Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS PRAYER? .....................................................................................7
THE ORIGIN OF PRAYER IN CHRISTIANITY .................................................................................. 9
CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING PRAYER .................................................................... 10
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE DEDICATE SPECIAL TIME TO THE SOURCE OF ALL. .................. 10
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE LET OUR FATHER KNOW THAT WE LOVE HIM ABOVE ALL ELSE.
................................................................................................................................................... 10
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE SOURCE OF ALL. ................ 11
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE SHOW OUR FATHER HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIS “OTHER”
CHILDREN--OUR FUTURE SIBLINGS............................................................................................ 11
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE REFLECT UPON OUR FATHER’S GREATNESS AND OFFER HIM THE
PRAISE THAT IS ONLY DUE TO HIM. ........................................................................................... 12
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE FILL UP OUR OTHERWISE-EMPTY BATTERIES WITH HIS POWER.
................................................................................................................................................... 12
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE CONFESS HOW MUCH WE FALL SHORT OF HIS STANDARDS AND
WE BEG FOR HIS PLENTIFUL MERCY. ......................................................................................... 13
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE BRING OUR GENUINE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS,
CONCERNS AND FEARS TO OUR LOVING FATHER. ..................................................................... 13
PRAYER IS OUR SHELTER FROM EVER-PRESENT DANGERS AND THE TERRIFYING DANGERS OF
THE FUTURE. .............................................................................................................................. 14
PRAYER IS THE TIME WHEN WE MANIFEST TO GOD THAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE IN ORDER. ...... 14
ABUNDANT, QUALITY PRAYER IS ACCOMPANIED BY GREAT REWARDS.................................... 14
CHAPTER 3: TYPES OF PRAYERS................................................................................. 16
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING ....................................................................................................... 16
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION ........................................................................................................ 16
PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION ........................................................................................................ 17
PRAYER OF PRAISE AND ADORATION ........................................................................................ 17
PRAYER OF PENITENCE .............................................................................................................. 17
CHAPTER 4: BENEFITS OF PRAYING........................................................................... 18
PRAYER CHANGES EVERYTHING FOR GOOD. ............................................................................. 18
PRAYER BRINGS FREEDOM FROM OPPRESSION. ......................................................................... 18
PRAYER IS THE BIRTHPLACE FOR SUPERNATURAL MINISTRY. .................................................. 18
BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ........................................................................................... 18
PRAYER PROVIDES TIMELY GUIDANCE WHEN NEEDED THE MOST ............................................ 19
PRAYER GIVES US ACCESS TO GREATER GRACE AND GOOD FORTUNE ...................................... 19
PRAYER ENRICHES US WITH WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT ........................................................ 19
 PRAYER OFFERS US MORE CONFIDENCE .................................................................................... 20
PRAYER ENABLES US TO RECHARGE OUR SPIRITUAL AND MENTAL RESOURCES ...................... 20
PRAYER ENABLES US TO RECHARGE OUR SPIRITUAL RESOURCES ............................................ 21
PRAYER ENABLES US TO DEVELOP INTERNAL PEACE ................................................................ 21
PRAYER STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH ........................................................................................... 21
PRAYER OFFERS US PERMANENT ENCOURAGEMENT................................................................. 22
PRAYER PROTECTS US FROM EVIL INFLUENCE .......................................................................... 22
PRAYER GIVES US ACCESS INTO THE SUPERNATURAL REALM OF GOD. .................................... 23
PRAYER EXCHANGES PROGRAMMES. ........................................................................................ 23
PRAYER AUTHORIZES GOD TO ACT ON YOUR BEHALF AND GIVE YOU A BREAKTHROUGH. ...... 23
PRAYER CONNECTS YOU TO THE REALM OF DREAMS AND VISIONS. ......................................... 23
CHAPTER 5: PURPOSE OF PRAYER ............................................................................. 25
CHAPTER 6: PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE PRAYERS ................................................ 27
CHAPTER 7: THE POWER OF GROUP PRAYER .......................................................... 29
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT PRAYER WORKS .......................................................................... 29
CHAPTER 8: WHEN, AND HOW TO PRAY .................................................................... 31
THE BEST TIMES TO PRAY ........................................................................................................ 31
THE BEST POSTURES DURING PRAYER ..................................................................................... 31
Kneeling ................................................................................................................................ 32
Prostration ............................................................................................................................ 32
Sitting .................................................................................................................................... 32
Standing ................................................................................................................................ 32
Bowing Down........................................................................................................................ 33
Lying Down........................................................................................................................... 33
Facing upwards toward heaven............................................................................................ 33
Stretching the arms ............................................................................................................... 33
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE DURING PRAYER ................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER 9: DEVELOPING THE RIGHT PRAYER MENTALITY .............................. 35
PRAYER AS A SOLEMN DUTY ..................................................................................................... 35
PRAYER AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD ................................................... 35
PRAYERS AS A MEANS TO STRENGTHEN ONE’S FAITH ............................................................... 36
PRAYER AS A WAY TO RELATE TO OTHER CHRISTIANS ............................................................. 37
CHAPTER 10: ANSWERED PRAYERS IN THE BIBLE.................................................. 38
SAINT ELIJAH ............................................................................................................................ 38
PROPHET MOSES ....................................................................................................................... 38
HANNAH AND HER SON SAMUEL .............................................................................................. 38
KING SOLOMON......................................................................................................................... 39
CHAPTER 11: REAL LIFE STORIES OF ANSWERED PRAYERS ................................ 40
THE GUARDIAN ANGEL ............................................................................................................. 40
 DIVINE INTERVENTION .............................................................................................................. 40
A HEAVENLY VOICE ................................................................................................................. 41
MONEY FROM HEAVEN ............................................................................................................. 41
A MIGHTY HAND ...................................................................................................................... 41
THE HEALING VISION................................................................................................................ 42
ROSARY OF FAITH ..................................................................................................................... 42
A HEALING TOUCH ................................................................................................................... 42
HOLY VISITOR ........................................................................................................................... 43
THE BLESSED MOTHER MARY .................................................................................................. 43
CHAPTER 12: PRAYER TEMPLATE .............................................................................. 45
CHAPTER 13: PRAYER SAMPLES ................................................................................. 48
POWERFUL PRAYERS FOR MARRIAGE ....................................................................................... 48
POWERFUL PRAYERS FOR MENTAL HEALTH ............................................................................ 49
POWERFUL PRAYERS FOR SLEEP ............................................................................................... 51
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 53
Introduction
The knowledge that God gives you the capabilities to make these changes allows you to
emancipate yourself from all fear and doubt. It, therefore, means you will need to first
acknowledge that God will provide the mental emotional and spiritual resources needed
and then believe in their abilities to accomplish what you need to. The reassurance that
God has already given you what you need offers the comfort and security that you are
indeed able to successfully make the changes in your life.

Once you open up yourself to God's positive energy around, the process of creating the
outcomes you desire becomes easier. After all, practice makes perfect.

Prayer encourages you to increase your focus on the progressive end you want and the
infinite support that God gives to help you make it happen. Prayer will not mandate that
in a day you to get up from your seat and start a profitable multi-billion-dollar business

out of thin air. However, prayer will assist you to find your motivation, own it, and focus
on it and in doing so drop all insecurities preventing you from accomplishing your goals.
It, therefore, gives you the authority to confidently work with God toward the
manifestation of your goals.

Many people lose their ability to focus on the positive energy which God flows into the
world. What with all the overwhelming pressures of daily activities and all the pressures
and stresses associated with some, it is almost impossible to keep focus, right? Wrong.
Your mindset and attitude will change as you integrate your positive building prayers in
your daily routine. You will discover that the more your embrace the positive of any
situation, the room for the anxiety and fear which act as stumbling blocks in the lives
many people destroying their overall well-being becomes severely decreased.

