Today’s 333 Devotional: “Effective Prayers”

We usually spend our time in prayer talking to God about what we need, whether it’s materialistic, about a relationship, or a desired healing. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But I think we’ve gotten away from the heart of prayer.

In our desire to receive from God we generally go to what Jesus said about our need to persevere in prayer.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)

But when we look at the balance of Scripture we come to what the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle John.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

How can we know God’s will so our prayers can be effective? It’s when we know more about God. Effective prayers are not about how much we can get from God: rather it’s about how much of God gets into us.

Lloyd John Ogilvie said, “It is not being able to convince God of what we ought to have, but allowing Him to convince us of what we need.”

Consider the Apostle Paul, who prayed for a healing and the Lord said, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me … for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

So in our quite time with God let’s ask with less of ourselves in mind and for the Lord to reveal more of Himself to us.

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)