Prayer Is a Privilege and a Key

SC 93  "Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.  Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him.  Prayer does not bring God own to us, but brings us up to Him."

It is a divine privilege to be able to come to God in prayer.  When we pray, we are first not to focus on self and on our needs.  Our focus should be on God and how great and mighty His is.We are to come to God with Thanksgiving and Praise.  Thank Him for our daily blessings which He gives us every day of our lives, even if it is little blessings, He is still where they come from and it's important to thank Him for them.

Next it is important to confess our sins and to be forgiven.  We need to be sorry for what we have done to hurt God and turn from our wicked ways, whatever they are.  Because God says in Isaiah 59:1,2  "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."

We also need to confess our faith in Jesus knowing all our blessings come through Him from the Father.  Jesus is our intercessor before the Father, pleading for our Salvation in His name, because He died for our sins.

Now it is time to petition Him for our needs and the needs of others that are on our prayer list.  But, we must ask in the name of Jesus, because He is our intercessor and He brings all our requests before the Father.  "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive that your joy may be full."

I always pray in the name of Jesus because that's who's name our prayers go through to the Father.
And also we are admonished to ask in His name.  He is our intercessor and it only makes sense to me to pray in His name.

There are conditions to answered prayer but there is one prayer that is always heard and answered if we are sincere about it and that is the prayer of Peter walking on the water when he started to sink,
"Lord, save me."  God always hears this kind of prayer and Satan flees at the sound of Jesus name.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you, cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."  James 4:7,8.

Prayer is also a Key.

SC 94  "Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?

I do hope this has helped you in your prayer life.  It has helped me tremendously and I will try to follow the outline for a more focused prayer life and a better walk with my Lord.  Grandma Joan

PS. SC = The little book "Steps to Christ".