This book contains a number of prayers designed to help guide and motivate you as you
continue on your spiritual journey of change. Any transformation begins in the spiritual
realm. Your attitude and mindset determine your reaction to the daily struggles you will
encounter. An optimistic attitude and mindset will seek to find the benefit or advantage of
every situation, therefore, you will react with less anxiety and stress even when the
situation becomes unbearable. These prayers are meant to assist you in maintaining your
focus. Please feel free to integrate them into your daily routine. There is no reason to
follow a particular routine with the prayers. This may mean you will utilize some while
limiting the use of others. Remember the journey life is not unbending it is fluid. Figure
out how, when, why and where they work for you. Finally, don’t give up at the first
attempt, remember everything is a process and practice makes perfect. You will see the
difference God has made in your life in the just how your confidence level increases and
how your apprehension decreases. The more this happens the closer you are to attaining
your goals.

Once you start using them, you will find that specific prayers are brought to your
consciousness whenever you find yourself in overwhelming situations. This is you
learning to replace negative patterns in thinking and responding with prayer. When you
notice this happening more frequently, get excited, it means you are growing and the
process is working.

In this book, you will discover the many and tremendous benefits of prayer. Some will
not be new to you; some might very well be. In all, it is my hope that you will be re-
awakened to a special tool that will bring about wonderful blessings in your life and a
renewed and special relationship with our great Creator.
Chapter 1: What is Prayer?

Prayer is the deliberate and solemn act of entering into intense and wholehearted
communication with God, for the purpose of glorifying God’s majesty, expressing
gratitude to God’s generosity, affirming one’s loyalty to God, or submitting a humble
request for God’s intervention in some aspect of our life or that of others. Though
Christianity is characterized by a vast range of denominations, each with its unique style
of worship, prayer is the critical uniting element for this multitude of denominations
within Christianity. Prayer is similar to an express telephone line between God and
humans. It is by means of that telephone line that humans can deliver a message to God.
Prayer intensifies one’s intimacy with God, strengthens one’s faith, uplifts the spirit,
nourishes the soul, induces a positive state of mind, fortifies one’s adherence to divine
values, offers one inspiration, and affords us the courage to endure challenging
circumstances. Prayer reminds us that we have a capable, caring and responsive Father,
who is readily willing to come to our assistance as need may arise. There is a diverse
range of prayers within the Christian faith. Prayer may be carried out in public as part of
a liturgy, or it can be executed at an individual level.

With respect to intensity and depth, prayer can be categorized into three levels,
comprising vocal prayer, Christian meditation and contemplative prayer. Vocal prayer
generally entails verbal utterance of prayer.
It is subject that is very dear and vital to the hearts of many people. Virtually every
human being has some idea of what prayer is. Prayer for some people might be a short “O,
God ...”, or “O God, save me” when they are in trouble, or further still, “God, don’t let
any bad thing happen to me.”

It is commonplace to find that both the unsaved and saved utter such expressions of
prayer. However, these all have their limitations which will need to be exposed and
avoided so as to give prayer its rightful place in the lives of people.

Prayer is a goal-oriented and result-oriented spiritual exercise that helps us to effectively

turn our eyes away from the world where Satan dominates, and back to God, who alone
can, and does change our circumstances.
Prayer is returning the words of God to Him, and when you do that in line with His
promises for your life, God is committed to manifest them.

Prayer is an act of submission to God’s will and purposes for His creation. It is a way of
inviting God to come and take control of the circumstances of our lives.

Prayer is our sincere demonstration of our worship and loyalty to God. It is our way of
submitting ourselves to the lordship of God. We submit to God through prayer, and thus
offer Him the opportunity to intervene in our fight against the devil.

Prayer is our way of bringing our petitions and needs to God so He can take control of
them and give us needed breakthroughs.

Prayer is a dialogue or an intimate communion between a talking person and a talking

God. Many people have been limited in their prayer life by not understanding this
dimension of prayer.

So they find it difficult to pray on their own and be able to wait on God thereafter to
allow Him to minister back to them. They also believe that there must be many people
praying about a matter before God can answer that prayer. But that is not so!

Prayer, is really first and foremost, an individual’s earnest spiritual communion or

dialogue with God capable of producing awesome results. It is something that should be
practiced daily, maintaining vibrant communion with God as we carry on with our
activities.

Yes, there is a place for prayer of agreement but that should never replace our individual
communion with God. Prayer is the key that fits into all the doors to our destiny, helping
us to enter in and fulfil it.

Prayer involves the following:

• A demand for something due;

• A search for something hidden;

• A request as a favor;
 • A state of asking, demanding, enquiring, and understanding;

• A communion between you and your creator - God.

The Origin of Prayer in Christianity

Through the capable mediation of Jesus Christ, adherence to the Christian faith helps
restore our connection with God, while equally enabling us to regain our spiritual
integrity. In this context, spiritual integrity is intended to mean our devoted adherence to
the divine principles and laws enacted and promulgated by God, allowing us o befit the
status of righteous, humble and worthy servants of God. Thus, not only does prayer
nourish and enliven our relationship with God, but it also strengthens our faith and
sustains our state of righteousness.

The rich and inspiring prayer life of Jesus would be more comprehensively explored in a
subsequent section. This brief account was provided to demonstrate that Christianity and
prayer originated at the same time.

The Old Testament of the bible has documented an extensive range of various types of
prayers, which were ushered by believers in different situations. This is yet another
strong indication that the act of prayer had been a central element in worship, even prior
to the birth of Jesus and the inception of Christianity.
Chapter 2: Understanding Prayer

Prayer is the time when we dedicate special time to the Source of all.

Do we recognize what we are? Not who we are, but what we are? We are but dust. We
are atoms that spin, because God wills them to spin. We were made by God, not our
parents. Our parents were tools in His hands. Until we fully understand this truth, God’s
importance will not have the focus it should have in our minds. We owe all to Him. We
owe the privilege of coming to life, of continual existence, of meaningful existence to the
great God.

We go and visit our parents, when we can; we call them; we might even have them live
with us, if they’re in need. They gave us this physical life and raised us with much
sacrifice. We owe them the love and time. We invest time in them, as we should. How
much more should we invest to the one that privileges us with every second of our
existence.

Once we recognize the enormous significance of such reality, our craving to connect with
such a mighty and loving Being should multiply. If we do not recognize such a mighty
reality, we will not feel a need to show our respect toward Him and we will put other
“stuff” ahead of Him. If we do recognize it, we will “longingly” make time to visit our
great Creator and sustainer, as often as we can.

Prayer is the time when we let our Father know that we love Him above
all else.

Can anything even come remotely close to deserving being loved as much as our God?
When we love people, we crave to be with them, to communicate with them, to spend
quality time with them. When we love someone, we can’t wait to be around them and we
savor every moment that we share with them. How much we crave to visit and
communicate with our Father is an indication of how much we love our Father. If other
things such as activities and people take precedence then we are making a statement: I
love these things, activities, and people more that my Creator. That is the message we
give our Father--and it must hurt.

God takes great pleasure when His kids do their best to spend quality time with Him
through the day in spite of their challenging jobs, in spite of their family responsibilities,
in spite of their health limitations. God takes great pleasure when His children willingly
take time to talk to Him; to share their problems and needs with Him; when they spend
time expressing gratitude to Him.

Prayer is the time when we express our gratitude to the Source of all.

Prayer is a time when we reflect upon what he has done, is doing and will continue doing
for us and we take the time to let Him know how much we appreciate it. It is a time when
we express deep gratitude for everything He is and does.

What a noble thought to start our prayers with abundant gratitude. And why not? He is
the Source of all.

Prayer is the time when we show our Father how much we love His
“other” children--our future siblings.

God is love, indeed. Would you like one unbelievable piece of evidence that God is
outgoing love? The second great Commandment. God could have given us only One
commandment; only the first, and He could have stopped at that. That’s what satanically
inspired pagan gods did. They only demanded fear, service, respect and submission to
themselves.

He does not want us to hurt His other children, no matter who they are and what they
might do. Yet, he doesn’t just demand that we do not do. The second great commandment
is expanded upon in the last six commandments--but not completely.

