Scripture to help pray effective prayers. Help me pray to God through scripture. Based on the scripture Ephesians 6:18, you’ll discover five essential ingredients for effective prayer.

Pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayer and requests, with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

To pray effectively:

Be consistent

Paul begins his challenge of Ephesians 6:18 with a three word command – “on all occasions.” His word to the Christians at Ephesus was a challenge on the importance of regularity in prayer. Such consistency is essential to accomplish productive prayer. Even our Lord, who lived a lifetime of unbroken prayer-fellowship with His Father, found it beneficial to withdraw from the crowds and from the busyness of life, on a regular basis, in order to be alone in prayer (Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12, 22:41).

Have variety

Paul also instructs us as believers to pray always, “with all kinds of prayer and requests.” The Amplified Version renders this expression, “with all manner of prayer.” The Greek, from which we derive the expression, ‘with all kind of prayer’ could be interpreted as referring to the development of all types of prayer mentioned in the Scriptures.

Praise – a time to acknowledge

Praise is to recognise God “vocally” for His virtues and accomplishments. In praise we share with God those qualities about Him that we appreciate.

Scripture: “According to thy name, o God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth; thy right hand is full of righteousness” (Psalm 48:10). “According to thy name” means, “according to who and what you are, O God I praise you.”

Waiting – a time to love God silently

Waiting is a time to silently “wait” upon God in a love experience. It concerns a holy stillness enjoying God’s presence and His love for you and allows time to listen to what god is saying to you.

Bible verse: “Only be silent to God, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him” (Psalm 62:5).

Confession – a time to admit personal failures

Confession clears the way for effective praying. It is a time, in order to remain in close fellowship with God, to acknowledge our wrong doing.

If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9).

A time to employ or claim through Scripture a specific promise

To employ means “to engage the service of something.” It also means to “put to use.” “All the mighty achievements wrought by people of God, have been accomplished by faith in the written Word. Real prayer is taking God’s Words and letting them speak through your lips to the throne of God calling His attention to His own promises.” (E.W. Kenyon)

Each day we will have unique problems to face. As you read the Bible, claim one specific verse for that day that will meet your need. God’s Word will bring power to your prayer life.

Scripture: “There is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God’s message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God’s message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Intercession – a time to contend for others

To intercede is to engage in some form of spiritual warfare on behalf of another individual person or need. It is being a go between.

Bible verse: “First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of them” (1 Timothy 2:1).

Petition – a time to share personal needs

Petition is that time in prayer in which we share our personal needs – whether they be mental, physical, financial, social, marital or parental.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22).

Thanksgiving – at time to express appreciation

Reflect on the specific blessings God has given you and thank Him for them.

Come and listen, all who honor God, and I will tell you what he has done for me” (Psalm 66:16).

Be in Earnest

Paul not only challenges us to pray, “on all occasions and with all kinds of prayer,” but he prefixes, “Pray in the Spirit”. For our payers to be truly effective, we need to pray in accordance with what the Spirit is showing or saying. 1 John 15:14 says, “This is the assurance we have approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us.

So often we want to change the effect of the problem by our prayers, when God wants to speak to us and treat the cause of the particular problem about which we are praying for. So go into your next time of prayer expecting God to speak and you will not be disappointed.

Be Sensitive

To Paul’s challenge, in Ephesians Chapter 6, to pray in the Spirit on all occasions, he adds the challenge to be alert so that we can find the specific `on target’ prayer needs. The term `watching’, in the King James Version, is almost a reference to heightened spiritual sensitivity to that which is happening around us. Sensitivity is essentially important in order for one to pray effectively in potentially dangerous situations or in response to specific needs.

Be persevering

Paul concludes his instructions in Ephesians 6:18 with the challenge that we engage in our prayer by “always keep on praying for all the saints”. Lack of persistence in prayer is one of the biggest reasons we fail to see answers to prayer. James 5:16 in the Amplified version assures us that “the earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available – dynamic in its working.

You don’t have to be some kind of spiritual giant, or have some special calling to persist in prayer. God answered Elijah’s persistence in prayer for rain, and the Bible says he was just like us. He had all the same impulses, drives, emotions, feelings, and even became discouraged and depressed at times, but he believed in God’s faithfulness and power.

Persistence is holding on to a goal or promise, regardless of the circumstances. Winning the victory, overcoming and being faithful requires a consistent relationship with God through prayer. “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking (reverently) and the door will be opened to you. For every one who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds and to him who keeps on knocking it will be opened” Matthew 7:7 Amplified Bible.

So don’t quit!

Watch this video called, ‘Living Free’ and learn more about the power of prayer.

Did you learn how to pray to God more effectively? Praying to God is life changing! Trust you have been encouraged as you have learnt through Ephesians 6:18 and the movie how to pray.

Related Links: (Click on the menu for prayers that get results)
https://breakfreetoday.org/