defined by the word "connection". Connection is made in a relationship by birth, by sexual involvement or by means of association. Likewise, in Genesis God made man from himself. He talked to man and man talked to God. _"And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man" (Genesis 2:23)._ Adam was not talking to Eve when he said this, he was responding back to God after God "brought" Eve to him in the previous verse (Genesis 2:22). Adam told God what he named his wife. He responded to God to confirm his purpose of doing what God told him to do.

Relationship means also an established agreement of all parties involved. Adam communicated back to God concerning his wife; he told God what he would name her. Adam was not making decisions without submitting to God. He submitted what he named his wife to God. Submission is also a major part of a relationship.

We must make it our endeavor to build our relationship with our spouse the same as Adam did with God. We must submit those things concerning us to God before we proceed. By so doing we show our respect for God by being submitted to him.

There was a relationship between Adam, Eve and God. This relationship was a connection based on love, trust, and communication. You see, Adam was closely connected to God, talked with God, and walked with him as well.

God made Adam from himself, which means that Adam was born from God and therefore a relative of God. Adam was created to be in relationship with God by birth, communication, and association. Adam was born connected to God like a new born baby connected with the umbilical cord attached to the mother.

Adam's fist purpose was to walk with God, talk to God and hear from God. He was not created to just have fun living on planet earth or to dominate the earth for the sake of power and authority. All those benefits were the result of his relationship with God. He was a man created not only by God, but made from the very spirit of God to have a direct relationship with God.

Adam was made to build and maintain a relationship with God. His wife Eve was given the same command as Adam, to help Adam carry out this purpose and directive for both of them., " _be fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue the earth." (Genesis 1:28)_

Because they both were connected to God and blessed by God, they were well equipped to do what God made them for. God gave them everything they needed to succeed. This is why God allowed judgment upon them when they failed to obey him. Therefore, when they both failed, it was because they allowed something to stand between them and their relationship with God.

What Adam and Eve had was actually the most important aspect of their lives that they lost as a result of their disobedience. They had a relationship with God, and that was far more valuable than the pleasure of the sin they pursued. Unfortunately, sometimes in life, we make decisions that will hinder or sever our relationship with God. We fail to realize that what we gain in substitute of God will never come close to fulfilling our needs; it will only make us miserable and disappointed.

The tragedy of Adam & eve's relationship with God was the result of sin. They disobeyed God and decided to live to make decisions without consulting God and submitting to him. Adam and eve did not seek God concerning a major decision in their life and it therefore cost them their life. They were eternally separated from a bonding relationship with God.

Just as Adam and Eve died by being separated from God, we must treasure our relationship with God so much that we do not become as they did in our disobedience to God. We must put our relationship with him above all things and all people. And no matter what, we must not let anything hinder it.

Building a relationship with God

I want to use the illustration of a building in comparison to each of us as disciples of Jesus Christ. We can clearly see how our relationship with God by prayer is closely similar to that of building a house.

There are two important phases of building a house. The first phase is the foundation and the second phase is the frame. It is impossible to build a house that is secure and safe without a strong foundation and the frame that will rest on the foundation to hold everything together.

The foundation

Honor God's Word

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:19-21

_And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture_ _is_ _given by inspiration of God, and_ _is_ _profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works._

2 Timothy 3:15-17

The first & most important aspect of building a relationship with God through prayer is doing so by the Word of God, the bible. The Bible is Gods written instructions to us for our daily living. God and his word are one, so when we honor God's word we honor him. You cannot disrespect and disregard God's written word and think that he will honor you. God's word must be honored if we are going to receive answers to our prayers and if we are going to have a relationship with him. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:13

The word of God is the foundation to building a relationship with him, simply because it gives us the knowledge of God, his laws, & his ways. The word of God teaches us how to pray & how to live correctly. Without God's word we have no standard.

Let nothing come between or before God's word in your life. Make his word your alma matter, your life constitution. Never let tradition take the place of god's word, honor his word above all religious, social & patriotic traditions of man. This does not mean you should not be patriotic or socially involved. But it means you should not let your patriotism cause you to dishonor god's word.

The foundation of God's word upholds all things. For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name (Psalm 138:2). The foundation upholds the structure of a house. The structure of the house is the frame and it rest on the foundation.

If you fail to put God's word first, just like the foundation on a house being removed and it will crumble and fall; so will your life without the proper foundation of the word of God.

The frame

Prayer of faith & the Love of God

A house is held together by three of the most hidden yet most important parts of the house. Without the foundation, the frame and the nails that hold the frame together, you don't have a house; you have a pile of building material.

When a house is built it needs structure and strength two of the three most important components. The foundation and the frame hold the house up and will determine the longevity of the house. The frame is made of wood studs that are held together by nails. The nails unite every stud in that house and bring structure and strength.

Union of each stud is the most critical part of framing a house. If each stud is not strongly held together with another, the whole frame will be weak and compromised. A united joint effort is what holds a house together, not individualism. Every stud depends on another stud to keep it all together.

The whole wall is only as strong as each stud that supports that wall. Likewise, just as a house is held together by a frame, so is our lives held together by prayer. Prayer is a uniting force in the life of a believer, just as studs are uniting material in a house. Prayer requires us to come together by faith and in the love of God if we are going to see results.

Prayer coupled with faith and faith which works by love, are as the nails that hold the studs together in a house. Love unites us to become on one accord in intercession and when fellowshipping with God. Without the love of God there will be division and ultimately the house will collapse.

The House of Prayer

The house of prayer should be the house of God. The house of God is built on the faith of God, the love of God, and the word of God. These are the components of the foundation of Gods house. God is love _(1 John 4:8)_ and God and his word are one (1 John 1:1). God is also a God of faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God _(Heb.11:6)_. Furthermore, Jesus Christ is the word of God & the chief cornerstone.

If a church, a family or an individual is truly doing the will of God you should see faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible as the final authority and the love of God as a lifestyle. The house of God is built on these three components; faith, love, and the word of God. A genuine relationship with God will produce these qualities. Without them prayer is just a pious religious act that is unfruitful and a complete waste of time!

Building a relationship with God is more than just loving God. Jesus said we must take it a step further: _Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second_ _is_ _like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Mathew 22:37-39)_

We are not only commanded to love God, but we must also love our neighbors. Our neighbors are those whom we come in contact with daily. That's our family, our church, those who live around us, and those we come into contact with daily. We must love them as we love God.

The Christian faith should not be about improving how long we pray or making sure we attend prayer meeting or church service every week. The Christian faith should not be about how we tithe or how much we didn't tithe. It should not be about holidays or traditions. The Christian faith should be all about what Jesus said is the great commandment, to love one another.

God's house is not built on the traditions of men, but on the love of God. It was the love of God that he sent his son Jesus Christ down to earth to die on the cross for our sins. It was his love that raised him from the dead to set us free while making us children of God. After he gave us the right to become children of God, he commanded us to love one another as the family of God.

A House Divided

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:17

I'm convinced that if the church focused on obeying the words of the Jesus Christ, _that we love one another as he loves us (John 15:12),_ Racism and sexism, and denominationalism will no longer exist. These three groups are divisions that segregate people based on their color, gender, and most of all "Christian affiliation". How can the church be so divided against each other, call a prayer gathering, and then turn around and preach about the love of Jesus?

How is it that we think that we can please God when we have jealousy, unforgiveness, and hate within our hearts against others? We fail to realize that God is looking at our hearts. He knows when we are putting on a religious show and when we refuse to walk in love. In fact, it shows in the way we treat each other in the church as well as those in the world.

The church is the house of God and the house of God is the house of prayer. Jesus said "a house and a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand" (Mathew 12:25). So if a local church is sowing discord against another local church, the church that caused the division cannot stand, it will eventually be brought to destruction.

Likewise, if a Christian divides himself against the church, that Christian cannot stand. If a wife divides herself against her husband, that marriage cannot stand. If a business owner divides himself against his employees, according to Jesus, that business cannot stand. There is no group, organization, team or family that can survive without unity.

We can pray and be able to quote the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but if we are not walking in the love of God in unity, then our prayers and knowledge is in vain. God is not going to bless a divided home, church, or business. Why not? You might ask. The answer is clearly laid out in his word:

" _Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace._ _There is_ _one body_ _, and_ _one Spirit_ _, even as ye are called in_ _one hope_ _of your calling;_ _One Lord_ _,_ _one faith_ _,_ _one baptism_ _,_ _One God and Father of all_ _, who_ _is_ _above all, and through all, and in you all". Ephesians 4:3-5_

God is one, he has made us one. In fact he has united us by one spirit, into one faith. Since God is one, he will not divide against himself. God will not separate you from himself or make another one of his children separate from you. God is not a racist or a sexist and he does not sponsor segregation or denominationalism. Not only are these things of the world, but also they are what the kingdom of Satan uses to destroy the church, homes, and the community.

