“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).

The Apostle Paul encourages the Philippian converts to not worry or greatly concern themselves about things. The cure for worry is an earnest prayer life for the believer.

• Through prayer, our trust in God is renewed by exercising His faithfulness to us when we cast our cares upon Him.
• God’s peace comes to guard our hearts and minds as we come into communion with Him in prayer (Colossians 3:15).
• We receive mercy and grace, along with help, in our times of need through our prayer life (Hebrews 4:16).

We have faith in God, knowing He will answer our prayer. We have victorious prayer lives when:

1)  We have sincere and true faith, praying according to the will of God. Jesus explicitly stated in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” James encourages us in James 1:6, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Believe God and never doubt.

2) We must use our authority. Our authority is in Jesus’ name. Jesus Himself expressed this principle in John 14:13-14.

3) We must pray in harmony with the Word of God. Matthew 6:10 says, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” When we pray in this manner, it means we sincerely desire God’s will and purpose to be fulfilled in our lives.

4) As we pray in harmony with God’s Word, we must live in harmony with God’s will, if we expect Him to hear and answer our prayers. 1 John 3:22, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” Obeying God’s commands, loving Him, and pleasing Him are indispensable conditions to receiving answered prayers.

5) We must be persistent in our prayer lives and have faith to have an effective prayer life. The persistent widow in Luke 18:1-7: because of her persistence, the judge avenged her. This parable should springboard us to ask, seek, and knock in perseverance in our prayer lives.

The Apostle Paul urges us to devote ourselves to prayer in Colossians 4:2, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Be encouraged my friends to be like the early New Testament Church in Acts 2:42; devote ourselves to “the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” This devotion to prayer must be accompanied with thanksgiving to Christ for what He has already done for us.

Your continued blessing is my prayer to God for you.