The last six commandments tell us what not to do to love our siblings, but the second
great commandment is more all encompassing. It includes what not to do and what to do.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves involves doing as well as not doing, and one of the best,
most effective, most helpful things we can do to love our neighbor as ourselves is to go to
our mutual Father to intercede on the behalf of our brothers and sisters.

When we go to OUR Father to intercede on the behalf of our brothers and sisters, we are
obeying God’s second great Commandment. We are expressing love toward them, and
how sweet that must be to our mutual Father. What a special fragrance that must be.
Those prayers that rise to our God as incense are also special because they are prayers of
love towards God’s other children.

The God of love loves to hear prayers of love. When we intercede for our brethren, we
are giving our Father much joy, because His children are showing love toward one
another.

Prayer is the time when we reflect upon our Father’s greatness and
offer Him the praise that is only due to Him.

We are disposed to give praise to humans. Many books have been written to extol the
greatness of great scientists, philosophers, artists, musicians, writers, poets, statesmen and
heroes.

We pause to praise people around us who may do special things worthy of praise. How
much more the Being that made them all. How much more the Being that created the
laws of science, that created the works of art that men can only copy; the Being that gave
the great musicians of this world the capacity to compose their great music.

Prayer is the time when we fill up our otherwise-empty batteries with

His power.

Without God’s power we are on empty. We can eat an abundant breakfast; we can have a
snack at 10 A.M.; we can have a nutritious lunch; we can have another snack at 3 P.M.
and an abundant dinner at 6 and a snack at 9 and still we could be running on empty
spiritually.
We Christians are in need of ongoing fill ups. We need more than glucose to keep us
going. We need the power of God to keep us going and to keep us energized to tackle our
spiritual battles.

Every minute of the day we fight brutally vicious beings bent on destroying us. The
people of the world are not. We need power that is way above and beyond what Samson
may have had. We need the titanic power that comes from God.

Prayer is the time when we confess how much we fall short of His
standards and we beg for His plentiful mercy.

Forgiveness must be preceded by confession of our guilt, but not to men, but directly to
God. The High Priest does not bring past the curtain of the Temple blood on humans'
behalf, any longer. Humans can now go directly to God and appeal to the blood of Christ.
Once there, if we have sinned, we must confess, that is openly admit that we did wrong,
that we failed to fulfill His standards, and that we regret it, and that we feel sorry for it,
and that we will strive not to do it again.

Prayer is the time when we bring our genuine physical and

psychological needs, concerns and fears to our loving Father.

This is what most people think about when they think about prayer. Prayer is the time
when we converted Christians bring our genuine, true needs to God. It is a time when we
again recognize our weaknesses, our limitations, and we humble ourselves to the Great
God to ask for His intervention, admitting that our efforts and strength is no longer
enough.

It is also a time when the Father looks at our attitude; at our spiritual condition to see
what is important to us, and if we are willing to set our intelligence and our knowhow
aside and turn humbly to Him.
Seeking help is a humbling experience. The people of the world teach self-reliance.
Christianity teaches humility and setting proud self-reliance aside and turning to God for
help.

Prayer is our shelter from ever-present dangers and the terrifying

dangers of the future.

Prayer is a tool that leads to protection from immediate dangers. We may ask for God’s
intervention in advance of dangerous situations. Prayer is very powerful in times of
immediate dangers. Many Christians will tell you how God intervened and did wonders
on their behalf, when they were in danger. But God promises us protection from the
greatest danger of all: The Great Tribulation, if prayer with the right attitude is a part of
our life.

Prayer is the time when we manifest to God that our priorities are in
order.

Christians must have their priorities in order if they are to live a successful Christian life.
If they do, something wonderful happens: God addresses all their needs and because He
is pleased.

Prayer is not just a repetitive empty, boring exercise. It is packed with meaning and
benefits. That is why Christians must always be reminded of its importance.

Abundant, quality prayer is accompanied by great rewards.

God rewards those who stay close to Him in prayer in manifold ways. Here is what can
only be a partial list of His blessings:

• God is close to us, as we get close to Him.

• Satan stays at large.

• When attacked by Satan, we fight back successfully.

• We are strong in times of afflictions.

• We are better able to distinguish right from wrong.

• Our needs are looked after.

• We will be protected from the Great Tribulation.

• We will be blessed with seeing the One we have been in front of while praying,
but could not see.

• We will enjoy a very special relationship with our Brother forever.

• We will enjoy a very special relationship with Our Father forever.

Chapter 3: Types of Prayers
Though prayer is an indispensable element of Christian life, different people pray for
different reasons. Different people would find themselves in different situations that
necessitate prayer. Therefore, the type of prayer we usher is determined by our situation,
circumstances, and the type of response or intervention that our prayer is intended to call
upon.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Life is an immeasurable gift that deserves sincere pious gratitude. The breath of life, as
well as our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical capacities are products of the
Almighty. The oxygen we breathe, water, food and a multitude of other resources that are
essential for human survival and comfort are all express products of God. This magnitude
of exceptional generosity and unconditional love bestowed upon us by God deserves the
highest possible level of gratitude. Hence, gratitude is a way to inform the Lord that we
fully acknowledge and highly cherish all these material and immaterial blessings. By
expressing gratitude to these wonderful assets God has endowed us with, we are also
creating channels means by which even more grace and abundance would pour into our
lives.

Prayer of intercession

This is a scenario whereby one prays on behalf of others. One can intercede in prayer on
behalf of someone in a situation where they are not even able to muster the strength to
pray, for instance, a drug addict, someone who is chronically sick, or a baby who has not
yet developed the ability to pray. One can also perform this kind of prayer for an entire
nation, certain institutions such as the government, educational establishments, hospitals
or any other establishment as one sees fit.
Prayer of supplication

Prayer of supplication entails submitting a humble request for God to grant us a favor.
Prayers of supplication can embrace a wide range of forms, for instance, we can ask God
to offer us something tangible, or to lend us a helping hand in a particular situation in our
life.

Prayer of praise and adoration

This type of prayer is entirely dedicated to the acknowledgement and glorification of the
excellent characteristics of God, such as His majesty, power, glory, mercy, wisdom,
compassion, forgiveness, love and greatness.

Prayer of penitence

Prayer of Penitence enables us to express deep remorse for our shortcomings, while
equally seeking forgiveness for any wrongdoings that we might have intentionally or
erroneously inflicted upon others.
Chapter 4: Benefits of Praying
People pray for so many reasons, all of which reveal the purpose and power of prayer.
We are now going to examine some of the benefits of prayer.

Prayer changes everything for good.

Prayer is a discipline that enables you to place demand on God to release what is in
heaven on the earth for your good. So people pray and keep praying to the true God
because they recognize that prayer to Him changes everything, turning adverse situations
around for good.

Prayer brings freedom from oppression.

To be oppressed means to suffer prolonged cruel or unjust treatment from someone or

from people.

Prayer is the birthplace for supernatural ministry.

Every authentic ministry of God must be birthed through a strong prayer thrust. Prayer is
the backbone on which it will stand, endure and overcome the challenges that come its
way.

It is vital for a Christian to build up a rich and consistent prayer life because prayer is
tremendously beneficial on multiply fronts. The following are amongst the key benefits
of prayer:

Build a relationship with God

A careful observation reveals that our lives are centered on building and sustaining
relationships. Thus, we observe family relationships, professional relationships, romantic
relationships, interest groups, friendship, just to mention a few. A relationship enables
individuals to share values, principles, ideals and interests, to the mutual benefit of all
those involved.
Prayer provides timely guidance when needed the most

There are moments in life when we find ourselves in complex situations without a clear
direction on how to proceed. This can range from mundane issues such whether to quit or
stay in a particular job, to spiritual issues such as whether to worship in one ministry or
the other. More often, we have very limited information to take grounded and correct
decisions in such situations. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the likely future
outcome of any decision that we might take. Thus, through prayer, we invite divine
guidance into our souls to the effect that at some point in time, we develop absolute
clarity on the right course of action to take in a given complex situation.