We should "Endeavor" to keep unity. Endeavor signifies effort or pursuit. That means sometimes we may come to a place of disagreement and feel it's better to separate. However, we must make a sincere effort to keep unity. If God is one and he has established one faith and one body, then where there is division, someone of the group is not of God.

Everybody that is divided among themselves can't be of one spirit while doing the will of God. Obviously, someone is doing their own thing in the name of God either out of selfishness, pride, or greed. God is not going to support a selfish rebel who only wants it his way or the highway. God is Lord overall and it ultimately goes God's way, and God's way is the best way.

Division is separation, individualism, and selfishness. It is usually based on selfish motives that have nothing to do with the word of God. Furthermore, where there is division there is also a deficiency of the love of God. I'm not saying that we should join up with people of all faiths and beliefs in the name of the love of God. Clearly, to unite with those who oppose Jesus Christ is to divide ourselves from Christ himself.

The unity and division I speak of is that among the church, God's people who are his disciples, the sheep of his pasture. This is not about division and unity in the world. The world is another kingdom, its Satan's kingdom and it is well united and organized. How much more should we, the church of Jesus Christ, be united and more organized?

Let me also emphasize something that will bring some balance to my message here. You can separate from a group or person that is not doing the will of God and living according to the word of God. I'm not saying division has no place at all. Jesus himself said he came to divide (Mathew 10:34-39). However, he did not come to divide against himself. He came to divide the sheep from the wolves, the wheat from the tares, the faithful from the unfaithful, and the committed from the uncommitted.

So yes, I do believe that if there are those that do not want to accept Jesus Christ as Lord or they do not believe in him and what he teaches, then we should separate ourselves from them. But we should not divide from those who are of our own Christian faith, who believe and walk according to scripture as we do, simply because of minor issues.

Racism and Sexism

If a church is divided because of race and gender then how can we expect to have the blessings of god upon our church? Racism and sexism is like termites in the walls of a house. Once you allow it to creep in it will slowly eat away in the unseen places that support the house. Eventually, the termites will cause severe damage beyond repair. Many homes have been demolished because of termite damage.

If we treat women in the church like society treated blacks during slavery, then how can God bless our church? If he loves women just as much as he loves men, then why would he suppress them and promote us to subjugate them? _"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus"_ _Galatians 3:28_

How can you call yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ and you hate another person because of their skin color? This is wicked and evil and you need to pray that God heals your heart. You will never have a good relationship with God until you learn to love all people with the Love of God.

The Klu Klux Klan is a racist organization that claims to be Christian. In fact, they were never a Christian organization at all. They were all white men who were used by the devil to oppress and kill black people simply because they were black. They also deceived people to think that they were God fearing Christians, when really they were not. So people were deceived to think that Christians were going around wearing white robes on horses hunting black people and hanging them on trees. It was a deception, a diversion and it was to create confusion and division.

Black supremacy groups like the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam, and black Hebrew Israelites are all black supremacy counterparts to the white supremacy groups such as the Nazis, skin heads, and the infamous KKK. None of these racist groups are of God and anyone involved in them will not be blessed by God. Particularly, they violate the greatest commandment of love as well as teach lies about God's love for all people of all races.

These racist groups are of the world and they are satanic and carnal. They are not Christian disciples. Although, they would lead you to believe they are. They use Jesus as a front, yet Jesus himself denies them and their doctrine. These groups are of the devil and not of God.

If you are a Christian and you are a member of the above mentioned groups or any other group or church that promotes racism, segregation, or sexism, before you pray another prayer, get out of that cult immediately! God is not pleased when we follow hateful and divisive doctrines that cause us to divide against someone because of their ethnicity or because of gender.

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ you cannot please God while divided against the body of Christ.. This is a double minded person. You must choose to either serve the devil with the world or Jesus Christ with the church.

"How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him."

(1 kings 18:21)

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other." (Mathew 6:24)

what I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward

Mathew 6:5

Chapter 4

Power & Purpose

What Is Prayer

_Prayer is simply communicating with God._ Communication is not just talking and it is not just listening (monologue). Communication is both talking & listening (dialogue). God wants our ears when he speaks but he also wants to hear our hearts when we speak. That's why all throughout the scriptures we see examples of God being quiet and listening while others prayed.

  * Job talked while God listened and after Job was finished, God answered him. (Job 38:1)

  * The Lord appeared to Abraham incarnate (in the flesh Gen.18:1-3) and Abraham talked to the Lord and the Lord responded to Abraham (Gen.18:1-3)

  * Jacob had an encounter with the Lord just as Abraham did. The lord appeared to Jacob in the flesh. Jacob wrestled with the Lord (Genesis 32:22-30). Verse 30 of Genesis 32 says: And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

This is also proven in Hosea 12:4-5 which says: He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.

It says Jacob had power with God and then it says he had power "over" the angel. I believe it should correctly say he had power "with the Lord". The reason I come to this conclusion is because the word angel in the text is the Hebrew word "Elohim", which means "God" and also the previous says he had power with God so why would the following not confirm the same.

The children (descendants) of Israel (Jacob) was in bondage in Israel and they cried out to God and heard them and answered them:

" _And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage,_ _and they cried,_ _and_ _their cry came up unto God_ _by reason of the bondage. And_ _God heard their groaning_ _, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto_ _them"_ _._

Exodus2:23-25

When we talk to God he listens. God communicates with us just as he did with the patriarchs of faith. If they had power with God, then how much more do we have power with God when we pray as children of God? We have the power to go to God and talk to him and he will listen. Prayer is communication with God. It's just that simple.

Prayer is not a church service, a time to scream our heads off, thinking that if we say it louder God will hear us. No, prayer is communicating with God. Whether, we say it low or loud, whether we are in church or at home in the dark, prayer is about communicating with God.

The reason I emphasize the fact that **prayer is simply communicating with God** is because many people think prayer is talking to God and they never listen to God. They cry out to him and when he speaks back to them they don't listen. And then they turn around and complain "Why doesn't God speak to me?" In the upcoming chapter on the principles of prayer, you will see many reasons why we don't hear God speak to us.

Monologue vs. Dialogue

Prayer is a means of communication between man and God. Communication is not limited to talking. Communication is both talking and listening. A monologue is one way communication; talking and not listening or listening and not talking. When you monologue with someone you want them to only listen to you and not respond at all. A dialogue is a two way communication; it is the opposite of a monologue. When dialoguing you talk and listen exchanging communication back and forth. A dialogue is a give and take means of communication.

The monologue format is used mostly in schools, seminars, churches, and lectures. Many professional and learning institutions are incorporating a more balanced approach to their teachings & presentations. They find that people tend to learn more and faster when they both listen and when they share their thoughts, questions, and ideas.

Balance is the key to effective communication. If you sat in a meeting and you only listened for a long period of time, you would slowly begin to lose focus and your mind would wander. If the instructor allowed you to ask questions and make comments, then more likely you would be more interested because you would be engaged in the meeting. This is a technique that great speakers and professional group leaders use in workshops and classes.

Now, do you think man is smarter than God? God created us and he created the system of communication, so he knows how it works and he knows how to work it, even better than we do. As a matter of fact, God gave man the wisdom of communication so we could effectively relate to one another. Just as he gave us the wisdom of communication with each other, he also gave us the wisdom of communication so that we can communicate with him.

Therefore, keep balance in your prayer life. Just as when you pray you want God to stop and listen to you, likewise, you should take equal time and stop to listen to God.

The privilege to talk to God

Remember that prayer is communicating with God. Prayer is a privileged opportunity given to us by the grace of God. The Almighty Creator has granted us the opportunity to talk to him. Not only to talk, but also to ask of him. He assures us he will answer. Although the answer is not promised to always be what we want to hear, we can be sure he will answer. If we talk to him, and he does not respond, it is quite clear that there are several reasons why, which will be discussed later.

We cannot get mad at God by falsely accusing him of not hearing or answering us. Instead, we must check that we are also listening and obeying when he speaks. So many times we find it easier to blame God for our problems that he did not hear or respond, when there is something missing on our end. Prayer is a two way street, a dialogue. Therefore, we must remember that just as we need God to hear our prayer we must also hear his voice.

