PRAYING EFFECTIVELY TO GOD!! (GIL HAMMOND)
As Children of GOD OUR FATHER, we can (and should) pray
EFFECTIVE PRAYERS. (The Bible states in, James 5:16-18 16. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. (NASU)
Ok! I can hear you saying, “but I am not a “RIGHTEOUS PERSON!” Dear one, if you are indeed a “Child of GOD,” (If you have placed your Faith in THE PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM) then you are a RIGHTEOUS PERSON!! Scripture states that GOD HAS PLACED HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN YOU AND STATES THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD!! PRAY: You may not “feel righteous” but you are!! If you call yourself “UNRIGHTEOUSNESS” or ‘NOT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON,” YOU ARE STATING SOMETHING THAT IS UNTRUE. Be careful that you do not call GOD a liar!! I know you don’t want to do that!!
S0, PRAY FROM YOUR POSITION IN JESUS CHRIST INSTEAD OF PRAYING FROM YOUR FEELINGS!! GET HOLD OF THIS TRUTH AND STAND ON IT!! (The devil and his demons will do everything they can to live and operate based on your feelings.) OPERATE AND LIVE EACH DAY BASED ON GOD’S WORD AND HIS PROMISES. CHOOSE TO BELIEVE SCRIPTURE INSTEAD OF YOUR FEELINGS AND THE DEVIL’S LIES!! REMEMBER, PRAY FROM YOUR POSITION IN JESUS CHRIST!!
So, I am sharing with you what I have learned about praying to
GOD in the hope that this will be helpful to you in your prayer life.
Gil’s Daily Prayer List” (08-10-2024)
I begin my prayer with confession and repentance of my sin. I try to confess and repent of sin I have committed and also my sins of “Omission.” Remember that JESUS commanded us to LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART, SOUL, AND MIND. And then to love our "neighbor" as we love ourselves. I am concerned that we all fail to keep these two commandments fully. Therefore, I usually confess my failure to fully keep these two NEW COMMANDMENTS that JESUS CHRIST GAVE US!! REMEMBER, JESUS STATED THAT THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS FULFILL ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS!!
In Matthew 22:34-40, we read, 34. But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37. And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38. "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40. "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (NASU)
Upon confession of my sin, I am ready to PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD.
I REMEMBER THE MODEL PRAYER THAT JESUS GAVE US!!
In Matthew 6:9-15 JESUS taught us how to Pray to GOD, OUR FATHER. HE said, "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10. ’your kingdom comes Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11. 'Give us this day our daily bread.12. 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13. 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'] 14. "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (NASU)
Then, I continue with my recognition of just who GOD IS IN WORSHIP AND PRAISE!!:
1. HE IS HOLY.
2. HE IS OMNIPOTENT (ALL-POWERFUL),
3. HE IS OMNISCIENT (ALL KNOWING),
4. HE IS FULL OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE,
5. HE IS FULL OF KINDNESS AND GOODNESS.
6. HE IS ALWAYS FORGIVING, EVER MERCIFUL.
7. HE IS ALWAYS FULL OF AMAZING GRACE.
8. HE HAS PROVIDED FOR OUR SALVATION.
9. HE GAVE US JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR & LORD.
10. HE INVITES US TO BELIEVE IN HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST AND THEREBY BE
“BORN AGAIN” INTO HIS FAMILY.
11. HE ALSO ADOPTS US AS HIS CHILD AND MAKES US "JOINT HEIRS" WITH JESUS CHRIST.
12. HE DELIGHTS IN HIS CHILDREN, AND DESIRES TO SEE US GROW AND MATURE.
13. HE DESIRES THAT WE SPEND ALL ETERNITY IN, HEAVEN WITH HIM.
14. HE PREPARES A “PLACE” JUST FOR US!!.
15. THEN, I THANK HIM FOR HIS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS TO US.
16. NOW, I AM READY TO MAKE MY REQUESTS TO GOD WITH SINCERE THANKSGIVING!!
I pray for all 28 member of our immediate family on at least a daily basis. This number includes our two sons, their wives, five Grand Children and their spouses, 13 Great Grand Children, and finally Jan and me. (28 in all.)
Then, I expand my prayer list to include our circle of friends. Third,
I pray for GOD’S GUIDANCE for our leaders at all levels of Government, for Peace in America, for The Peace of Jerusalem and Israel, and for Peace in our world. And finally, I pray for our enemies (and sometimes this is difficult).
And, last of all, I pray for my own needs. Generally, I ask for Wisdom from JESUS, for ALL WISDOM IS HIDDEN IN HIM! Then, I ask for THE HOLY SPIRIT to be my Strength and for THE HOLY SPIRIT to help me to surrender to HIS LEADING and to THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST, so that THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN DO HIS WORK OF ACCOMPLISHING GOD’S WILL in me and through me for GOD’S GLORY and for my good!
GOD KNOWS THE NEEDS OF EACH ONE MUCH MORE THAN I DO. So, I ask HIM to meet the needs of each person according to HIS PURPOSE AND HIS WILL. I recognize that GOD'S WILL IS ALWAYS FOR OUR GOOD (ACTUALLY, ALWAYS FOR OUR BEST)!! MAY HIS PERFECT WILL ALWAYS BE DONE IN EACH LIFE AND IN EVERY SITUATION, PERFECTLY, JUST AS IT IS DONE IN HEAVEN!!
I REALIZE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE POWER OF GOD AND THAT HE ACTIVATES (BRINGS INTO OUR REALITY) THE WILL OF GOD, OUR FATHER. AND, I REALIZE THAT “NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD”!! ACTUALLY, MANY YEARS AGO, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PRAYING WHEN GOD STATED TO ME, “WHY ARE YOU PRAYING SUCH SMALL PRAYERS, REMEMBER, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH ME”! THIS REMINDED ME TO BE BOLD IN MY PRAYERS!! SINCE THEN, I HAVE TRIED TO PRAY BOLD PRAYERS!! AND, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRAY FROM YOUR POSITION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TO PRAY BOLD PRAYERS!!
LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, REMEMBER TO THANK GOD FOR HIS MANY KINDNESSES AND BLESSINGS TOWARD YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES. REMEMBER TOO, THAT HE IS ABLE TO CAUSE EVEN WHAT THE DEVIL MEANT FOR EVIL TO TURN OUT FOR OUR GOOD (Romans 8:28). AND, ALSO REMEMBER THAT GOD ASSURES THAT THE WORK HE HAS STARTED IN AND THROUGH US, HE IS WELL ABLE TO FINISH!! AND, BE ASSURED THAT HE WILL!! MAY GOD BLESS YOU RICHLY!!
PASTOR GIL HAMMOND