How To Pray More Effectively - Principles For Praying Biblically

How can I grow in my prayer life? Is there a way that I can pray more effectively? Does the Bible offer guidance in how to pray more biblically?
In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot discuss the ways Christians can grow and be more effective in their times of prayer. Dr. Caldwell reminds us that an important step in being effective in our prayers is to remember to whom it is we are talking. If we know Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God is our Father, and we have been invited through Christ to come before the throne of grace. Thus, because God desires for us to commune and talk with Him, we can therefore pray with confidence knowing that He hears us. However, we must not come casually or irreverently, nor should we come desiring to impress God with the length, eloquence or intelligence of our prayers. Our approach to prayer must be one of honor and reverence to God, which allows us to both humbly and boldly pour out what’s on our hearts and minds.
Dr. Caldwell says, “Prayer is like breathing.” It is something the believer should do constantly, continually and without ceasing. He encourages believers to have planned times of prayer, remembering that we are not just rehearsing what’s on our minds at any given moment, but truly praying from hearts that are seeking the will of God. One way we can do this and be more effective is by praying the Scriptures. This will also be helpful when we are finding it hard to pray, or don’t know what to pray. The very truths we have read and studied from God’s Word help our minds to focus on subject matters that are pleasing to God; they will inform, direct and saturate our prayers. We find examples of this kind of prayer in the book of Psalms where the thoughts and hearts of ordinary men like us have been poured out to God and recorded for us.
Dr. Caldwell offers other insightful recommendations that may be helpful to the growth of our prayer lives. What’s ultimately important is that we pray, and that we pray not in vain repetitious ways, using clichés or the reproduced prayers of others. Our focus in prayer must be on our great and sovereign God, the One that hears and acts on our behalf. Effective prayer, is prayer that changes us and transforms our thinking and understanding as we pray, giving us a sense of comfort, confidence and joy that wasn’t there when we started. Our prayers can come from the Scriptures and from the depths of our own hearts. They will be effective – not because of the words we use or how we say them – but because of our extraordinary God.
What if I’m unable to express what’s in my heart? Is there a wrong way to approach God in prayer? Is it okay to ask God for anything in prayer? These questions and more are addressed in this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, as Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot guide us through these issues from a biblical perspective.