When you talk to God you are talking to the omnipresent, Almighty Creator of all things who is your Father, if you are born again. When you talk, he listens. Now that you know he listens, make sure that when he talks you listen. God has respect and manners. He does not talk while we talk and he does not interrupt while we go on and on. We must make sure we take time to listen when we pray and expect God to speak to us.

Why should we pray

Why should you pray? You should pray first of all because you want to build a relationship with God through communication with him. The answer to the question "why" pray is contained in the "what" to pray. The "what" is the purpose of prayer and the essence of what prayer is. As we learned previously, the purpose of prayer is communicating with God and to maintain and build a relationship with God.

So when we endeavor to pray we should put all other agendas aside and stay focused on the first priority of prayer. That is, we should ultimately pray to build and maintain our relationship with God.

Yes, there are other reasons we should pray. We should pray because we have a need, we are worried, we are sick, for a loved one, and many other reasons. Essentially, if we pray all these things and we are not in a relationship with him, God in many cases will answer our prayers by his grace and mercy. However, there are so many other benefits we will never receive from God.

It is our relationship with God that will cause us to live victorious and receive all that God has for us. Some people want what God has, but they don't want to have anything to do with God. With this attitude you will only get the crumbs that fall from the masters table, but you will never get the best he has for you. It's only through a relationship with God that you will receive all that he has for you. Indeed this is the reason you should pray

Our father in heaven

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

Mathew 6:9-13

Jesus was the best teacher on prayer. He taught prayer from three perspectives. He taught us: **who God is** , (our father which is in heaven), **how we should relate to God** (Hollow; make holy, his name) and **how God relates to us** (his kingdom come on earth, give us this day, our daily bread, forgive us, lead us, deliver us).

God is revealed by Jesus as a father. He was not revealed as a mystery or an unknown deity. Jesus revealed who God is and taught us how to relate to him. Those who thought they knew God disputed Jesus time and time again.

The Pharisees did not acknowledge that God was their father, they said "Abraham is our father" (John 8:39). But Jesus responded to them by saying "if God was your father ye would love me" (John 8:42). This is a powerful and most significant statement Jesus made. He emphasized the fatherhood of God in relation to himself and those that are related to God. He declared the standard that those that are the children of God love him.

The fatherhood of God is one of the greatest character revelations of God. If God is our father, that makes us his children. If we are his children, then that means we are born of God. If we have been born of God, then we are born again through Jesus Christ. If we have been born again through Jesus Christ, then we are heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ. All these great benefits come with God being our father.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Mathew 6:6

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; John 5:26

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:14-17

Religion or Relationship

The fatherhood of God is a matter of our relationship with God by being born of God. We did not earn that privilege, but it was granted to us by the grace of God. There is no religious ceremony or religious affiliation that can take or make our relationship with God. Religion cannot add or take away the authenticity of God being our father.

The greatest problem with religion is the fact that it diverts people from a personal relationship with God. One major religion teaches that we cannot have a relationship with God and God cannot have a son. This doctrine does not make logical sense. If we can have a relationship with each other and enjoy each other, are we greater than God. Did God make us to enjoy all of life and the fellowship of each other and not enjoy a relationship with him?

This doctrine is full of error and will lead us away from God and not closer to him. This is what religion is designed to do. Its purpose is to get us to depend on man, dress it up with a system and call it religion. This is why so many people are miserably unhappy and unfulfilled; they lack a relationship with God. They depend on man and not on god. This dependence has brought us failure, disappointment and destruction.

Some believe that if they consistently attend a temple, a church a mosque, or a religious gathering they will be okay and God will be pleased. Well, I have some bad news to share with you. You are not okay. As a matter of fact, without a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you may as well go to the bar every Saturday, Sunday and Friday. Why, because the bars and clubs are filled with faithful attendants who pay their dues there and they have no relationship with God.

Religion is not what you need. You need your source and that is the one who made you in his image and likeness. Nothing can substitute your relationship with him. And until you seek him with all your heart you will never be happy. No matter what religious affiliation you have, you need a relationship with God. If your religious affiliation distracts or discourages you from a personal relationship with God, you need to get rid of it and seek the one who loves you more.

God wants us to know him and spend time with. He created us to fellowship with him. Failure to live this purpose you were created for will lead to an abuse lifestyle. An abusive lifestyle is a misused life or a life that is being used improperly. A misused life will lead to all manner of destruction, sin and perversions. This is why we are all vulnerable to the worse sins of humanity without God.

You and I are no better than the worse criminal in the world if we do not have a relationship with the Almighty. Without him you are liable to living like an animal. This is because you are living less than what you were created for. Once you realize this you will get your life together by first getting your relationship with God right.

The great sin of religion is the substitute of God for all other things. If you worship God's law, you fall short in two ways; you can't keep God's law without God and you are an idol worshiper by putting God's law before him. This is why you believe you can live God's law without him, because you are driven by legalism, a law worshiping system.

Redemption cannot be achieved through legalism. Religion has deceived many to believe that the law itself can save and redeem a man. This is a lie and a great diversion. For only God can save and redeem me and you. This is why we must have a personal relationship with him.

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Romans 3:24

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Romans 3:28

To be free from this sin of religion you must seek God and spend your life building a relationship with him. This is the solution for sin. Neither man or the law is the solution for sin, God is. And if we want freedom from sin, we cannot seek this liberty in religion, but we must seek the true and living God who has the power to set us free.

Knowledge about God

One great thought to remember is **"Religion is about God"** its focus is to know about God and please God without God. How is this so? How can this be accomplished? Can we really know about God and not know him According to the scriptures we can. We can know about the creator through the world around us. This is what the Atheist ignores and just explains it **away through the unexplainable and ridiculous science** of evolution.

I want you to notice the title of this section is "knowledge about God". It is not "The knowledge of God". There is a great difference. Knowledge about God is man's attempt to scientifically figure God out by theory, and observation alone. This is where theology, theosophy & philosophy is born. On the other hand, the knowledge of God is that which comes from God and is the result of knowing God personally.

Does knowing about God bring us into a relationship with God? Is it enough and God does the rest? These are questions we should ask and endeavor to seek answers. For if the knowledge of God is redemptive to mankind, them why are we not so much closer to God today yet we have major institutions teaching theology and religion courses as a prerequisite for graduation? Today the knowledge of God is all over.

We see Churches on every corner in the inner city, and at least one in every state, town and city in America. The internet has online videos, discussions, books and more concerning God. There are billions of books that teach about God. If just a few of these sources are 100% correct about God, then we would have no excuse for not having the knowledge of God.

The knowledge about God is not sufficient. The knowledge about God only makes man more hungry for God and makes him more conscious of his need for God. This knowledge also corrupts to pride and prejudice. For when one attains to know (or thinks to know) God and his omniscience, he can easily think he has arrived and gone where no man has gone before.

This is why God has reserved the essence of who he is, only to revealed by an experience within a relationship with him. One must experience a relationship with God if there will be an experience of the power of God.

The Power of Prayer

And Jesus returned in the

_power of the Spirit_ _into Galilee..._

Luke 4:14

Prayer is one of the two most neglected acts of most Christians; secondary to the study and meditation of the word of God. If you show me a Christian that prays much but limited about the word, I will show you a weak Christian. Likewise, if you show me a Christian that knows the word studiously and prays very little, I will show an even weaker Christian.

Many try to "wing it" as a Christian. They think they can just pray occasionally and go to church weekly to hear the word and that's enough. Well it's no wonder why they are so weak and the devil runs them over. They fail to realize that they must know and study the word of God for themselves. Not only know the word, but also they must pray daily just as much. One can't afford to just have a head full of bible knowledge and think it's enough.

Knowledge of the scriptures alone is not enough for us to build a relationship with God and live a life of power. It is so important that we remember that we must pray and study the word as equally important. Many people never get born again and they believe they can get favor with God by only going to bible school, becoming a monk, doing ministry work or joining a religion or church. All these things are a form of godliness and they can never substitute a genuine devoted relationship with God through prayer coupled with the knowledge of God's word. These two can't be substituted with religious zeal or a form of godliness that has no power.

The power of the word of God is only effective when coupled with the power of prayer. One great illustration of this is the power of a police officer. The officer is granted authority by the city, state and federal government to carry a badge that shows his authority and a gun that enforces that authority. But if the police officer does not stand in his authority by enforcing the law, his badge is useless, although representing great power. Consequently, his gun will only be a showcase even at the expense of him risking his life and the life of others.

