For Prayer That Works You Need to Know Something - Part 2

Not Knowing How Is the Biggest Problem

Introduction to the 30 Thousand Foot Prayer – Part 4

In this web-post, I’m just going to get started and jump right back into this lesson. I hope you’re okay with me referring to this as a lesson.

Jesus reveals something that most (51% or more) don’t know and that is most don’t know how this prayer thing works. If you ever take an online or recorded workout exercise class, the one thing the instructor will stress is that you need to stretch. The instructor starts with some basic exercise lessons so that you don’t hurt yourself in the exercise routine. How can exercising harm someone and the answer is simple? We need to know how the exercise works and there’s only one way to do that. We must be taught.

The Never Ending Practice of Prayer

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” – bible.com/bible/114/LUK.18.1.nkjv

Prayer is an exercise. Jesus gave His listeners a very interesting message on the subject of prayer. The message in its simplest form was this; common, ordinary, normal individuals don’t pray often. It’s not their normal practice. Prayer is not a normal practice. Does this sound like you? If so keep reading. Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus has identified as a result of what doesn’t come naturally.

Always pray.
Pray whether you think you need to or not. Pray in the morning and at night. Pray before your meals and after your meals. Pray when you’re sick and more so when you’re well. Pray during your intimate times with your spouse and during your heated times. Pray until you’re blue in the face and pray when all your prayers have been answered. Pray, pray, and pray some more. Until you do this you’re not fulfilling the basic instructions Jesus gave regarding prayer. If this is something you can’t handle then what you’re saying is that you don’t want the results that prayer has to offer and that’s normal.
Never lose heart.
When a player loses heart, he will also lose the game. Most (51% or more) lose heart when it comes to prayer, therefore they lose in getting an answer. If you are after winning, don’t lose heart. If you want to succeed, don’t lose heart. If you want to complete that degree, lose those pounds, run that marathon or get that promotion, never lose heart. Remember, when your heart stops, so does everything else. This includes the things that were working and the things that already stopped working. Never lose heart. Most people (51% and more) failed to do this very thing that Jesus directs us to do yet they expect to have favorable results. And you wonder why you’re seeing very few answered prayers.

The Bible Gives a Clear Picture of the Results You Can Get

Why would you ever stop when you know the answer is coming?

“There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. “Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying,’Get justice for me from my adversary.’ “And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself,’Though I do not fear God nor regard man, ‘yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” – bible.com/bible/114/LUK.18.2-5.NKJV

Common teaching would have you believe that God must be convinced or coerced into helping you. What’s not common teaching about God is that He loves you and desires the best for you. At the same time, He is helping you all along. It’s okay to expect God to speedily help you; He wants to.

Keep in mind in everything you believe there are two sides, what everyone else believes and what everyone else is unable to believe. In order to break any barrier or overcome any obstacle will require some uncommon belief. By the way, it’s called faith. The two practices are redefined in this parable which illustrates this widow who is petitioning a judge to help her situation.

Never give up.
“‘yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” – bible.com/bible/114/LUK.18.2-5.NKJV

When was the last time you pursued something until you made something happen? This women never gave up even in the midst of a situation that appeared unchanged and unfavorable. Our daily attitude must be to never give up on anything we wish to achieve. The only thing, that stands in our way, is us giving in because we see signs that it’s unattainable.
Be confident that He can.
“Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying,’Get justice for me from my adversary.’” – bible.com/bible/114/LUK.18.2-5.NKJV

This widow in the parable, isn’t concerned about the fact that she appears to be begging, however she is confident in the fact that this judge can do something to alter her future. This is the same confidence that we must have when we go before our most capable God – confident that He can and wants to, unlike this unbelieving, ordinary, normal judge.

Common beliefs say you don’t have the ability to convince others in your favor. Uncommon belief says that not only can you convince others like the widow in this parable, but how much more can God convince others when He’s helping you.

The Effects of “Common” On Your Prayer Results

Common people believe that it does no good to pray. Praying doesn’t solve anything. God won’t answer me for whatever reason or past experiences. The truth, which is not common, people who pray experience some great results and you are missing out on the results of prayer.

Most (51% or more) would have feared the judge. After the first rejection, they would never return. This widow had something inside her that made her unlike the 51%, she fell into the 49% or fewer, the uncommon. She returned again and again and again. When you don’t get the quick response you’re looking for, will you dare to return again? The answer to this question lies in your decision to be like everyone else or to be unlike everyone, the persistent widow.

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. – bible.com/bible/116/PRO.29.25

She let her trust in God overrule and override her fear in an earthly judge. She didn’t fall into this dangerous trap of fearing people. Are you falling into this trap as it relates to your prayer request? Take a note from the persistent widow.

For prayer that works you do need to know something. Start with these three simple points in this lesson: 1) prayer is a never ending practice, 2) use your Bible to see what prayer has to offer, and 3) don’t allow “common” thinking to steel results you can only get by being uncommon.

If you’re reading this, you want results and I’m sure you’ve not heard it like this before so that should be an indicator that if followed, these instructions just might work for you.

Do me a favor and share this with someone else. Thanks for visiting nolongercommon.com, join us next week for more.

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