Prayer gives us access to greater grace and good fortune

A life rich in prayer enables us to establish and sustain channels through which divine
grace and all types of blessings and good fortune pour into our life. This can be compared
to a situation whereby an electric cable connects the electricity station and a particular
household. It is by means of that cable that electricity flows from the power station to the
household. More often, God is always willing to offer us grace and all other forms of
blessings. However, some people have allowed the channels of communication between
them and God to depreciate to the degree that grace and other forms of blessing can
hardly flow through these channels. Thus, even if God directs grace and blessings to the
life of an individual, he might not be able to receive it; for instance, if the wire
connecting the electricity station and the household has a defect, the household might not
have electricity, even though there is abundance of electricity at the power station.
Consequently, through prayer, our channels of communication are healthy and lively,
enabling us to receive grace and other blessings in the measure that has been provided by
God.

Prayer enriches us with wisdom and discernment

Suppose you are about to go on an annual holiday; and there are ten possible destinations
where you can spend your holiday. You would make use of the information and
experience at your disposal to determine the destination you believe to be the most
deserving of all those ten destinations.
By your discernment, the destination you have chosen is the one which is more likely to
offer you the most satisfactory set of experiences you are seeking. Nevertheless, through
your own wisdom, it might be impossible to determine that a dangerous epidemic would
break out in your chosen destination immediately upon your arrival there. However, if
you prayed before choosing your destination, it would be possible for God to determine
that there is an imminent epidemic outbreak in your chosen destination, such that you
might be orientated to choose another destination. The type of wisdom at the disposal of
God is called enlightened wisdom. This magnitude of wisdom allows God to view the
future, and to understand the full-scale of the causes and consequences of any action to be
undertaken. Thus, through prayer, we develop very sharp intuition that enables us to
make the right decisions in any situation.

Prayer offers us more confidence

Even though we might be plagued by certain limitations in terms of resources and

capacities, we still have confidence in whatever situation we find ourselves because we
know that backup is available from the highest authority in heaven and earth. This
certainty that we can access higher assistance in any situation boosts our confidence and
self-esteem at all times. Sometimes God can actually use other people to offer us
assistance in any situation that we might find ourselves. There are numerous stories of
people whose prayers had been answered even beyond their expectations. Consider for
instance the son of a millionaire who might not have even a single penny with him, but is
fully aware that in the event of any situation that requires finances, he would receive
immediate backup from his father. Thus, though not in possession of his own
independent income, the son of a millionaire is fully confident that he can fully rely on
backup from his father.

Prayer enables us to recharge our spiritual and mental resources

Prayer of an intense character such as meditative or contemplative prayer enables us to

explore the deepest recess of our soul, prompting it to release its extensive stock of
virtues, such as love, kindness, compassion, humility, patience, perseverance,
understanding, tolerance, generosity, serenity, just to mention a few. However, prayer
also enables more of these virtues to flow from above into our consciousness, thereby
increasing the measure of these righteous elements into our being, offering us spiritual
refinement and moral solidity.

Prayer enables us to recharge our spiritual resources

Prayer enables us to recharge our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual resources with
positive divine energy that streams into our consciousness during prayer. The river of
fresh energy that pours into our consciousness during prayer energizes our thought power,
sets the mind in the right frame, develops and stabilizes positive emotions, uplifts our
spirit and increases our productivity.

Prayer enables us to develop internal peace

A typical modern life is characterized by anxiety because, the demands of life seem to
exceed the time and resources available for us to fulfill them. Someone attending a job
interview is anxious as to whether he would be the successful candidate of all those who
have been interviewed. A mother is worried about her sick child who has been admitted
in hospital. Worries might arise because we find ourselves in situations over which we
have no control, but expect them to produce certain outcomes. The truth is that worries
cannot offer us any real assistance, but they instead put us in a mood of agitation and loss
of focus. However, when we pray, we invite divine grace and serenity into our being,
which naturally dispels anxiety. Prayer enables us to perform the very best of what we
can do, while allowing God to take care of those matters that are beyond our control.
Being aware that we have offered our best in a given situation, and that God is taking
care of what is beyond our control automatically instills internal peace. With this state of
internal peace and self-control, we can even deal with situations in a more effective and
satisfactory way because we are focused, collected and serene.

Prayer strengthens our faith

Through faith, we are motivated to participate in fostering and preserving the values and
ideals of Godliness, in such a way that fosters the divine qualities of love, compassion,
kindness, tolerance, understanding, generosity and more. Thus, the more we pray, the
deeper and stronger our connection with God, and the greater our appreciation for the
will of God. This also grants us the ability to conduct ourselves in a way that is
compatible with the will of God. Thus, prayer enormously strengthens our faith by
consolidating our relationship with God. When our faith is strengthened through prayer, it
is much easier for us to withstand temptations and abide by a virtuous life in whatever
circumstances we find ourselves.

Prayer offers us permanent encouragement

Encouragement entails the boldness essential for us to take upon our duties and
responsibilities in this world. Our purpose in this world is to achieve spiritual evolution,
to serve one another in the spirit of love and mutual respect, and to use every means at
our disposal to foster divine principles and values on earth, as set forth by God. Our
professions and occupations should constitute a means to multiply and share divine ideals
on earth. Whether you are a doctor, farmer, driver, builder, teacher, scholar or a curator,
our aim should be to render service to one another in the spirit of loving kindness, while
enabling us to earn an honest living. Sometimes we are confronted by difficulty situations
in our daily, family or professional lives. With intense consistent prayer, we can develop
the ability essential for us to confront these challenges in a loving manner. With the
certainty that we have backup from God, it is much easier for us to muster the courage
essential for us to deal with our duties and responsibilities in life.

Prayer protects us from evil influence

This physical world has not yet reached the most satisfactory state of righteousness. Thus,
Christians would find themselves in circumstances that might not necessarily be positive.
Interaction with colleagues at work, with friends, family members and the general public
can all tend to influence us negatively. The media might be airing undesirable news such
as indecent images, violent films, unhealthy news and offensive opinions that would tend
to exert a negative effect on us. We may come under criticism from family members,
colleagues at work or friends. In fact, the devil is always trying to harass believers and
distract them from their firm believe. The negative power would whisper all forms of
twisted logic into our ears, in order to weaken our faith and derail us from divine ideals
and values. With deep consistent and sincere prayer, we have the stamina essential for us
to withstand and overcome all the negative influences that try to pull us in the opposite
direction to our faith. When we pray, we draw upon ourselves a kind of shield that
protects us from evil influences that float around us on a daily basis. `

Prayer gives us access into the supernatural realm of God.

Prayer is God’s ordained legal way to get us to import the things in heaven into our lives
on earth. God can do anything through prayer.

Prayer exchanges programmes.

Prayer re-arranges the order of events in the spiritual realm, disrupts or scatters the
programme of the devil and re-establishes God’s will for your life (See Acts 16:25-34).

Prayer authorizes God to act on your behalf and give you a

breakthrough.

When you pray according to scriptural injunctions, God answers, and does so in different
ways. Through prayer, you get God to move you away from a place of drought, loss, pain,
bitterness, and setback to your place of fullness, wholeness, honor, total abundant life,
peace, joy, refreshing, fulfilment, fruitfulness, rest, orderliness, stability, completion,
supernatural provision and continual supply.

Prayer connects you to the realm of dreams and visions.

The apostle Peter experienced this truth. In his words, “I was in the city of Joppa
praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down
from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.

When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild
beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise,
Peter; kill and eat.’

But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my
mouth.’ But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you
must not call common.’ Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into
heaven” (Acts 11:5-10).

Saul (later Paul), after his Damascus road experience that left him blind, spent three days
in prayer and fasting. During that time, he received a vision from the Lord that
permanently altered the course of his life for good.

God expressed this truth to Ananias, saying, “Arise and go to the street called Straight,
and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.
And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him,
so that he might receive his sight” (Acts 9:11-12).

Also, through prayer, Paul received a vision through which God revealed His calling on
his life to go and minister to the Gentiles (see Acts 22:17-21).
Chapter 5: Purpose of Prayer
Prayer deepens our relationship with God, helping us to grow closer in fellowship with
him, forming an everlasting bond. If prayers are given true to God’s nature, which are to
love one another, displaying mercy and grace, forgiveness, and redemption, then they
will bring us near him, so we can listen.