Just as the police officer must use his badge together with his gun; so must the believer use the word of God united with prayer. The devil does not fear one apart from the other. The devil hates the believer who prays, speaks, teach, and preach the word of God. The union of prayer and the word is the greatest threat to the devil. The word brings us the knowledge of the will & mind of God, while prayer brings us into the presence of God. So no wonder why the devil wants to screw it all up and dismiss one from the other, he knows the power of both used together.

The power of prayer is revealed in the word of God, the bible. Jesus taught us to pray in secret, so he himself taught what he did. One of the reasons why his public ministry was so powerful was because he was so committed in his private devotion. His ministry was the result of his prayer life. The anointing that was upon Jesus was because of his private prayer life. Jesus had to live on earth just as we do. His anointing was connected to his private devotion just as ours is today.

Tradition has made us to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that made him unique and different from us. Yet Jesus himself taught us that we can do what he did: _"Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the father_ " (John 14:12).

The works that Jesus did was because he was the son of God, but we are also the sons of God and we can do the same works as Jesus. **"** _For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God,"_ (Romans 8:14). The truth is we are sons and daughters of God and we have the same authority before God just as Jesus did. So, if Jesus had to spend time in prayer, we must do the same. If Jesus had to spend time in the scriptures, so must we.

The power of prayer is the power to do and be like Jesus. If we see what Jesus did and how he lived, we can get the same results in our lives by modeling Jesus. Jesus had a prayer life, the word of God, the Holy Spirit. With these three there was nothing the devil could do to stop him. He lived by the power of God.

Power Defined

The word power in the Greek has two separate definitions. The first word for power is " _Exousia"_ which is authority and the second word is the " _dunamis"_ which is force. Authority is delegated power given to another to perform an action or a duty. Forceful authority is the power in an explosive since, by which we get the English word "dynamite" from the Greek word 'dunamis". It's the kind of power where there is force.

The reason I point out the difference in the words for power is to set the foundation for understanding our power in prayer. In prayer God gives us both authority (exousia) and force (dunamis). Let's examine two scriptures concerning this:

" _And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word_ _is_ _this! for with_ _authority_ _and_ _power_ _he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out_ "

Luke 4:36

" _Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them_ _power_ _and_ _authority_ _over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick._

(Luke 9:1)

The two scriptures above are the only two places in the gospel where power and authority is used together. But I want you to notice that they are used in reference to casting out demons, healing the sick, and preaching the gospel. This tells us a few facts:

  1. You can have authority and lack power to support that authority

  2. The disciples were successful in their ministries because they exercised both authority and power together.

Standing with

Authority & Power

Jacob had power with God. Elijah had power with God and he was able to call fire from heaven. Moses had power with God and he was able to part the red sea and bring plagues upon Egypt. Abraham had power with God that when he prayed and his barren old wife conceived a child.

How about you? Do you have power with God? If you are a born again child of God, you have power with God. God has given you his dunamis power (force) by the Holy Spirit.

" _But ye shall receive_ _power, after that the Holy Ghost_ _is come upon you..."(Acts 1:8)_

" _And Jesus returned in the_ _power of the Spirit_ _into Galilee..." Luke 4:14_

" _For as many as are_ _led by the Spirit of God_ _,_ _they are the sons of God_ _." Romans 8:14_

The Holy Spirit dwells within the spirit of every born again Christian. " _What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost_ _which is_ _in you... "(1Corinthians 6:19)_ God is not in heaven looking down on us, he is in us by the Holy Spirit.

The Fruit of Prayer

The Holy Spirit is our guide and teacher. Jesus said he will guide us in all truth (John 14:26; 16:13). When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior we became born again believers. In addition, the new birth experience gave us a new heart and it allowed Jesus Christ to live in us as the Holy Spirit.

According to Romans 8:9-11, Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit.

"... _the Spirit of_ _God dwell in you_ _...." (v.9)_

"... _the_ _Spirit of Christ_ _..." (v.9)_

_"And if_ _Christ be in you_ _..." (v.10)_

"... _his_ _spirit that dwells in you_ _" (v.11)_

Jesus said;

_"I will not leave you comfortless:_ _I will come to you_ _" (John14:18)_

"... _And ye in me and_ _I in you_ _"(John 14:20)_

_"He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me... and I will love him and_ _manifest myself to him_ _" (John 14:21)._

It is clear that the Holy Spirit dwells within every born again believer as the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of God. This must be pointed out as a basic fundamental doctrine because many new believers to the faith do not know this and how important it is to understand it. There are Christians who have been saved for many years who need to know this important truth.

With this clear understanding, we can now see how we are to be like Jesus as well as manifest the fruits of the spirit. " _But the fruit of the spirit love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law_ _"_ _(Galatians 5:22-23)._ The believer who spends quality time with God will in time manifest the fruits of the spirit. The fruits of the spirit are only signs of spiritual maturity that are produced from walking in the spirit or walking with God.

The Prayer Habit

Prayer requires discipline of the body and the mind. Without discipline prayer will be a very unsuccessful task. The body will only want to do what is either convenient or what it is used to doing. If you are usually sleep every morning at a certain time and you get up to pray at that time, your body will only want to sleep. Jesus said, _"The spirit is willing but the body is weak"_. Likewise our spirits wants to pray, but it's our body that's the problem. Subsequently, we need to focus on disciplining our body to get in line with the willingness of our spirit. You may ask, "how do we discipline our bodies to pray?

The body is like a computer; however you program it to operate, it will do it exactly according to the program. When the body follows a program we call it a habit. Habits are formed by doing something repeatedly. If you do anything several times you will build a habit and your body will follow the program you created according to that habit. Therefore, what we do consistently and practice daily is what makes our habits.

Research has proven that it takes 21 days to build a habit. In other words, if you did something every day for 21 days you will program your body and mind to remember to automatically to carry out that action with little or no effort or thought. This is why when we eat we do not try to hold a spoon or even look at the spoon and our hand to make sure we are holding it right. Eating is most likely our number one habit. We eat every day and most likely the same time. So our appetite is turned on at that same time.

The prayer habit is like our eating and sleeping habit. Just as we have developed our bodies to automatically eat and sleep, we can use the same techniques to make our bodies stay alert and focused while we pray. The same laws that govern the discipline of eating and sleeping are the same laws that will govern any other habit we form in our lives.

Daily prayer is a discipline that must be developed by making it a habit. For without certain disciplines during praying, you will be like someone who stretches for 5 minutes once a week. They do not follow up with a regiment 20 – 30 minute exercises. They wasted their time, because they only warmed their muscles up for nothing. Muscle is built up by warming them up for five minutes. The five minute warm up is to prepare your muscles for the work out that will build more muscle. If you want to lose fat it works the same. You must take the time to do a consistent workout that will make you sweat.

If you exercise only to ease your conscience and burn no calories, then you are going through the motions and deceiving yourself. So if in three months you wonder why you did not lose any weight, then you should check out your workout and you're eating habits. You can't expect to get the benefits of a healthy body and yet lead an undisciplined lifestyle.

Sometimes we want to do the same in prayer as with exercise. We want instant gratification and only do enough to ease our conscience so that we can boast saying, "I did it". We only pray enough so that we can

say "I pray". When in fact we only pray like we workout; we do a five minute once a week warm up prayer and we never really commit to an intense time of prayer that will make us spiritually fit. You cannot expect to be a spiritually strong person and pray once a week for a few minutes or only when you go to the church or a weekly prayer meeting.

Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1Thesselonians 5:17

Chapter 5

Prayer Myths

  10. Myths about Prayer

Prayer Myth #1:

"If I pray everything

will be alright"

Quite the opposite sometimes, when you pray things can get worse before it gets better. You must remember that prayer does not make you immune to trials and test. God will not always immediately deliver you from hard times. God wants to stretch and strengthen your faith as well as use your problems for his glory and as a path to your greater blessings.

Sometimes the answer to your prayers is at the end of a trial. But you must go through the trial to get the answer to your prayer. The perfect example is a man named Job. Job prayed and things got worse (

Prayer Myth #2:

"When I pray God will

always answer"

God does not always answer our prayers when we pray. The answer to our prayers is limited to our faith, God's word, and patient endurance. If we pray for or about something that's not according to God's will, he will not answer us. Also if you pray and then turn around and walk in unbelief, you will not receive what you prayed for.

