Letter to the Editor: By Judith Niewiadomski, Yonkers
How often do we get around to praying only when we have exhausted ourselves and are at our wits’end from trying to fix things by ourselves? Looking to God as a last resort is why we’re so often stuck in our problems and challenges. How skilled can we be at anything if we only do it once in a while or simply repeat memorized words?
The the Apostle James tells us (James 5:16) “The effectual fervent [active] prayer of a righteous man availeth [prevails] much.” But we diminish the power of prayer, praying as a last resort without much hope of an answer–or a secret conviction that the answer will be, “Nope. You’re not good enough, nothing for you.” We don’t have to be good enough because God is good all the time and wants above all things that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. (3 John 2).
To get prayers answered we must believe that God answers prayer and rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Some sneer when people whose hearts are touched offer thoughts and prayers in a tragedy, revealing their belief that prayer does no good. That mindset is why many don’t get answers to prayer. What you believe, you receive.,
Prayer is connection with God; a bond with He Who heals the broken hearted, Who desires above all things we may prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers.(3 John 2) Prayer girded with focused believing, can help and heal even from a distance because it is not limited to our resources but connected to the Father Who is all powerful and present everywhere.
God knows what we need, all the details of our circumstances, and the long term effects of our choices even before we ask.
Prayer is not passive, prayer is aggressive Prayer is not a last resort, prayer is a battle plan that does not go all to hell when it confronts the enemy. Prayer is you and God working together to overcome the enemy and the circumstances to bring about godly results that are better than we hoped for. (Ephesians 3:20) How can we lose when we are tapped in to Someone who knows every thought of every heart?
Many of us grew up saying repetitive prayers, and while we meant well, we all know how it goes: you memorize something and even with your best intentions, it often becomes mindless repetition, repeating the words from memory without understanding how those words apply to what we face now.
Every person is unique. Different needs and challenges arise every day. So, to be effective, our prayers need to be focused on those specific needs and challenges.
Jesus Christ demonstrated what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” as a model, an example. How does it begin? Not with hesitation toward a distant and unknowable deity, not with chanted repetition, but with heartfelt reaching out to God as a Father Who is bigger than all those needs and problems. It was different from how the scribes and Pharisees prayed; they weren’t people you’d walk up to and hug and ask for help. In fact, they would have considered themselves to be defiled and made unclean by your touch. They focused on obedience to the letter of the law, not the heart behind it. Without the power of God energizing their prayers their country, Israel , was occupied by a pagan army, and the people were desperately in need, of wholeness, healing, and peace .
Prayer is opening your heart to your Father God about your fears and pains and challenges and needs, as Jesus Christ did in Gethsemane, and allowing Him to lead and comfort and provide a way for you to have His best.
Now if God knows everything, why do we need to pray? Good question. Prayer is personal communication between the individual and God. Prayer is for us to get our minds calm and focused on what God has done and can and will do for us as individuals. Prayer actively takes our focus from the mud we’re stuck in and the chaos that surrounds us and lifts our thoughts up to focus on the delivering hand of God.
How can we pray effectively? We use our minds and what we know of the Word of God:
We look to God a s a loving Father.
We recall and focus on His ability to do.(Study the records of what He has done for others.)
We cut through the mental and emotional clutter and confusion and narrow our focus to what we need.
We get specific as to what we want and need. Leave the how to God’s infinite diversity. He has a solution for every problem.
We do not limit God, recogizing that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:30)
We take action on what we know to do.
The key to receiving answers to prayer is believing, holding your mind, despite the circumstances, to what God has promised. You don’t have to be In church. You don’t have to be good enough because He is good enough. You don’t have to be a particular religion, but only believe what God has promised in His Word..
Let’s make this National Day of Prayer the first day of a more effective prayer life.
Don’t forget to be thankful. If you’re getting your prayers answered, isn’t that the least you can do? So tell other people what God has done for you so they can live more abundantly too.
Judith Niewiadomski, Yonkers