Prayer is communication with God by talking and listening with him. There are
numerous ways to pray, the most important one being to pray from your heart sincerely.
The Holy Spirit is our intercessor and will guide us in our prayers. In the Bible, there
were spoken prayers, silent prayers, prayers on bended knee or standing, eyes open or
shut, and quiet or loud ones. Through our relationship with God, prayer can expand our
horizons, in our perspectives on life, in our fears and sorrows or joys and hopes for our
future.

The purpose of prayer provides an invitation to know God, bringing him closer to us , so
we may praise him, and receive blessings in our lives. It is not to change our
circumstances but to change us, our inner nature, our perception of a life situation, so we
may glorify God. We can praise God, ask for forgiveness, and thank him for all he has
provided for us. By bringing our worries and surrendering them to him, we must realize
that the answers to our prayers may not result in what we desire, for that may not be
God’s will and what is best for us. We can acknowledge the reality of God’s presence
through faith, and view ourselves as God sees us. God can instill in us, grace, comfort,
strength, and hope for our future.

This reverent petition can bring focus to our lives, and can be made in various forms, in
the form of praise, giving thanks to God, for forgiveness, healing, intercession for others
needs, to honor God, or to request hope for blessings upon our lives. God ordains your
prayers and the answers to them, while remaining sovereign at the same time. God
desires and commands that we pray to him, so that he may change our hearts through
them. Prayer is a spiritual discipline that can lead us to wisdom, as stated in the Bible,
James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all
without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Many Christians struggle to pray as they experience doubt, or are busy charting their
own plans, or not feeling worthy to talk with God because they have not made time for
him by being distracted from life’s daily activities. If we pray to the Lord faithfully he
will meet our needs, by trusting in him, for he loves us unconditionally. Motivation is a
key step towards prayer, as the prayers of the righteous have been proven to be
powerfully effective, don’t underestimate them.

Prayer is powerful, proactive, and promotes a precedent for miracles to take place. It can
change our perspectives, and transform our lives through faith, renewing hope for our
life’s journeys in health, careers, or relationships. Prayer bonds us to God who is all
powerful and omnipotent, for we can be assured that God will always work in our best
interests.
Chapter 6: Principles of Effective Prayers

Our prayers should be made with sincere wholeheartedness, humility, seeking him and
asking for forgiveness of our sins. We must have faith in whatever we have asked for,
that we believe we have already received it, and it will be ours.

We can increase our power of prayer by setting aside a comfortable private place and
time without distraction, recognizing the divinity of God and asking for his help, and
adjusting our prayer to the will of God for he knows the best possible solution for us. Ask
him to increase your faith, so you may turn over to him, all your concerns, and not
focused on the outcome trying to anticipate how they will be fulfilled. Show gratitude to
God for received answers, as well as unanswered or unexpected ones. Praise him and
thank him, being prepared for results.

Remember to be specific in your prayers, including details on material issues, and for
spiritual gifts, be willing to follow his guidance in your heart. Be accepting of God’s gifts,
for when we surrender our desires to him, we allow him to give us what he wants, which
results in a infinite source of abundance. Effective prayers can be achieved through study
and meditation on God’s word in our hearts, praying with faith, and having confidence in
his word and promises to us.

The Holy Spirit can help us to release our anger, or pain by placing God’s love into our
hearts. By expressing forgiveness and love to others, faith can be increased for answered
prayers. We can pray for our personal needs, for each other, and for the ministers in
Christ, or the church. God directs us to come to him in prayer, so that he may provide
miraculous interventions for us and he can be glorified. We must be persistent and
persevere in our prayers, by refusing to give up on our blessings.

In the prayer of thanksgiving, we thank and praise God for all he has done for us already,
and for what he is about to do, through our communication with him. A prayer for
consecration is when we dedicate our lives to God, confirming it to the will of the Lord.
When you make a prayer of faith, you believe that God listens, and you have confidence
God will answer in time according to his will.
Healing prayers are spoken for the healing of someone’s affirmatives, and have been
associated with many miracles from God. The petition prayer is specific, asking God to
fulfill a request for ourselves. Contemplative prayer is being open to unification with God
on his sacred divine will for us. The centering prayer focuses on a word or phrase to
maximize its power, in submitting it to God. Meditation is practiced by sitting in silence
and using our imagination, or visualization, or a specific object, in order to feel unified
with God.
Chapter 7: The Power of Group Prayer
Indeed, group prayer is exceptionally powerful to the degree that its effects can be quite
dramatic and even instant. When a group of believers is unified by faith, same intentions,
similar motivations, identical objectives and goal, the effects can be incredibly powerful.
Group prayer is very powerful because the united intentions of so many people generate
great power like a supersonic jumbo jet, which pierces into the sky with such remarkable
force.

Scientific Evidence that Prayer Works

It can be articulated with certainty that God is the most legendary scientists in the
universe. All the phenomena that science seeks to understand were all created by God.
The astronaut who is studying phenomena in space; the marine biologist who is trying to
understanding life in the sea, the medical doctor who is trying to comprehend the
mechanisms of disease formation in the body are all servants of the Lord. God has
already understood every phenomenon that our dedicated scientists are still struggling to
understand in this world. Thus, God is the most powerful scientist in the universe. God
does not need to read text books or conduct experiments to understand how a certain
phenomenon works. Thus, it does not really come as a surprise that scientists have
discovered the power of prayer.

For Christians, God the Almighty is the Supreme power who made heaven and earth.
Thus, the prayers of Christians are directed to God. However, throughout the ages, there
had been a consistent demand for believers to provide compelling evidence that prayer
truly works as affirmed by millions of Christians around the world. Therefore, numerous
scientific experiments have been conducted to prove the effectiveness and power of
prayer.

Though numerous experiments have been conducted on the power of prayer, one of the
most prominent of such studies is that which took place in the San Francisco General
Hospital’s Coronary Care Unit. The study was undertaken between August 1982 and
May 1983, and involved 393 patients. The study was aimed at selecting a random group
of patients who would benefit from the prayer of intercession, that is, the type of prayer
where others pray on behalf of someone. So, in this experiment, there was a group of
patients whose members were to receive intercessory prayer, and another group whose
members were not to receive intercessory prayer. The results of the study were quite
enlightening because the patients who received intercessory prayer were healthier than
those who did not. Recipients of intercessory prayer had less need for cardiopulmonary
resuscitation; and also had less need for mechanical ventilators. Also, the recipients of
prayer had a significantly reduced need for diuretics and antibiotics.

Also, a certain study was conducted by Duke University Medical Centre involving 4000
participants above the age of 65. The aim of the study was to compare the blood pressure
of those who prayed and attended church service with that of those who never prayed and
never participated in any religious service. The study discovered that those who prayed,
studied the bible or participated in religious services had normal blood pressure, as
opposed to those who never prayed or took part in any religious event.

Another study was conducted to determine the effects of prayer on germinating seeds.
The study was carried out by Dr. Franklin Loehr. In one of the experiments, three pans
comprising a diverse range of seeds were selected. One of the pans received positive
prayer, another received negative prayer, while the third received no prayer at all. The
results of the study were once again astonishing because the seeds in the pan that
received positive prayer germinated extremely well, and produced flesh plants. The seeds
in the pan that received negative prayer grew with distinctive reluctance. Negative prayer
even entirely stopped the germination of some plants.

Other studies conducted on the benefits of prayer reveal that prayer helps us to be in
control of challenging situations, prayer increases one sense of pleasantness, prayer helps
us to be more forgiving, prayer increases trust amongst people, and prayer neutralizes or
even reverses the negative health effects that arise from stress.
Chapter 8: When, and how to pray

The Best Times to Pray

The bible advices Christians to pray without ceasing. This implies that a Christian is a
liberty to pray at any time of the day. We observe that in this physical world, there are
certain times more suitable to engage in some activities than others; for instance, night
driving is more hazardous than driving during the day; it is better to have dinner between
7p.m. and 8p.m. than to do so at midnight, which might result in digestive problems.