Prayer Myth #3:

When I pray God will always

give me what I want

This myth is created from a lack of knowledge of the word, as most all prayer myths are. A very important truth I want to reiterate is the fact that if you do not pray according to God's word, God will not give you what you want. Yes, he will meet your basic needs to live and survive. But there are those things that you want (not really need) that if you do not line yourself up with his word by acting on his word and praying according to his word, he will not give you what you want.

Prayer Myth #4:

"We are all praying to the same God"

In Hinduism there is a trinity of three separate Gods who are male deities (Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva). There are 20 other different gods & goddesses they worship (Devis & Devas). All these gods and goddesses have unique powers and distinct qualities that make them different. They all do not share the same power or the same character, they are all unique.

Hindus worship the god or goddess of their choosing. They can choose which god or goddess they want depending on their family region and traditions. It is common for many to worship one god, yet believing in the others.

Hinduism reveals to us that we all are not praying to the same gods. Krishna is a Buddhist god as well as Kali the goddess; they are both different and have created separate philosophies and beliefs. All these gods and goddesses are depicted by statues whereby people pray to and bow down to.

To say we are all praying to the same God is like saying we are all talking to the same person when we are on the phone. The mere act of praying does not signify we are praying to the true and living God almighty. Many religions are aware that they are praying to a different God than others and that's what they were taught and what they choose to do.

But just as there are many different gods in the world, people pray to those different gods. So we are not all praying to the same god. The apostle Paul recognized this and revealed the true god in the midst of Roman pagan idolatry.

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. Acts 17:23- 29

Prayer Myth #5:

It's okay to let anyone pray for you

If you are required to pray and walk by faith to get results in prayer, do you think that someone else in unbelief is going to pray for you and get any more results than you? I don't think so!

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Mathew 18:18-20

United prayer is about two or more people being one accord. If someone in the party of two or three does not agree, then why would you let them pray with you or for you? Maybe you all need to first sit down and come in agreement on what it is you are praying for before you pray. That's why Jesus said "touching and agreeing'. That speaks of unity.

Never let someone pray for you that is in unbelief concerning that which you have faith for. And don't pray with people who pray in fear and unbelief that is contrary to the word of God. If you pray with them and agree with them, it will hinder your faith and make your prayers just as void as theirs.

Prayer Myth #6:

Pray about everything

There are some things that we do not need to pray about, nor does the Bible require us. Let me give you an example of one of the most over spiritualized things many do and use prayer as an excuse. Giving for an example; Jesus taught us to freely give and it shall be given unto (Luke 6:38). So why do I need to pray about giving clothes, food or money to someone who is clearly in need? If they ask me for help and I say, "let me pray about it", that's not obedience to the word of God. I have this false spiritual humility many times. It's basically an excuse to not help others.

This is also why I emphasize through this book the importance of prayer coupled with the word of God. If you know the Bible tells you to do something, don't procrastinate it and say "let me pray about and see what the Lord say". It's not like the Lord is going to tell you not to buy some groceries for a hungry family, God has made it clear in his word that he loves the poor and will use those who have to help them.

Another example of something we do not need to pray about is going to Church or what church to go to. God has already given us his heart and wisdom on this matter and so we do not need to just sit around at home by ourselves "waiting" for the Lord to direct us where we should go to church at. It is our responsibility to step out in faith and according to the word of God to go to a Christian fellowship and gather together with believers of like faith. As we obey his word and step out in faith, then we will get further direction from the Lord.

No, we do not have to pray about everything. Many things we need to act on what Gods word tell us and use the wisdom of God as we go forth. We need to balance our lives and actions with the word of God, walking by faith and prayer.

Prayer Myth #7:

"If someone else prays for me they can get a prayer through and I can't"

If you are a born again believer of the Lord Jesus Christ no one has more authority in prayer than you do. No one has a greater access to the throne than you do. The only difference is whether by faith you use your authority or not. When you stand in the authority that God has given you, you are then standing in faith. And faith is God's requirement for answered prayer. There is no such thing as one believer having a VIP access to heaven that others don't have.

Prayer Myth #8:

You can pray to bring harm or

Revenge against someone

Witchcraft, Satanism, voodoo & hoodoo are all satanic methods of praying and doing rituals to get revenge on your enemies. In the upcoming chapter you can read the title "how to get revenge and defeat your enemies. You will learn the Biblical and most powerful way to win against your enemies, without using satanic and ungodly ways and means.

Prayer Myth #9:

You can pray against

someone's will

This myth is done more in prayer than many will tell you. Jesus himself never prayed against someone else will. Every miracle he performed was because the other person wanted what Jesus was offering them. He asked them one question "will thou be..."

"O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Mathew 15:28

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and...

Mt 19:21

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, what wilt thou?

Mathew 20:20-21

And Jesus answered and said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? Mark 10:51

Prayer Myth #10:

You don't have to say a prayer

to be saved (Born again)

This myth is a major contradiction to the word of God on many levels. I will respond to this myth exclusively with the scriptures:

_And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:_ _how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that_ _ask him_ _?_ _Luke 11:9-13_

_And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said,_ _Believe_ _on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved_ _, and thy house Ac 16:30-31_

_That if thou shalt_ _confess with thy mouth_ _the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and_ _with the mouth_ _confession_ _is made unto salvation_ _._

_For whosoever shall_ _call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved_ _Ro 10:9-10, 13_

Prayer Myth #11:

Prayer & fasting will bring

you close(r) God

This is like saying having a driver's license will get you to work. Or knowing how to drive will get you a car or get you where you want to go. They all will contribute to you legally driving and being able to, yet they are separate functions that work together to complete the whole.

There are many people who have a driver's license but without a car, they will go nowhere. If you are going to drive a car you must have a combination of five things; a driver's license, a car, the ability to drive, registration and insurance. Without all these elements together, you will either have an accident or get in trouble with the law.

Our relationship with God coupled with fasting and prayer works the same as driving. You can't have fasting and prayer separated from God and his word and think you will be closer to God. If you fast and pray, but stay ignorant of God's word and refuse to obey it; then your fasting will only improve your health and your praying will only waste your time. So no, fasting and prayer alone will not bring you closer to God. You must spend time in God's word and act on it coupled with fasting and praying, if you want powerful results.

Prayer Myth #12:

"Ministers, Pastors and church leaders

have more prayer power than me."

Again this myth is debunked by many of the previous sections you read on our power and authority. As born again believers we all share the same equal authority to pray and use the name of Jesus. Now some people don't use the privilege they have to pray and get results. They don't use their own faith but would much rather use someone else faith instead. But that does not mean a church leader has more authority before god than they do.

Maybe the pastor has more faith than they do. And that's why it should be the pastor's job to teach and admonish them to bring their faith up to a growing level.

It's okay when a person is a baby Christian to lead them by the hand. But after a while they must grow up and stand on God's word for themselves. But the minister or pastor does not have more power; he may have more faith by acting on God's word. And the baby believer has access to the same power if he uses his faith and act on God's word.

Prayer Myth # 13:

You must always pray kneeling or

with your head bowed

The book of John tells us that Jesus lifted his eyes to heaven (John 17:1). It does not say he bowed his head.

According the book of Mathew, when he went to the garden of Gethsemane, he fell on his face when he prayed Mathew (26:39). According to Luke's gospel, it gave more detail of Jesus falling on his face, it say he kneeled down and prayed (Luke 22:41).

There is nowhere in scripture that tells us we must bow down on our knees or bow our heads every time we pray. There are instances all throughout scriptures of examples of those who did it. Jesus is recorded as both bowing and lifting his head.

We are told that those who will confess Jesus as Lord will bow their knees. This is speaking of those acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ and bowing in worship to him as Lord.

The word worship means to bow down. So a part of our worship is that of bowing down. But my emphasis is on the question of "must we always kneel or bow our head when we pray? My answer is no, not always. Yet, it should be a part of our prayer and worship time in the Lord's presence.

There are those who are taught that if they do not bow or kneel they are not praying correctly. This is the legalistic extremity of what I'm going after. Prayer is not based on one's physical position, but it's based the spiritual position of the heart.

Prayer is an act of communication. When we worship God, we do so by all manners of postures and prayers. Yes, our reverence for him should be reflected in our posture. But should our posture only be the same when we talk to God? The liberty that God wants to bring us to is place where we can worship God in spirit and in truth and not according to the flesh. The flesh is weak but our spirits are willing. The flesh is limited.

