"PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."
Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)
"CONTINUE EARNESTLY IN PRAYER, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2 (NKJV)
"PRAY [ING] WITHOUT CEASING."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV)
• A very important part in the believers' faith is prayer.
- Prayer is the release of what you have heard and believed in the Word of God—through petitions, supplications, and requests, for a change of circumstances and predicaments (Philippians 4:6,7)
- To BOOST something is, to make it better or more successful. Thus, Prayer helps, encourages or improves faith. It gives extra power to faith!
• Faith comes through the knowledge of the Word of God (Romans 10:17). But it grows and is STRENGTHENED through challenges and circumstances of life.
- Thus, trust in God is built through the overcoming of the challenges of life, and that is through Prayer (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
- One of the things that deepens and strengthens your Faith and Trust in God is, when you get an answer to your Prayers. It makes your trust in God deeper:
"HOPE deferred makes heart sick, BUT WHEN THE DESIRE COMES, IT IS A 🌲 TREE OF LIFE" (Proverbs 13:12). - Continuous results of prayers caused your faith to become strong and mature.
- That is, when you prayed; with the Word of God which was impressed on your heart, mixed with faith, and presented in a form of petition to God (Hebrews 4:2).
- It is this continual process that develops faith.
• The exertion of your will or desire to continually hear or study God's Word, ponder on it, believe every bit of it, and pray in line with it; is the force needed for the growth of Faith.
- Growing in the Word, that is, the Growth of the Word of God in a Believer's life, leads automatically to the Growth of Prayer in such a person's life (Acts 4:31).
- The Word of God is made real, and the blessings in it are appropriated when you do Pray.
a. The Word is activated and made effective through Prayer.
b. Thus, the growth of the Word in you, enhances your Prayer life!
• Prayer life is two sided
- In prayer you fight the good fight of Faith (1 Timothy 6:12), and at the same time, you enter into the rest of God (Hebrews 4:3)—trusting Him to accomplish His Word.
- God's Spirit will move or enable a Believer in Prayer, but he or she must be willing and yielded to the enablement and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26).
- Real faith is about a fight and a rest. You stand your ground through the Word of God, rest in the integrity of the Word, and trust in the faithfulness of God (Hebrews 4:10,11; Numbers 23:19).
a. Ask In Prayer. Ask the Father whatever the need, in Jesus' name (John 16:23,24).
b. Ask according to God's Will: "NOW this is the CONFIDENCE that we have in HIM, THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US" (1 John 5:14 NKJV).
HIS Wills are found in His Word, the Bible. - The first thing to do in your heart, before praying on any matter, is to settle it, whether it is God's Will or Not.
- That the thing which you are about to ask, IS it in line with God's Will or Word?
• Fix your heart and mind on Him:
"HE will NOT be afraid of evil TIDINGS; HIS HEART IS STEADFAST, TRUSTING IN THE LORD" (Psalm 112:7).
- You may experience delays; storms, flood, and winds, before you see the results of your prayers.
- Your heart must be fixed and settled (Psalm 112:7), without any agitation or anxiety, after you have made your request known to God (James 1:5-8; 1 John 5:14,15).
- When you know and sure that your request is in line with His Will, His Word; you will not be fretful (John 15:7).
- When you petitioned God, or prayed to Him, or supplicated for His mercy and intervention; you are demonstrating your faith and trust in Him (Philippians 4:6,7).
- You have to believe that God is, and that He rewards those who come to Him, before you could get results in whatever you ask:
"BUT without FAITH it is impossible to please Him, FOR HE [she] WHO COMES TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM" (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).
• Maintaining righteousness.
- The moment you received Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you received the gift of righteousness: "FOR He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM" (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).
- If any Sin is committed by a Believer, God has made provision for us to stay clean from all unrighteousness: "IF we CONFESS our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE us our SINS and to CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" (John 1:9 NKJV). BUT this should not be abused (Romans 6:13-16).
- Living right is important to Prayer:
15 BUT as He who called you is holy, YOU ALSO BE HOLY IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT, 16 BECAUSE it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY" (1 Peter 1:15,16 NKJV). - It is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous, THE person who lives right or in holiness, that PRODUCES results or avails (James 5:16).
- Faith deteriorates and leaks, when a Believer lives continually in Sin, and without any remorse and genuine repentance:
1 WHAT shall we say THEN? SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN THAT GRACE MAY ABOUND?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
15 What then? SHALL WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE? CERTAINLY NOT!
16 Do you not know that TO WHOM YOU PRESENT YOURSELVES SLAVES TO OBEY, you are that one’s SLAVES WHOM YOU OBEY, WHETHER OF SIN LEADING TO DEATH, OR OF OBEDIENCE LEADING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?" (Romans 6:1,2,15,16 NKJV).
• In conclusion, Prayer boost faith, If it were prayed according to the Bible principles. The Word of God gives faith and boosted through prayers.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!