Though Christians can pray at any time of the day, there are certain appointed hours
during which prayer is strongly recommended for Christians. In the Old Testament for
instance, the three standard prayer hours of the day comprised the following: 9a.m., 12
noon and 3p.m. It is important to take notice that during prayer, an intense spiritual event
is taking place between God and the person uttering the prayer. Therefore, the
effectiveness of prayer can be at its optimum during these appointed prayer hours.

Ultimately, Jesus died during the ninth hour of the day (Luke 23:44-46). For an unraveled
Spiritual legend like Jesus, the hours that characterized his death cannot be deemed a
coincidence. Thus, these hours have unique spiritual significance.

The Best Postures During Prayer

Prayer is a solemn activity that requires the person performing the prayer to adopt a
solemn, sincere and humble attitude, in thought, speech, emotion and body. The posture
adopted during prayer should reflect the solemnity of prayer and attest to the
wholeheartedness and humble inclination of the person performing the prayer. Thus,
posture is an important element of prayer because it constitutes an outward representation
of the person’s internal disposition during prayer. Various accepted postures for prayer
are mentioned in the bible, cardinal of which are the following: kneeling, prostration,
sitting, standing, bowing down, lying down, face upwards toward heaven and stretching
the arms. Each of these postures of prayer would in turn be briefly examined as follows:
Kneeling

Kneeling during prayer is a reflection of wholeheartedness and humility. Indeed, if

someone kneels during prayer, it is an indication that the person is sincere and submissive
to the glorious authority of the Lord. Examples of biblical verses that mention kneeling
during prayer include the following: King Solomon knelt when he pleaded with God to
bless the Temple and the people of God (I Kings 8:54.), Elijah knelt in earnest prayer
when he asked the Lord to send rain to end Israel’s drought (I Kings 18:41–46).

Prostration

Prostration is an act of vivid veneration, whereby an individual lies down with the face
downward and hands stretched out. Prostration reflects an attitude of absolute surrender
and unblemished trust to the capability of the Lord. Indeed, prostration indicates the
humility, submissiveness and adoration of God. It also indicates that the individual is
entirely trustful and dependent on the grace and assistance of God.

Sitting

Sitting indicates that we are ready for instruction and edification from the Lord. Sitting is
a position that reflects the fact that the person performing the prayer is composed, and
ready to sincerely communicate with the Lord.

Standing

Standing may imply our solemn acknowledgement of the Lord as the Ultimate King of
the entire universe. Also, standing may mean that we have the legitimate right to carry
out prayers. As the children of God, we are entitled to approach our most venerable
heavenly Father to address our situation. Our right to be recipients of the mercy and grace
of our Father is made possible by Jesus Christ.

Standing during prayer is frequently mentioned in the scriptures. A cardinal example is

when Judah was on the brink of being jointly invaded by Moab and Ammon, then
Jehoshaphat invited the community for prayer. The people were standing while
conducting this prayer (2 Chronicles 20:5, 13). Hannah delivered her supplication to the
Lord while standing, and her request was responded to (1 Samuel 1:26). Job prayed to
God while standing (Job 30:20). Jesus made a statement to his disciples that indicated
that He approved of prayer while standing.

Bowing Down

Bowing down is an expression of total submissiveness, humility and solemn

acknowledgement of the supreme authority and capacity for God to attend to our
concerns. Bowing down also reflects our attitude of honor, gratitude and total trust in
God.

Lying Down

Lying down may imply rest, and prayer during this time can imply our inclination to rest
in the arms of the Lord throughout our sleep. Thus, lying down can imply that we are
seeking the gracious and trustable company of the Lord during our sleep.

Facing upwards toward heaven

Looking up to heaven during prayer is an expression of total confidence and absolute

reliability on the might of the Lord to address our concerns or demands. Looking up to
heaven indicates that the assistance we are seeking comes from that direction;

Stretching the arms

Stretching the arms implies that we are inviting the solemn power of God into our
situation, pleading for forgiveness and salvation, and affirming our inclination of
faithfulness to the proclamations of the Lord.

The Right Attitude During Prayer

One should not perform prayer as though one is engaged in a business deal with God, or
compelling God to act in a particular way. If anyone were to adopt that attitude, then it
would appear as though one is conducting what can be referred to as prayer business with
God. Prayer should aim at establishing and building a sincere deep relationship with God,
which can naturally fructify into various benefits for the person performing the prayer.
One should approach God with an attitude of patience, humility, wholeheartedness,
gratitude, strong faith and open-mindedness.
Chapter 9: Developing the Right Prayer Mentality
Prayer should be treated as a necessity because the sustainable survival of faith is very
much dependent on prayer. It is by means of prayer that our souls are nourished and
uplifted. Through prayer, our minds are rendered serene and responsive to noble ideals.
Also, it is dutiful upon Christians to proclaim and foster divine ideals and values on earth,
as enacted by God. Thus, prayer should be treated as: a solemn daily duty, an opportunity
to communicate with God, a chance to strengthen one’s faith, and a way to relate to other
Christians.

Prayer as a solemn duty

Duty can be viewed as an activity or undertaking that one is required to perform without
making any excuses. Thus, we should adopt a dutiful disposition towards prayer such that
each day, we should make great effort to unfailingly pray in the morning, afternoon and
before we go to sleep. We should never give ourselves the latitude to justify our failure to
pray in any particular day. Prayer does not have to be very long in such a way that it can
significantly interfere with the hectic schedule of modern life. Even four phrases of
wholehearted prayer are enough to appease our souls and nourish our relationship with
God at that particular time. Just as it is the duty of the heart to continue beating in order
to keep us alive, so is it dutiful upon us to always pray in order to keep faith alive.
Brushing our teeth every morning is a duty of hygiene that is performed without any
excuse. Once we adopt the mental disposition that upholds prayer as a solemn daily duty,
we shall find ourselves fulfilling this duty in the most effortless way possible.

Prayer as an opportunity to communicate with God

Christians should avoid treating prayer as an opportunity to do business with God,

whereby we only remember God when we are seeking an immediate favor from God.
Many people only give consideration to prayer if they find themselves in a very difficult
situation for which God’s assistance is urgently required. Such people would indeed
never consider praying if they do not find themselves in difficult situations. This
mentality towards prayer is very unhelpful indeed, and can even be counterproductive.

We must acknowledge that we owe our lives to God because if we reflect very deeply,
we shall realize that our lives have an origin. As attested by the scriptures, God is the
source of our lives. Thus, it is dutiful upon us to express pious gratitude to the source of
our lives and to establish a strong relationship with that source. This relationship should
be governed by trust, gratitude, sincerity, obedience, strong faith and humility. Prayer
helps us to establish, nourish and sustain a deep and healthy relationship with God.

Our communication with God should be full of prayers of gratitude, adoration and faith.
As a matter of fact, our prayers of supplication should be limited. We should always
thank God for giving us the life that we now enjoy. We should express gratitude to God
for the free oxygen that we breathe and upon which our lives depend. We should thank
God for the good health, the strength and vitality to get on with our daily lives. If we
cannot express deep gratitude to God for the abundance of blessings that have already
been bestowed upon us, then we might not even be able to thank God for additional
blessings that might be poured into our lives. The mentality of gratitude is extremely
important in performing our prayers.

Prayers as a means to strengthen one’s faith

Faith is the foundation of a Christian’s life, while prayer is the fabric of that foundation.
If a Christian’s life be likened to a tree, then faith can be regarded as the root that enables
that tree to stand upright, while prayer serves as the water and nutrients that nourish the
root and other parts of the tree, ensuring its continuous survival and perfect health.

A Christian should consider prayer as a means to strengthen and deepen one’s faith.
Prayers of thanksgiving, praise and adoration should all be designed to strengthen one’s
faith. These prayers actually deepen and enrich one’s relationship with God. When one
intensifies intimacy with God in this way, more of divine grace and blessings flow from
God to us, enormously fortifying our faith and determination to always abide by divine
values and ideals. Therefore, Christians should consider prayer as a powerful tool to
fortify faith. Prayer reinforces faith and faith enhances the efficacy of prayer. Even the
effectiveness and wholeheartedness with which our prayers are delivered is determined
by the strength of our faith.

