"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4: 16
When we enter into prayer it should be with thanksgiving and praise. Recognize who He is, all that He has done, and thank and praise Him for it. Then you may draw nearer to the throne and pour out your heart to Him.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6
Do not let fear and doubt hinder you. Do not let your circumstances control you. This is a lack of faith. Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy. He is the father of lies and confusion. He wants to steal, kill and destroy your love, your blessings, your faith, your marriage, your family, - your very soul.
In Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 38 it says:
"But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
It is impossible to please God without faith. You can start with the tiniest little bit of faith. As you use it, like a muscle it will increase in size and strength. The Bible tells us with faith as small a mustard seed we can move mountains into the sea! Believe in Him. Trust in His love and mercy that endures forever. He is faithful; you can count on Him. He is not a man that can lie to you. He is the Almighty God and Father that loves you and gave His Son for you. He cares about every little detail of your life. He knows your heart and your thoughts. He says to give Him our burdens and let Him carry them for us. Pour out your heart to Him like you would a girlfriend. But don't tell everything to your girlfriend. She may care about you, but she is not the King of the Universe. She can't change your situation. In fact, she may unintentionally lead you astray. If you need convincing, just look at Job and his friends. The only one that can truly help you is your Lord.
Sometimes the words just don't seem to come. We feel so much but can't seem to put words to what is going on inside. Or maybe you feel like you've said everything you know to say but it isn't enough. Our Lord understands us and has already made provision for this.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8: 26-27
Remember when the Lord was tempted by Satan? He didn't engage him in conversation but answered everything with scripture. Don't give Satan any attention or glory by engaging in conversation with him. Use the power of God's word. When you pray, pray scripture. When you do this you are speaking God's word over your own life and releasing the truth that God has already spoken! You are changing your thinking, which may be negative, and are renewing your mind with the word of God. You begin thinking in a powerful new way as the mind of Christ is being activated in you. You can have confidence and faith in your prayers because you are praying the words of the Father; you are in agreement with Him. "my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 5:11
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
We must not give up praying. We must persevere in prayer, realizing that faith is always working towards what we ask for while we wait. Our timing isn't the same as God's. We feel like we have lost control when we are forced to wait on the Lord. Well, think about it. Are we really in control? God is in control and we should be glad. He looks at the whole picture. He sees the end from the beginning. He looks at our prayers with His purpose for us in mind. Sometimes He tests our sincerity or refuses because of harm it could cause us. We may need to change something in our lives to ready ourselves for what He is about to do. Or it could be another person or situation that needs to be changed before He can answer. "For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3: 20
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8: 28
Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Pray with joy and thanksgiving and praise. Pray with faith and persistence. Be patient and still in your spirit, knowing that He is God and is in control. Know that we are His children and He cares for us.
"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!" 1 Samuel 12: 16