You can only stay on your knees but so long before your body cries out in pain or discomfort. My regiment is to pray for a period on my knees, bowing down, standing and sitting. These different postures keep my flesh under control so that I'm able to pray as long as I want.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. Ps 95:6

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.

Hebrews 11:6

Chapter 6

Principles

The Principles of Prayer

The kingdom of God is built on the principles of God. God's principles are laws that govern how he operates and what he does. Without these principles there would be no order, only chaos. And God is a God of order.

A principle is a law, guide or authority. A law is that which is issued by a government, a government is a kingdom. God has a kingdom, it's called the kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven.

God's kingdom has laws. If these are not obeyed, then there are always consequences. Some consequences are more severe than others. It does not mean that all the consequences are hell judgment. There are many things we can fail to do that will not lead us to hell, but it will hinder us from God's best here on earth.

Prayer is an act that is governed by certain laws if we want God to hear us and answer our prayers. God governs us like a father. We are kids of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

There is not a sane caring father that will let you talk to them any kind of way and do anything you want while he gives you whatever you want, even to the cost of destroying you. Such father does not really love you. But a loving father will lay down rules to guide you, protect you and help you.

God is your father and he is a sovereign Lord of the greatest kingdom that has and ever will exist. He has established a system of order and government. Yet with his order and order and government, he has given us liberty as well. But let us not think that we are free to do anything we want and expect God to meet our needs and cater to us.

Prayer Principle 1:

Pray by faith

(Mark 11:22-25, Gal.3:11)

Faith is a required lifestyle of the believer, it is not an option. God requires us to walk by faith by living a life of faith. The failure to walk by faith is the failure to please God (Hebrews 11:6), to get results in prayer (Mark 11:24), and live a victorious Christian life (1John 5:4). Faith is an essential ingredient in prayer only second to walking in love.

Before, during and after we pray, we must make sure we are praying in faith. If you go into prayer in doubt and unbelief, you are basically wasting your time, because you will not get results. So I encourage you to develop your faith before you pray. Without faith your prayers are only hitting the ceiling. Useless praying is unfruitful. So learn to pray in faith so you don't waste your time just talking. Develop your faith to pray effectively.

How do you develop your faith? You develop your faith first by the study and meditation of the word of God, the Bible. The more you meditate on the word of God, study the word of God and speak it, the stronger your faith will be. The stronger your faith is in the word, the more effective your prayers will be. Meditation on the word of God includes reading it over and over again and speaking it to yourself over and over again.

You must not only study and meditate on the word, but you must also daily speak the word. This is the second way you develop your faith. This is where so many people get off. They study and read the Bible, but they never really meditate on it and speak it daily. To meditate on the word is think it over and over in your mind and utter it over and over. It is the constant and consistent utterance and thinking of the word that builds your faith.

Meditation is what you do daily, all day and during daily activities. The scriptures give instructions on how to meditate on the word of God;

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8

Meditation is speaking something over and over again. It's consistent daily repetition. When you do this with the word of god it will build your faith. You mind will memorize the word and it will get in your heart. This is how you are going to walk in the word. You actions are going to be affected because the word is leading your thinking and is deep down in your spirit.

Faith is acting on the word of God. But in order to get faith to act on the word of God, you must have faith in the word of God. To develop your faith in the word of God you must continually meditate on it and speak it.

Notice faith is not having knowledge of the word of God alone. Knowledge of the word of God alone does not produce faith. When you speak the word and act on the word of God, then it will develop faith. Why, because it's not just in your head, but you have put the word of God in your heart.

Another very important truth is the fact that faith does not deny the natural circumstance or the problem. Faith ignores the problem and speaks the promise and declares with authority those things that be not as though they were.

...even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Romans 4:17

Many people think that faith is total denial of something. When you walk by faith, you must speak the word of God by faith and not acknowledge the problem by fear. Acknowledging the problem will never make things better. It will never increase your faith nor will it make God feel sorry for you and move faster on your behalf. God responds to faith, not fear, worry or anxiety.

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.

Hebrews 11:6

Prayer Principle 2:

Refuse to worry & fear

Casting all your care upon him;

for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:7

Worry is the fear that God will not take care of you. When you are worried about something it is a clear sign of fear and unbelief. I'm not talking about a small temporary concern about something or someone. I'm talking about a consistent and persistent life of daily worry that effects even your relationship with God.

When worry cause you to pull back from prayer, then the worry has taken root into the waters of fearful unbelief. This kind of worry is not healthy for you at all; neither spiritually, mentally or physically. It will cause major sickness in your body and even wear you out mentally.

Jesus said in Mathew 6:25, _Therefore I say unto you,_ _Take no thought_ _for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?_

According to Philippians 4:6, we are admonished by the Holy Ghost through the Apostle Paul to _Be "careful" for nothing._ The word care is properly translated to mean anxious or to take thought. I am convinced that the Apostle Paul was inspired of God to declare what Jesus taught concerning anxiety.

Another way of translating what Jesus said in Mathew 6:25 is: therefore I say unto you _be not anxious_ for your life. So the apostle Paul teaching in Philippians was the same principle Jesus taught about anxiety.

Jesus gave us the reasons we should not worry;

  1. Life is more important. Living is more important than dying because you worry about temporal things on the earth.

  2. Your father will take care of you

  3. Why worry, when by doing so you can't add any more time to your life

God has given us not only a command not to worry, but he has given us alternative methods of worrying. Instead of worrying we are to:

Cast our cares upon the Lord

Trust in the Lord to take care of us

Think on positive things (Philippians 4:8)

Walk in the peace of God (Philippians 4:7)

To live and walk by faith

Prayer Principle 3:

Be thankful

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Psalm 105:1-3

A favorite song of mine says "If I had three last words to say, It would be 'Thank you Lord". Some people are so caught up in themselves and selfish that if they had three last word to say to the Lord it would "Give me Lord". How dare we approach god by first asking of him and we show no gratitude for what he has already done for us?

How thankful are you for what God has already done for you? When you come to God in prayer don't come asking first and don't come complaining first. Come to God with thanksgiving. Give God thanks;

_Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,_ _and_ _into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him,_ _and_ _bless his name. For the LORD_ _is_ _good; his mercy_ _is_ _everlasting; and his truth_ _endureth_ _to all generations. (Psalm 100:4)._

Prayer Principle 4:

praise & worship

There are so many scriptures that clearly speak of how Praise and worship should be a major part of our lives. Here are ___ principles of praise:

  * We should rejoice & sing when we praise

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise

Psalm 98:4

  * We should praise God for his goodness & mighty works

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psalm 107:15

  * We should praise God together

Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders Ps 107:32

  * We should praise God in public

In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD. Ps 116:19

  * We should praise God with an upright heart

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments Psalm 119:7

  * We should praise God for how he made us

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Ps 139:14

  * God is pleased with our praise

Praise ye the LORD: for [it is] good to sing praises unto our God; for [it is] pleasant; [and] praise is comely

Psalm 147:1

Prayer Principle 5:

Be forgiven & forgive

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mt 6:14-15

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 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. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses

Mk 11:24-26

Forgiveness is so significant to getting answers to our prayers. Before you approach God you must make sure you are in good standing with your brothers and sisters. Anything other than this is hypocrisy and useless praying. Forgiveness is not an option to answered prayer, it is a requirement.

No matter what anyone has done to you, it is vital to your relationship with God, that you forgive them. If you refuse to forgive others for what wrong they did to you, then God will not forgive you. This means that God will not have mercy on you for what you did wrong.

Prayer Principle 7:

Walk in love

As I stated earlier, "the fruit of prayer is the fruit of the spirit". In other words, if you are a praying person you should manifest the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. The main fruit you should show is the fruit of love above all. This is all about a level of spiritual maturity in our walk and relationship with God. The more we pray, the more we should study and know the word of God.

The more we pray and know the word, the more we should mature in our relationship with God and the more we mature in our relationship with God, the more we should fruit of our love for God. The more we love God, the more we should show our love for our brothers and sisters who are the children of God. And the more we love God and our family of God, the more we should love those who are lost and don't know God.

It is imperative we understand that love must be the primary fruit of our relationship with God. The Apostle John said it this way, _"Beloved let us love one another for love is of God: and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God" (1 John 7:7)._ John tells us that the primary mark of a person who is in a relationship with God is shown by his love.

