Understanding How to Pray Effectively
Everest Alexander
Understanding How to Pray Effectively contains 15 Chapters - Over 100 pages answering questions such as:

What is Prayer
How to Pray Effectively
What are the 7 Different Types of Prayer
How to Increase Faith
How to Use Faith Effectively
How to Overcome the Hindrances to Prayer
And Much More!!!

Price:  $4.97

book excerpt

Chapter 4 ~ What is the Biblical Approach to Prayer? ~ There are two major ingredients to biblically effective praying. They are: 1) The Guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit 2) The Correct Application of Biblical Principles If you lack either your prayers won’t be as effective as they should. Let’s begin by looking at the influence of the Holy Spirit in prayer. Effective prayer must be done under the direction and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit! One of the chief purposes of the Holy Spirit is to help us to pray effectively. John 14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things...” The word “helper” in this verse is translated from the Greek word “Parakletos” (pronounced par-ak'-lay-tos) meaning “intercessor or advocate.” An intercessor or advocate is a go-between, usually a stronger entity who represents or acts on behalf of a weaker one. So, when you petition God with your prayers the Holy Spirit helps you to accurately and effectively present your case to the Father. Romans 8:26 says, “…God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us...” (TMB) These two verses confirm that partnering with the Holy Spirit is essential to effective praying. I will now attempt to answer two pertinent questions: (a) How exactly does the Holy Spirit help us to pray effectively? (b) How do we partner up with the Holy Spirit? ~ Power and Revelation of the Holy Spirit ~ The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is a person, He is part of the Triune Godhead, in effect… He is God! So, when we partner with the Holy Spirit, we’re partnering with God. We’re allowing the One who knows ALL things to give us the knowledge to pray accurately and the One who has ALL power to enable us to pray effectually. With this combination, failure in prayer is not possible! One of the specific things the Holy Ghost does is to give focus and direction to our prayers. Many times we don’t naturally know how to pray about a certain situation but if we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit He tells us what to pray for and how to pray. Once, while pastoring our small church back in 1998 our congregation was invited to a Fast Camp where we spent an entire weekend from Friday to Sunday living on just water and in constant prayer and bible study. On the last day of the Fast Camp we all gathered together for prayer and I was asked to pray for a particular church that I’d never heard of before and knew nothing about. So, I began by praising and worshiping God and setting my spirit to hear from God. When I had firmly established that connection with the Holy Ghost I began to intercede for that church, praying exactly what the Holy Spirit led me to pray for and how He led me to pray. I was later informed through a member of that church that I had prayed with pin-point accuracy for specific things which nobody outside the church leaders knew about and that I was so accurate it was as if I was listening to them when they were discussing those issues behind closed doors. Needless to say they were completely amazed and totally thankful for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our midst! The accuracy of that prayer was due to the direction of the Holy Spirit. When we don’t naturally know what or how to pray about a particular situation, if we learn to tap into the mind of the Holy Spirit He will direct us into all truth. I’ve learnt that when we pray with the mind of the Holy Spirit we’re praying the specific will of God, guaranteeing positive answers to our prayers. The Bible says, “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Rom 8:27) So, the Holy Spirit gives revelation to pray with accuracy concerning matters we know nothing about naturally. The Holy Spirit also lends power and boldness to our prayers. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you… (Acts 1:8) “…And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness… (Acts 4:31) During a Prayer Meeting one time the Senior Pastor of the church said to me that he literally perceived...