Prayer as a way to relate to other Christians

A Christian should adopt a constructive mentality towards the fostering of Christian

values and ideals across the globe. One vital way in which a Christian can relate to other
followers is by praying together with them. Engaging in group prayer generates collective
integrated momentum, which can inspire legitimate noble ideals such as promoting world
peace, fighting world hunger, combating environmental destruction and expanding the
Christian family throughout the world. A keen observation of the prayer life of Jesus
would enable us to reflect on His prayer mentality. The tremendous spiritual strength
Jesus accumulated during his intense prayer sessions was designed to offer free public
service. Jesus never ever sought financial recompense for the invaluable services He was
delivering to humanity.

When Christians make it a point to pray and worship together, they provide mutual
support and encouragement to each other, and strengthen one another’s faith. When a
Christian integrates with other followers in worship and prayer, it becomes much easier
for that Christian to contribute in the collective vision of fostering Christian ideals and
values within the local community and beyond. Whether a Christian resides amongst
other Christians, non-Christians or even atheists, he or she should pray hard to be a
shining example of love, compassion, kindness, charity, tolerance, forgiveness, positive
courage and noble sacrifice. Let these sublime ideals be a mark of identification for all
Christians. It is usually said that a tree is known by its fruits. Thus, when Christians
become role models of these cherished divine values, others would naturally become
interested in that noble group that is molding these types of beautiful people.
Chapter 10: Answered Prayers in The Bible
At the heart of all miracle stories in the Bible, is God’s compassion, protection, grace,
and love for us. He has the power to save those in dire situations of oppression, danger, or
death through his mercy. There are numerous accounts and stories in the Bible of God’s
answered prayers to his people.

Saint Elijah

The early church of Jerusalem prayed for Peter after he was arrested by King Herod. God
answered their call to prayer by sending forth an angel to free Peter from his prison, Acts
12:5-10. Moses prayers included the Parting of the Red Sea, Exodus 14:13-22, and for
providing water in the wilderness on his journey with the Israelites, Exodus15:25.

Prophet Moses

Hannah was barren and for many years prayed faithfully to God for a son. Hannah was
true to her word and when she bore her child Samuel, she gave him to Eli to train for
priesthood. Since Hannah had kept her promise to the Lord, he was pleased and she had
additional children, three more sons and two daughters. Hannah never gave up having
faith in God, she kept her pledge to him, and she praised him for his wisdom, compassion,
and mercy.

Hannah and Her Son Samuel

Daniel was thrown to the lions, but he continually prayed to God, did not give up, or lose
his faith, and God spared his life, in Daniel 6:4-24. The scripture teaches us how prayers
are answered. King Solomon was visited by the Lord in a dream requesting that he pray
and ask for something from God, the king chose wisdom, so that he would be able to
discern good from evil. God was so impressed and touched by his prayer that God
granted wisdom to him, along with great honor and riches, 1Kings 3:5-14.
King Solomon

These stories are designed to illustrate the qualities of effective and meaningful prayer
such as sincerity, humility, and faith, which are pleasing to God. God desires you to pray
to him, so ask God for wisdom and discernment to teach you how to pray effectively.
There are three important steps to receiving successfully answered prayers, such as being
personal, persistent, and purposeful.

It will take time to develop a close personal relationship with God, so involve him in
your life, and acknowledge his steadfastness and faithfulness to you, while enduring
everyday challenges. Pray and meditate on God’s word. Persevere and be persistent in

God cannot be truly pleased without real faith from us. This is accomplished by
committing ourselves to him by living through us by the Holy Spirit. We can increase the
value of our faith by praying and studying his inspired word. Pray to him in the name of
Jesus, and revere and obey him according to his will and laws.
Chapter 11: Real Life Stories of Answered Prayers

The Guardian Angel

A woman entered a hospital for excruciating pain from a fibroid tumor of the uterus. She
had a successful surgery but she still suffered intense pain, so she was given a morphine
IV drip. However, she was unknowingly allergic to morphine, and had a terrible reaction
as it had interacted with her other medications. She received some pain medicine to help
her sleep, but she awoke in the middle of the night, and someone was speaking to her,
while sitting at her bedside. The young woman was wearing a hospital uniform and she
was reading aloud from the Bible. She told her she was sent there to make sure she would
be okay, and told her she would be just fine. The next morning, the woman spoke with
her doctor about the visit to inquire whom had come into her room. The doctor claimed
no nurses or doctors were stationed to be with her at that time. She believes her guardian
angel was sent to comfort her and give her peace.

Divine Intervention

An administrator at a critical access hospital, was working in his office, when he was
visited by the daughter of one of the patients there. The daughter had come to ask if they
could make her father more comfortable there with equipment that would help elevate his
feet to clear his lungs. He responded to her that what was needed was a geri chair which
was a padded recliner that has adjustable positions for seating and the feet. Previously, he
had placed an order for the chair, but it had not arrived yet. The salesman had shown him
their standard size model, but the hospital could not afford that too, as each of them cost
about $1000, so he had taken back the model, and placed the order for one of them.
Within a time, span of 10 minutes, after the daughter had visited him, a van pulled up
outside. It was the geri salesman, and he had decided to give the standard size model free
of charge to the hospital, and he happily wheeled it to the room of the lady’s father. The
administrator gives thanks to the Lord for his intervention at just the right time.
A Heavenly Voice

It was a warm Sunday summer afternoon, and a couple was taking a drive in the country
through a rural area. There were no cars in view, as they came up to a four way stop, and
the woman was the driver. The woman immediately heard an insistent voice in her head,
to stay stopped, to not move, no matter what. Her husband turned to her and asked why
they were not moving, but the lady could only reply she didn’t know why, but that they
were supposed to stay put right there. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a car
appeared barreling in front of them going at least 90 miles per hour. The driver never
slowed down, as he sped through the stop sign, right through the intersection. The woman
turned to her husband, both with shocked faces and amazement that their lives had been
spared. They believe that God’s presence was there with them, and he spoke to them to
protect them, so no harm would come their way.

Money from Heaven

A young college woman experienced a car breakdown, and took her vehicle to the repair
shop to be fixed. However, the mechanic told her the repairs would be at least $300.00.
She was very upset as she didn’t have the funds. She called her mother for assistance, but
unfortunately her mother was having financial difficulties as well. However, that same
morning after speaking with her daughter, an unexpected bonus was given to the mother
at work in the amount of $300.00, so now she could help her daughter. The mother had
worked at the same place for 30 years, so she feels that only God knows our needs, and
comes to our rescue when we need him most.

A Mighty Hand

A mother and daughter go through the dramatic experience of surviving a tornado. The
mother hears an urgent clear voice telling her to go to safety now with her daughter. They
immediately move down to the closet area. The mother begins to close the door when
they hear the sound of a train roaring, and their roof flies off. The closet door swings shut
as if a powerful force had slammed it. After the storm passes, they had to bust the door
down to get out. Their house had been destroyed, and the fire department told them that it
was a miracle that they had not been crushed inside. They said that something had to
have been keeping the closet door area together. The mother gives thanks to God for
loving them and saving their lives.

The Healing Vision

Suffering from severe headaches, a woman undergoes brain surgery to remove a tumor,
but not all of it could be removed, and it showed as malignant. Thus, the tumor grew back,
and she was not expected to live. Her family gathered to pray for her, and that night her
husband had a vision of her tumor being healed. He told his wife with confidence that she
was going to be healed by the Lord. Eventually she was able to stop taking her medicine,
and her condition continued to improve, until she was healed, to her neurosurgeon’s
amazement. She believes her husband was sent a message through the Holy Spirit to him,
and performed a miracle of healing for her.

