Every day is a new opportunity to get closer to God, gain clarity for your life, and glorify His name. Be sure to maximize all your opportunities.  Someone once said, “Success comes when preparation meets opportunity.” Prayer then becomes the daily preparation of your heart to obey the will of God. When you maintain the practice of prayer, you will meet great success in your spiritual walk.  Beloved of God, you receive new mercies each day which give you the opportunity to lead the life God has designed for you.

As we conclude our thirty day prayer journey, remember that there is no better investment in your life than that of prayer.  God rewards openly that which we do in private. (Matthew 6:6)

May you continue to take full advantage of every opportunity to get closer to him.

“Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you.” James 4:8 

Keep praying!

Blessings to you,
MC 

Does praise follow your prayer?  It should. Praise is a sign of value and gratitude.  When you have finished the work of prayer, you must believe that God has already done what you have asked.  You should trust that it is already a completed act. You should value the work of God.  It does not take Him long to answer.  He doesn’t have to hold a conference or check around with others.  He answers prayer when it reaches His ears. He answers when you have prayed according to His will. When you are certain that God has heard and answered; begin to praise. 

The assurance of answered prayer produces confidence and peace in your heart.  This confidence and peace causes an increased desire to celebrate the faithfulness of God.  Your praise is also a signal that you are confident in God and willing to stand until you see the manifestation of your answer.

As you continue to cultivate the prayer habit, let it lead you to sincere praise.  Keep in mind, the certainty of God’s answer is often recognized in the prayer closet long before it is revealed in the natural realm.  Don’t wait until you see the answer to praise. Remember, “The just shall live by faith.” Your praise then becomes an exercise in faith.

On this next to the last day of 30/30 Prayer Event, I encourage you to let your tremendous prayer life produce a magnificent life of praise.

“And  whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.” 1 John 3:22

Blessings to you!

MC 

P.S.

I would like to invite you to join me as we close this experience with a prayer tele-seminar,  “Keys to a More Spiritual Prayer Life.” I will host the free tele-seminar on Thursday, July 30, at 5:00pm ET.  You can register now by clicking the link below.

http://tinyurl.com/n7oe7a

If you have never participated in a tele-seminar you can get more information at:        http://www.mikaelacade.com/teleseminars.html.

Once you’re registered, you will receive dial in instructions.  For more information email: info@mikaelacade.com

Looking forward to “seeing” you on the line! 

For the church to be effective it must enter into unparalleled prayer ministry. The prayer ministry of the church is: the church on her knees getting the instructions from God; then declaring and facilitating the accomplishment of His will on earth.  The highest function of the church is facilitating the will of God.  If the church does not do its job in prayer the works of God will remain undone.

God has determined that the power of accomplishing His will on earth rest with the church. He has given the church power and authority in the earth.  For a long time we have witnessed the world go lacking due to the diminished capacity of the church to execute its power and authority.  It is time for the church to accept its responsibility and authority. This acceptance starts at the place of prayer. We must seek to know the will of God before we attempt to do the works of God.  We must cease to be enamored by charisma and seek the manifestation of true power. The church has a huge job. Let us recognize that God wants to pray and understand His will. Then let us do it.  When our movements, programs, and initiatives are fueled by the revelation of God’s will it will galvanize the effectiveness and efficacy of the church.

Let us pray that we, the church, base all our movements on the revealed will of God and His eternal purposes. 

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

Blessings to you
MC

The church, prayer, and the will of God. Part I

The church must understand and believe that the will of God is to be known, proved, and obeyed.  You, as a member of the church (aka body of Christ), must believe the same. Although many think they can never clearly know the will of God, this is not true. Essentially, prayer is intended for the purpose of knowing God’s will. 

The church’s responsibility is to know the will of God and pray through its accomplishment here in the earth.  It is the duty of the church to accomplish the will of God on earth. If the church is not able to understand God’s will, His power will be limited. Your prayer life as a member of the body is essential to accomplishing the greater work God desires to do on the earth. The church must reflect God’s glory on a more global and consistent basis.  This can only happen as we heed the call to prayer that precipitates knowing and obeying His will.

Let us pray that we, the church, come to know the will of God and declare it in the earth.  To God be the Glory!

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

Blessings to you

MC

Every great move of God happens because of the prayers of His people.   If you want to see extreme change then there must be extreme prayer.  The power of God displayed in the earth will not exceed the prayer capacity of the church. Today, let us pray that God increases our capacity for true, powerful, and skillful prayer.

As we head into the final days of 30/30 I hope that you have begun to cultivate a phenomenal prayer habit.   Remember God is counting on you to move heaven!

“Verily I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18

Arbitrarily tacking “in the name of Jesus,” to the end of your prayer does not guarantee you an answer to prayer. Just like reading “in God we trust,” on the back of a dollar does not make everyone a believer.  Jesus’ command to ask in His name is not an invitation to manipulate God, but a call to skillful prayer.  The very fact that Jesus himself advises us to ask in his name reveals that it is an issue to be spiritually understood not carnally appropriated. So what does it mean to pray in His name?
 
Praying or asking in His name refers to the total revelation of the truth of Christ you have received in your spirit.  The revelation of Christ in you creates a sense of humility because it reminds you of the magnitude of His work and power.  You are dependent on Him. It is a work you could not have done for yourself.  Christ revealed also produces a sense of reverence as you recognize that there is no name more revered in heaven than His. You ask for nothing on your own merit. Christ revealed in you produces a respect for the purposes of God. Jesus came in the flesh at God’s appointed time. You learn to respect God’s timing for your life.  Finally, the reality that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and tongue confess that He is Lord, inspires reverence and awe for His sovereignty.  He is God.  The phrase in the name of Jesus, whether spoken or silently understood in your prayer is designed to reveal your understanding, connection, and commitment to God’s ability and purpose.

