“Come to me all who you who are weary and find life burdensome, I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me: For I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest” (Mt.11:28-29).
Jesus wants to come into our lives and for this he enlists the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit creates situations in our lives whereby we have to, someday or the other, turn to Jesus. In fact from the moment that we were born and all the way up to our adulthood, Jesus has been eyeing us and waiting for an opportunity to speak to us. Prayer provides that medium whereby we can talk to Him without any inhibitions. “The Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in my name” (John 15:16).
Prayer is your personal chat to God. He does not want you to meaninglessly babble lines in the form of long prayers if your heart is simply not there, in what you are saying. Rather He likes it when you have a simple heart to heart talk to Him. God does not want only your spiritual side but he also wants you to share your problems, your sadness, and your happiness with him. The Word of God says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you” (1 Peter 5:7).
It is said in the Bible that God knows all your heart’s desires and wants even before you express it. However He likes it when we ask for something specifically because only then we will realize what we want and be happy and thankful when God grants our wishes.
Also if possible try and intercede for others in your prayers. Jesus likes it when we pray for others and we will gradually realize that our own prayers have been answered.
Many people assume that prayers are simply a way of asking for things or discussing your aspirations to God. But prayer is much more than that. You can praise Jesus with all you heart when you pray and He will be much pleased. There are many retreats and special prayers held in our churches where you can praise Jesus at the top of your voice. Your Father in heaven will be very happy to know that you like him so much. The Scripture says, “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6, 7)
Remember to ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit’s anointing on you. Jesus will send the Spirit’s help especially to the people affected by the evil charms of the Devil. We must remember that the Holy Spirit can easily defeat the unwanted Devil and end his tyranny on the people.
When you want to pray, try to choose a place where there is very little disturbance. Even when Jesus wanted to pray he left his house and his followers and retreated to the top of the mountains so that he could talk to His father in private. Although we lead busy harried lives if we can find some time in our busy schedule to talk to God, we will feel instantly refreshed. Moreover Jesus is waiting to continue the conversations with you through the words of the Bible.
The Bible provides us with all the answers to questions that we didn’t even know how to ask in the first place. If possible we should try and read at least one passage from the Bible daily. The passages of the Holy word are filled with inspiration and knowledge to renew our broken spirits. The Bible can help us build more trust in Him and also the Holy word is like a counselor who is 24/7 for your help. The proverbs chapter especially has a ton of useful sayings that help us follow the right path in our life.
The Bible has more than 50 promises by the Lord our God, made to us on different occasions. He has said, “I give you My word. If you are ready to believe that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, it shall be done for you. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly father may in turn forgive you your faults” (Mk. 11:24, 25).
Prayer is like a game of chess played between Jesus and you. The game of chess can only be played between two people and with the utmost concentration and dedication. Similarly Jesus will make the first move towards us but he also expects us to continue the game by our second move. He will verify our dedication and our determination by putting us to the test. If we get fed up and not respond to him, he will not be able to help us. But His rewards are great for people who adore him and stay true to his ways.
Moreover there are many times when we are so overcome with the troubles of our life that instead of prayers, only tears flow unabashedly from our eyes. In such situations we feel sad that we have not been able to pray to Him. But God understands that our tears are also a kind of prayer-liquid prayer. Also it’s good to remember that when a person with a pure heart weeps, even God stops and listens to his pleas.
Jesus has promised us wonderfully of his help with these immortal words, “Ask and you shall receive, search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”. If we want something and we feel that we truly deserve to get it, we just have to ask for it from our Father in heaven. Jesus has said, “If you ask something in my name from the Father, it will be surely given to you”.
Finally when you pray, do not hope for instant gratification. The Lord has His time when he will reveal the plans he has in mind for you. Your current wish may/may not be in line with those plans so pray but let Him take the final decision on whether you should get what you want.
Talk to Jesus as soon as you can. He is your best friend and he is waiting to hear from you. Remember what He has promised us, “I will never turn away anyone who comes to me” (John 6:37).
