In the book of James we are told that often we don't get what we pray for because we are asking with wrong motives so that we can use the answers for our own purposes. I have found that one of the most rewarding aspects of prayer is to begin by asking God what or who He wants me to pray for. That might sound a little strange at first, but if you really think about it, one of the things we are trying to do when we pray is to invite God into the situations we are praying about and ask Him to intervene or work in some way. If we learn to ask God what He wants us to pray for, and He shows us, then we don't have to worry about whether we are praying according to His will or not. If He puts on my heart to pray a certain way for a particular person or situation, then I know that is what He wants to do, and I can be confident that I am praying according to His will and purposes. He is just asking we to invite Him into the situation so that He can work His plan. I have found that this can be a very powerful and rewarding way to pray.

Prayer is something we don't often get a lot of teaching on, we just kind of assume people will know how to do it. Although I don't believe that prayer is meant to be a formal or religious type of thing, I do believe that there are ways that we can learn to pray which will cause our prayers to be more effective. I'm not one to be real big on making sure you use certain phrases or say things just the right way, although I do think the words we use are important. What I really believe matters the most is the heart that's behind the prayers. Some of my favorite people to pray with don't use a lot of eloquent words or flowery speech, sometimes they even stumble in their words, but I can sense the power of the Holy Spirit and His presence as they pray, because their hearts are truly in line with Him and His purposes. I believe this is one of the most powerful tools to grasp in beginning to see our prayers truly move heaven and earth.

We were created to have fellowship with God and to worship Him. Sometimes I don't think we really understand the purpose for this. Worship is more than just singing a few songs in a church service. We can worship God with our lives as we choose to surrender to Him and love and serve Him with all our hearts. It's easy to worship Him when everything is going well, but when we actually choose to worship Him even when they aren't, there is a power that is released in the spiritual realm that can move mountains! I want to challenge you the next time you are facing a very difficult situation, instead of panicking or turning to fear, take a risk and begin to worship Him in spite of the circumstances or your feelings. When you do, He will begin to do a powerful work in your heart to give you the strength you need to overcome whatever the situation might be.