As you pray, approach God with humility and allow a pure sense of reverence to fill your heart.  Pray with respect to the work Christ has done and the privilege it grants you. Pray with the same desire Jesus had—that God be glorified.  When you have done this surely you have prayed in the name of Jesus.  You can then expect to see the power of Christ the Intercessor and Sovereign work in your life.

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”  John 14:13

Blessings to you,

MC

Pray without ceasing…… 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Your effort to pray without ceasing doesn’t mean that you should try to remain in the prayer closet all day. It means that you should not let anything hinder your commitment to or practice of prayer.  In the practice of prayer here are some dos and don’ts as you pray without ceasing:

Don’t put prayer on pause. Remain constant in prayer.
Don’t let things hinder you from the duty of prayer. Busy schedules should stand as an invitation to more prayer in hopes to properly prioritize your day.
Don’t let people hinder you from prayer. Through prayer you learn the proper management of relationships.
Don’t let your feelings hinder you from prayer. Prayer is not based on how you feel, but the fact of who God is.

Do remember that prayer is communication with God.  The first step in building intimacy.
Do understand that prayer brings you power.
Do let prayer be the fuel for every thing you do.

Do expect to be filled with a sense of joy.
Do expect to build a closer relationship with God.

Continue in prayer so that you can access the power God has ordained for your life.   Pray consistently in order to live your life with extreme joy.  Pray without ceasing.
Blessings to you
MC

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.” Psalm 66:18-19

Does God hear your prayers?

God hearing you has nothing to do with volume.  I have witnessed many people pray loudly with no results.  God hearing you has everything to do with the condition of your heart. If you employ all the pieces we’ve talked about over the past few days and still lack answers to prayer; the hindrance may be tied to your heart.  Psalm 66:18 reveals that iniquity in your heart sets up a barrier between you and God.  The presence of iniquity  means there will be no answer to the prayer.

Iniquity is a word that many seem to use without any real regard to its power. Iniquity is inward rebellion.  It is a heart issue.  It goes beyond outward appearance. Its presence is lethal because it separates you from the Lord. God requires that our hearts be clean and surrendered to him.  What this means on a practical level is that your heart must not contain rebellion. It should confirm what you confess with your mouth.  There should be agreement between heart, mind, and action. For example, to know that God wants you to pray for your those who despitefully use you is good. To confess that truth to others is good.  Sadly, if you go through the motions of praying for them without love as the motivation iniquity is present.  The rebellion doesn’t happen openly, but it is in your heart.   If you confess that something is a sin and still have a tie to it in your heart, this is iniquity. Iniquity closes heaven.  God will not hear you. 

 In order to ensure that your heart is free from iniquity you must be relentlessly obedient to the word.  You must despise sin as God does.  When you confess sin, forsake it and allow God to create a clean heart in you.  You will find that when you are free from iniquity, have faith, ask specifically, and persevere; your prayer life will continue to go to new levels.

Blessings to you,

MC

“You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, to consume it on your lusts.”
James 4:3

Now that you are more of aware of the fact that you must be specific in prayer, I want to give you a quick thought that should help shape the nature of your request. God answers prayer according to need.

Since God answers according to need, you should be sure to distinguish between wants and needs. Needs are those things essential for the existence or support of something. In the context of prayer, they are primarily related to God’s purpose and kingdom expansion rather than your personal satisfaction, comfort, or delight.   This does not mean that you will not benefit from the answer. It simply reveals that God is looking at the big picture when it comes to answering prayer. Therefore, you should pray with an understanding of what is needed or required to accomplish God’s will in a situation. It means that you don’t pray carelessly or frivolously.  It means that you pray with a mind towards God’s purpose over your own.

You might find distinguishing between God’s needs and your wants to be a little less challenging if you will ask yourself, “Does this benefit me or the Kingdom more?”

Think about it and remember Kingdom first!

Blessings to you,

MC

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:2

I can not stress enough the issue of being specific in prayer.  It’s easy to think that because you have spent a lot of time talking, you have been specific in your requests.  Sometimes talking a lot only leads to an abundance of vague prayers.

Vague prayers usually contain references to things that are going to happen whether we pray for them or not. Things like: the sun coming up or the changing of the seasons. They can also be erratic and lack focus. These two elements should be addressed as you move toward a more fulfilling prayer life. Getting answers requires you to move from the general to the specific always valuing focus over volume.

In order to move out of the arena of vague prayer you must have a true goal in mind. You must also be willing to reveal that to God. A specific goal requires a specific request. Are you really willing to open your heart to Him and reveal your desires? It‘s like the wife who will never tell her husband what she would like to have for Christmas but always feels a little disappointed when she doesn’t get it. She had a specific expectation but would not convey it. She ends up sad. Likewise in prayer, if we have an expectation and will not release it to God, we will never learn to trust God with our thoughts. Worse yet, we will never experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit that teaches us to pray appropriately. Prayer requires trust. If our thoughts or desires are contrary to His will what better time to be corrected and put on the proper path than in the prayer closet.

Finally, it is important to realize that learning to be specific helps you identify answered prayer.  When you make a specific request you can easily identify His yes or no.  When you fail to be specific life continues to be chaotic because you don’t know what you are expecting. 

Here again, a topic that I could write on forever, but I’m really interested in hearing from you.  What are your thoughts on getting answers? 

Blessings to you,

MC