John was called the Apostle of Love because he not only loved Jesus dearly while Jesus was on earth, but John wrote some of the most simple yet profound teachings on love. John wrote 28 verses in his epistle on love. He not only reiterated the law of love, but he explained and used old testaments examples of how we should love one another (1 John 3:11-15). John also contrasted our love for God with our love for one another by asking the most powerful question on love,

for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20)

God loves all of his children dearly and he will not allow non to harm any of them. And that includes his children harming each other. As a father of three children as of the writing of this book, it grieves me to see my son saying hurtful things to my daughter. He will not hurt my daughter and think he will still have favor with me. As a matter of fact, he will experience my anger and be chastised for it.

If we mistreat and hurt one another, do we really think God is pleased with that? Do you think you talk against a fellow brother or sister in Christ & do them harm and receive the blessing and favor of God? Be not deceived to think so. God will chasten his children that fight against another child of his. God does not allow sibling rivalry on no level. This is why he inspired the Apostles to write so much on our love relationship towards each other.

Prayer Principle 8:

Private devotion (pray in secret)

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, ( Luke 22:41)

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

(Luke 6:12)

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

(Mathew 6:5-6)

This is a major principle that many churches and Christians fail to understand and apply. This is the most simple principle of them all yet the most violated of all. Prayer is a private devotional act between us and God the father. Our private devotion must be just that, private.

Many people only pray publicly, but they do not have a private prayer life. They get worked up and excited to do group prayer and attend prayer meetings. But if you do all that and yet do not spend time with God in private, then you really don't have a close relationship with God.

Prayer Principle 6:

Be quiet & still

And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you. And the LORD spake unto Moses... Numbers 9:8-9

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Psalm 107:28-30

_The words of wise_ _men are_ _heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Eccl. 9:17_

And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted...

Isaiah 7:4

Noise is the greatest distraction to a person dedicated to prayer, study and meditation. Worship and praise with shouts of joy and songs of rejoicing should be done as a time set aside as well. If one never takes as much or more time in quiet meditation and study, there will yet be a gap that the individual finds as an inner emptiness that is mysteriously present within them. This is due to the person not realizing again what prayer is.

Prayer is not all about us talking to God, worshiping God or singing to him or asking of him. These are all elements of the whole structure of prayer. One main element of prayer is to sit quietly in silent meditation hearing from God.

If your life is noisy this can really cause problems and hinder you from really gaining the full benefits and advantages of prayer. Sometimes we create that noise by allowing distractions of television, the computer, the children, music, and noisy things. Time management and priorities must be important to determine what can wait, what you don't need to do and what is unnecessary.

You must not let your life get so busy that you let the noise of others and current technology, crowd you out of a silent time with God. Take the time to shut it down and create a noise free environment.

Nowadays we are distracted by the computer, adult games, movies, television, the radio, and the telephone. We have telephones that are designed to keep our attention on news, weather, entertainment, music and phone calls. The blackberry phone, the iPhone, the droid and many other popular phones have applications that are designed to keep us entertained and connected to the world. I have seen people literally on their phones for hours chatting and calling or playing games or watching videos and movies.

I'm not saying these things are bad at all. But we must keep balance. Let there be a time when you quietly sit in the presence of God listening to his voice and meditating on his word and not your problems.

Again I emphasize the importance of us listening to God and allowing him to direct our hearts. How else is this done other than in the moments of quietness? If we are always consumed by noise, it is no wonder why we repeat what we hear from all others and fail to hear from God himself. We find it easier to learn a song from the singer, hear a word from the preacher and tell God what we want. We find it more difficult to sit quietly and ponder the words of a new song we can sing unto the Lord and then quietly let him speak to us.

Prayer Principle 9

Pray to the father in Jesus name

The name of Jesus is a badge name of authority and power. It is our identification card that acknowledges who we are, what we have and who we belong to. We are joint heirs with Jesus and the name of Jesus gives declares the authority we have as a joint heir with him.

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:17

The reason we can come to god in the name of Jesus is because we have been adopted as joint heirs with Jesus. So when god hears us using the name Jesus, he sees us as if we are Jesus himself. God does not discriminate against us as being any different than Jesus himself.

The devil hates the name of Jesus because he knows what it represents and he understands the authority and power behind it. He will do everything in his power to get you to deny and discredit the name of Jesus.

The devil has talked people into denying the name Jesus and substitute it for Yahweh (and all the other derivatives of it), Christ (without saying Jesus). These are all tricks of the devil to get us to never use the name of Jesus. He knows that it represents the person and power of Jesus as if he is literally here on earth again. But he knows that every Christian that use that name is standing in position and in his place. So it's not just one Jesus in the earth now, it's more than one million using his name carrying his authority. So it's clear to see why Satan works overtime to stop the use of the name of Jesus in the earth.

If someone or something gets agitated or disturbed when you speak the name of Jesus, I guarantee you that they have been strongly influenced by demonic powers.

Prayer Principle 10

Ask for supply

(Prayer of supplication)

Whenever we ask God for anything it only by his Grace that we can ask him and it is by his grace that he gives it to us. His grace is his gift to us freely given only because he loves us. But let's not get it wrong now; he does not have to give us anything outside of his loving grace. This is important to keep in mind before we ask God for anything.

If we have a need we can be assured & know that god loves us so much that he wants us to have everything we need and he wants to give us what we want. Notice I said everything we need and not everything we want. God will give us our hearts desires, those things we want, but that does not mean he will always give us what we want. Some of the things we want are not good for us and if God did not hold them back from us we would want those things that he knows will destroy us.

On the contrary God does give us what we need. He has promised to meet our needs. It is not the will of god for you to go without having your needs met. Your needs and your wants are not the same. There are some things you want that you really don't need. And if you get them it will only hinder your relationship with God, feed your carnal desires and eventually take you down a path of degradation.

_Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart (Psalm 37:4)._ When you pray make sure you ask God to meet your needs and while you serve him he will see your heart's desire and grant it unto you. God knows your heart and if your heart is right he will give you what's in your heart.

Jesus the master teacher said it this way:

_And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give_ _it_ _you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24_

Prayer Principle 11

Seek the kingdom

& pray according

The kingdom of God is wherever Gods authority reigns. So if God is Lord in your life, that's where the kingdom of God is, in your heart. If you dedicate you home to the Lord and he is head of your home, that's where the kingdom of God is, in your home as well.

The kingdom of God is where God rules, it is where god has sovereign authority. The kingdom of God is where you will find the will of God in action and where God will manifest. God lives where his kingdom is. When you seek the kingdom of God you seek God's will, purpose, acts, his mind, and his ways.

When you pray there are only three ways to seek the kingdom of god in the earth: By knowing and understanding God's word, By obeying God and by prayer. These three will usher you into the will, purpose, acts, and ways of God. You will understand who God is, how he operates and see and know what he does, has done is doing.

Praying in the spirit

One of the ways we can line our minds and our spirit up with the will of god and the spirit of god is by praying in the spirit. This is also called praying in other tongues, unknown tongues or glossolalia.

The scriptures gives us clear information on what many consider to be a mystery and some just write off altogether.

The first thing you must understand is that you are a spirit and God is a spirit. God wants us to worship him in spirit and in in truth. True worship comes from the spirit. How do we worship God in the spirit. We do so by praying in the spirit.

Prayer Principle 12

Walk in humility

& resist pride

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1Peter 5:5

Pride will hinder your prayers on a large scale. God does not deal with the prideful. According to 1 Peter 5:5 above, God will reject us when we walk in Pride. Why would God reject us when we walk in pride? Because pride will cause us to think we don't need God, we are better than others and it will ultimately lead us down the same path that Satan the devil walked.

The devil is the father of pride and he was kicked out of heaven and removed from his position because he wanted to exalt his own throne above God's throne. Satan's rebellion is an example of what pride will lead us.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15

Just as Satan begin to think that he didn't need God and he could be greater than God, pride will cause us to believe we don't need God as well. And that will be the beginning of the end for us.

How do we keep pride from creeping in our lives? When we submit to God, authority and by serving others. Submission and service is how you overcome pride. The more you serve God and others, the more you will walk in humility.

A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit. Proverbs 29:23

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

Leviticus 26:18-19

Prayer Principle 13

Pray according to the word of God

(By studying & meditating on the word)

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

(Joshua 1:8)

It is imperative that you understand a very important principle. If you do not honor God's word, he will not honor you. God's word must been honored if you want God to bless your life and answer your prayers. How do you honor God's word?

You honor God's word by acting on his word by faith. When you act on the word of God by faith, you then allow God to move strong on your behalf. You have put yourself in the correct position for God to act on your behalf.