Rosary of Faith

A young man daily prayed the rosary every morning and back and forth on the way from
work. One evening on his way home, his car was involved in an accident where another
driver, lost control of his vehicle and came across towards his car. His car hit him from
the side and got caught between the barrier, and his vehicle lifting up upon the left side,
while his car destroyed the barrier. While the accident was unfolding, a voice told him to
let go of his steering wheel and he did so. He closed his eyes, after seeing a white light
inside his car. He felt a comforting presence with him and the voice spoke again to him to
relax and wait for his vehicle to stop. After it was over, he found the rosary he was
holding just before the accident, as he holds the small rosary as he drives and says it. The
man feels that the Blessed Mother Mary watches over him, and for those that pray and
sincerely say the rosary. Since the accident, his faith has increased.

A Healing Touch

A church ministry led by a couple would spend their Sundays at nursing homes, to bring
hope to them. The woman began experiencing trouble with her singing voice for over a
year, with hoarseness so bad, it was difficult for her to speak aloud. Her doctor’s
diagnosis was growths on her vocal cords that would need to be surgically removed. She
was referred to a specialist, and he too confirmed that of her doctors. She loved singing
and prayed to God to return her voice. A week before her surgery her voice returned, so
she went back to her doctor for another exam. Through retesting, he discovered that one
of the growths was gone, and the other was diminishing in growth. She is now singing
and talking normally. She gives God the praise and glory for her healing.

Holy Visitor

A young man who had been in ill health, began fainting several times and he was rushed
and admitted to the hospital for severe gastrointestinal bleeding, where he received many
blood transfusions. He was new to the area, and had just joined the church there. His
minister upon hearing about his health made a special visit to see him, where he prayed
for him to make a complete recovery. Afterwards, the minister spoke to his doctors, and
told them the man had been healed by God. They performed new medical testing on him,
and the results were that the bleeding had stopped with no abnormalities. Through trust
and faith in God, all things are possible.

The Blessed Mother Mary

An elderly gentleman in his 80’s, makes the decision to buy a statue of the Blessed
Virgin Mary from a shop, that had gotten it through a convent. The gentleman claimed
that within 10 minutes after laying his hands on the top of the head of the statue, and
praying for God to look after him, and return his health to him, he noticed a dramatic
improvement in his physical health. He had been in a wheelchair for 10 years, and had
only been able to walk with a walker the distance of 10 yards before having to rest and sit
down. After his prayer to the Blessed Mother, he was able to walk fully again, and he
walked from his house down to his gate, and made the trip back. He has now set up a
shrine in his backyard where others may visit the statue and say their prayers. It will be
blessed by priests and the rosary said. He hopes that many will receive blessings from
their prayers to the Blessed Mother Mary.

One of the things you hear often from the pulpit is the need for Christians to have a
constant and abundant prayer life. But do Christians really "need" to pray? Is prayer
really as important as some religious leaders make it out to be? After all, doesn't God
know our needs before we even ask? And since He does, why can't He simply provide
without us having to ask?

Is obedience and going to church not enough? Is it really important that we talk to God
regularly? Are there really any benefits?
Chapter 12: Prayer Template

PRAYER SHEET TEMPLATE

Use this on a monthly or weekly basis and update daily as you

pray

Thanks and Praise: What things are you thankful for and need to
praise God for.

Confession: Bring any and all sinful things that need to be

cleansed.
Intercession: Pray for others. Spouse, family, kids.

Restored: Things you feel led to pray over the body for-be
specific.

Leadership families: Things you are praying over the leaders of

the church.

Other people and ministries on your heart: The lost, The

Nations.

Me: Things you are pleading and asking from the lord personally.
Listen: Take time and listen for the lord list some things that the
lord is speaking to your heart
Chapter 13: Prayer Samples

Powerful Prayers for Marriage

I appreciate all that my spouse does for our blessed union…

I decide to show God's love to my spouse completely, every day…

My relationship with my spouse is made stronger every day by God…

I will be the first to take the opportunity to pray together…

I am loyally devoted to God and my partner…

I acknowledge the great strength that God gives us, together…

I will take time to pray and learn more about my partner each day…

I love my spouse for who god made them, not who I want them to be…

I am building a marriage based on God's love and respect…

I accept my spouse's differences without judging God's plan…

I will always share God's love with my spouse unconditionally…

I keep the lines of communication with God in my marriage wide open…

I am letting God make my marriage stronger every day…

I will work with God to build up my marriage through good and bad times…

I will always pray to find ways to make my spouse happier…

I will always keep my spouse as my best friend and prayer partner…

I know that there is nothing we can't conquer together with God…

I always want to pray with my spouse, day and night…

I am always happy to return home to my blessed union…

I believe in the power God and the strength of my marriage…

I will always show God's kindness and patience…

My partner is the love God wants for my life…

I am overwhelmed with God's joy and happiness from my partner…

I am married to the most important person in this life God gave me…

I hold my marriage as the highest commitment in this life God gave me…

Powerful Prayers for Mental Health

I release my fear and let go of depression with God's help...

I release my sadness and embrace the joy of living for God...

I choose to let God help me be happy...

I let go of my ties to mental illness and depression through my prayers...

I am ready to accept a new way of thinking from God...

I am feeling clear and focused because God is with me...

I will validate my emotions and then pray to move on from them...

I love myself and God and I am perfectly healthy...

I am worthy of love and respect from God...

I am good enough just as God made me...

I love and approve of myself the way God made me...

I am discovering how wonderful God made me...

13. I am moving in the direction with God that is best for me...

I am enough, I have enough, and I do enough in God's name...

I deserve to be loved and respected by myself and by God...

I am empowered by God and in control of myself...

I am not trapped by my struggles because God is with me...

I am empowered by God through my choices...

I will boldly challenge and face my fears with God...

I am able to relax and overcome my anxiety through prayer...

I am learning to live and pray for today...

I am creating the life I live with God, not reacting to it...

I will not be a victim because God is with me...

I am empowered by God to control my life...

Powerful Prayers for Sleep

I feel God recharging every cell in my body while I sleep...

I fall asleep quickly and easily because God is with me...

I always get enough sleep to feel good the next day God gives me...

I sleep deeply and comfortably because God is with me...

I am blessed to be able to fall asleep anywhere...

I am flooded with relaxation from God as I lay down to sleep...

I always have good dreams because God is with me...

I am relieved of all of the day’s stresses by God's healing hand when I sleep...

I am always happy as I fall asleep because God is with me...

I am blessed to be a deep and heavy sleeper...

I drift away into peaceful sleep with ease when I pray...

I give my God-given body all the sleep it needs...

I sleep soundly and peacefully because God is with me...

I recollect all the positive things from the day God gave me as I fall asleep...

I am putting god in control of my sleeping patterns...

I never have trouble falling asleep when I pray...

I need very little sleep because I take care of the body God gave me during the day...

I have a body created by God that knows when to sleep and when to wake up on it's own...

I do not need an alarm clock because God is with me...

I am blessed to be able to sleep anywhere comfortably...

I am blessed to sleep well regardless of what is going on in my waking world...

I will sleep well no matter where I am tonight because God is with me...

I relax and let God calm my nerves as I lay down to sleep...

I allow God to release all of my tension while I sleep...

I am filled with God's restful energy...

I will dream of amazing things that enrich my mind for God...

I will allow my dreams to teach me about God and myself...

I have vivid and amazing dreams from God...

Conclusion
God loves to see His children. God loves to have them with Him as often as possible.
Mature Christians understand and value greatly their private time with their Father in
Heaven.

Unfortunately, the World and its many attractions and concerns pull us away from
forming a special relationship with God.

Prayer is one of our most beloved devotionals to praise and glorify God, and to thank him
for all of his blessings bestowed upon us. This book has attempted to illustrate the power
of prayer, its purpose and meaning, benefits, principles for effective prayer, and miracle
stories of answered prayers. God loves us and desires a committed relationship with us.
By taking a small step through prayer, you can talk with him and he will listen faithfully,
and he can transform your lives to fulfill your hopes and dreams for the future.

You should also try to develop a habit of praying and praising God in your time of
abundance. Whenever you make prayer and praise become a habit no matter the time or
circumstance you are faced with you will always find yourself praying.