~ 7 Keys to Prayers That
God Will Hear ~
The small
book of James provides 7 Critical Factors for an effective prayer life in just
four verses.
1. Submit To God ~ “Submit to God. Resist the devil
and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
A Christian who realizes that he is more loved by God than he ever
imagined will find it easy to “love Him because He first loved us” (1 John
4:19).
2. Resist The Devil ~ “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you” (James 4:7). A Christian with a
realistic view of himself will realize that he is more sinful than he ever
dared to believe.
3. Draw Near To God ~ “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify
your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
When you love someone you seek to be with that person.
4. Cleanse Your Hands ~ “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse
your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James
4:8). When you love someone you want to
do things which please that special person.
5. Purify Your Heart ~ “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded”
(James 4:8). When you truly love someone
your entire focus is on them.
6. Weep Over Your Sins ~ “Lament and mourn
and weep!
Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom” (James
4:9). When you really get to know
someone your thoughts become like their thoughts—and you see things the way
they see them.
7. Humble Yourself ~ “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James
4:10). As you do the first six things
you will be humbled and one of the results will be an effective prayer life
(James 5:16).
Summary ~ Let’s
put it all into context. “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels
come from? Do you think they just
happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own
way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.
You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk
violence to get your hands on it. You
wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not?
Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your
own way.
“You’re cheating on God.
If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance
you get, you end up enemies of God and His way.
And do you suppose God doesn’t care?
The proverb has it that ‘He’s a fiercely jealous lover.’ And what He gives in love is far better than
anything else you’ll find. It’s common
knowledge that ‘God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the
willing humble.’ So let God work His
will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil
and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes
to God and He’ll be there in no time.
Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your
inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master;
it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
“Don’t bad-mouth each other, friends. It’s God’s Word, His Message, His Royal Rule,
that takes a beating in that kind of talk.
You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all
over it. God is in charge of deciding
human destiny. Who do you think you are
to meddle in the destiny of others?” (James 4:1-12, The Message).
Additional Note
~ Appling these Prayer
Conditioning techniques clears the air between you and God.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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