This does not mean you can use the word of God to manipulate and control God. But it means that you can use the word of God to get yourself in line with God. When you are in line with God, you are in a legal position for God to protect you, provide for you and guide you. His covenant and all his promises are made available to you because you are in line with God by honoring his word.

I have known people who think they can just pray and go to church, ignore the word of God and yet walk in God's anointing. They are deceived in their thinking. God will not compromise his word for anyone. If God falls short of his word, then he would be a liar. And the scriptures declare: God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? _(_ Num. 23:19)

There are three ways we honor God's word:

**Knowledge** of the word of God by study & meditation

**Acting** on the word of God by faith

**Speaking** the word of God by faith

Prayer Principle 14:

Discipline & Distractions

(create a prayer habit)

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:

the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak"

(Mathew 26:40-41).

Discipline is self-control, the ability to keep your mind, your body and your mouth under control. Discipline is that which a disciple does that makes him able to effectively learn. A disciple is a student, committed to learning and modeling another and lives by disciplines that will guide his life and actions. This is a person devoted to learning and mastering his mind and body to control his ever action, word and thought.

Jesus had 12 disciples who not only followed him but they modeled him and they were disciplined by him. During the time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Mathew 26:36-46) he told his disciples to sit while he went to pray

When Jesus returned after praying for one hour he found them sleep. They were not praying together, but they were sleep. Not only did they fell asleep once, but when he went back to pray again they went back to sleep. When he returned from prayer again, he said to them a second time "what, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mathew 26:40-41).

Notice Jesus did not rebuke them for not praying together while they waited for him to finish his private prayer time. As a matter of fact he told them to both watch and pray. It is quite obvious that the disciples did not have the necessary discipline to obey Jesus. Which I'm sure they wanted to do what he told them. I don't think they set out to rebel against Jesus or outright refuse to do what he said. Their intention was to obey and watch, but they fell asleep and neither prayed or watched.

Let us not forget that Jesus disciples were not heathens or gentiles. They were all devout Jews by culture and custom. They were raised in a culture that taught and practiced prayer. Temple prayer took place three times a day with scripture reading. The Morning Prayer in the temple was a daily task. So if this is so, then why did the disciples not have the discipline to pray with Jesus?

Prayer Principle 15:

Intercession: Pray for others

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1Timothy 2:1-6

Intercessory prayer is not about you, it's about praying for someone else. When you intercede for another you pray that God will do for them as you would want him to do for you. With the same faith, passion and desire you have for your needs, intercession is having the same for the needs of others.

Giving is the law of God and is required by Jesus, he said _"give and it shall be given unto you" (Luke 6:38)._ When you pray for another person, you are giving. You are asking God to give something to another person on your behalf. This is born out of selfless love and mercy.

Let us not think that if we just pray for someone that's enough. If you are a true intercessor, you will pray and help. For how can you one moment pray that God meet someone's financial and you are able to help them, yet walk away only praying for them. That's not the heart of a true intercessor. A true intercessor will show the true love and compassion of Jesus Christ who loved us so much that he gave his life for us.

Prayer Principle 16:

Unity: Corporate prayer

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Acts 1:14

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Acts 2:1

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 2:46-47

One of the best car companies is named after the Greek word for accord. The Honda accord car was named after the word accord which in Greek is automatos, which is where we get the English word automobile. This word means: "of one's self, of one's own accord" it speaks of a person that does something willfully and automatically. In the case of a car, it has an automatic driving control. Another word defines accord to mean: 'with one mind". This speaks of thinking alike.

The single most powerful attribute of the day of Pentecost was the power of unity in the upper room. The word accord tells us how they were unified. They were unified in one mind, same way of thinking and they came together as if automatically. No one was forced, driven, commanded or beat over the head. They all came together of their own free will. The disciples did not make the upper prayer gathering a requirement of church membership and they did not make people feel guilty if they did not show up.

Unity is about one vision, one people and one purpose. Division is two visions. Many churches are divided with two visions, the Lord's vision for the church and the pastor's vision for the church. And that's why the anointing and power of god cannot flow, because the pastor's vision does not line up with the Lord's vision.

Method & Principle

The method of prayer is not as important as making sure you are praying according to the principles of the word of God. A method can be a mechanical means whereby we do something by habit and structure. If the method is built on tradition and done for the sake of tradition and it is not in line with God's word, then it is a useless form of godliness.

Religion has taught us that prayer must have a certain method of using a format if we want to pray correctly. The truth of the matter is, prayer is no different from a son approaching a father. If my son came to talk to me, do you think I would tell him to wear a prayer garment and make sure he light incents and recite a poem or a written script and sing a song and then we can talk? I guarantee you with such a demand my son will be discouraged from talking to me and will avoid me at all cost. He will feel it's too much of a hassle to talk to me.

Let me explain what I mean by a method of praying. When I say method, I'm speaking of a means of doing something in a chronological order with certain strict actions and a spoken script. Whether its reading prayers and never speaking a genuine prayer from your heart. Or praying with a literal altar and lighting candles and going through rigorous steps before you say anything to God. It is my experience from first and from others, that this is what makes prayer dead and boring as well as too complicated.

This is what many teach people to do when they approach God. They burden people with traditional pious acts of pre-required methods to pray. They believe that if they focus on a method they will get more results from God. They fail to realize that a method is a limitation and a principle is the legalization of prayer. Our method does not get results; it's the principles that get results. The principles are the rules that govern prayer.

Within the principles are the skill and the art to pray. The art of praying is our liberty to approach God and say what we want within the boundaries of those principles. Now just because my son can come to me at any time does not mean he can do and say anything he wants. Although he is free to speak his heart and mind, he must keep it within certain boundaries of honor. He must have some respect and then he can have my ear.

God is a father and he wants us to come to him according to his word and by faith. These are the principles of faith. God does not want us burdened down with all the unnecessary stuff that religion makes us believe are requirements

Conclusion

Seek his face

This book was written to inspire and teach all those who desire to have a richer and more impacting prayer life. As I conclude, I would like encourage you to make sure you seek God's face and not his hands. The face of God is a one on one, face to face encounter with God.

Don't' seek God for what he can do for you only, but seek him for who he is and out of your gratitude to say thank you. Seek him not only in times that are hard or life threatening. Live not your life having nothing to do with him until you have a need. God loves you so much that he will meet your need. But he loves you so much that he wants to meet with you and not just meet your needs.

The heart of God is to love you unconditionally and that is why he will render grace unto you and mercy will be extended as well. But there is so much more you will miss out on if you do not seek the face of the father. There are those benefits that only those who are in his face receive.

I pray this book has been a blessing and benefit to your life. Continue to seek him, love him and trust him. Let no circumstance, Person, sickness, struggle, adversity or adversary, hinder your relationship with God. For if god is with you, no one can be successfully against you. Go in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and may his love and peace be richly multiplied unto you. God Bless you,

Bishop Danny Elijah Gilbert

 About The Author Danny Gilbert is founder and presiding Bishop of Jehovah Rapha Ministries, a non-denominational evangelical Christian ministry. Danny has been doing the work of ministry since he was 16 years old, and has been a Christian since he was 13. He started as a young Sunday school teacher and then began to evangelize on the streets of Newark, New Jersey. He has been a pioneer of youth evangelism in high school, organizing a youth evangelism team and leading many of his high school peers to the Lord.

As a diligent and faithful servant in the Kingdom of God, his gift and calling has opened many doors for him. At the age of 18, he was the youngest licensed minister in his denomination. Traveling throughout the northeast Danny preached & taught the word of God, while encouraging believers in the faith. God used him from church to church, in home Bible studies, youth detention units, street evangelism, soup kitchens & senior citizen homes. Danny was ordained by his grandmother by the laying on of her hands.

Danny is currently author of five books which include "The Love Book", "Success Secrets Revealed" and "The Master Book of Prayer". As a gifted teacher, & inspirational preacher with the gift of prophecy; his vision is to continue building a global ministry through print media, the Internet, television and radio, while building churches nationally and internationally. If you would like to contact Danny Gilbert to speak at your next event, please feel free to send an e-mail at the address below.

Vision 500

Danny Gilbert is believing God for 500 vision partners who will help him expand Jehovah Rapha Ministries around the world. To learn more about Jehovah Rapha Ministries or how you can become a vision partner please visit: www.jrapha.org or email: gilbertd2174@yahoo.com

 "relationship." _Dictionary.com Unabridged_. Random House, Inc. 04 Apr. 2011. <Dictionary.com <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/relationship>>.

