Luke 11:1 – “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

From Colossians 1:7 – 14 – “since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, “

If the disciples asked how to pray probably many Christians do not know how to pray. I have heard a number of ministers teach on prayer and most recently Dr. Charles Stanley. Over the years, from personal experience and from other Christians, I have learned that prayer can transform one’s life. The more we pray the greater that transformation will be. The following is from notes I have compiled.

Stop saying, “God if it is your will.” If we believe that God may not answer our prayer it is not necessary to make excuses for Him. We need to know what His “will” is and if we pray in His “will” we must have faith to believe He will keep His promises. Following is what I have learned:

1. We must continually pray and ask God to fill us with the knowledge of His will. God will give us direction and a purpose for life if we continually ask Him. We will never know His “will” if we don’t study the Bible.

2. Every Christian parent should consistently pray that God will give their children direction and a purpose for life. It has been proven that those parents who began praying daily for their children’s purpose and direction had children who grew up being Christ followers. They also taught their children, early in life, to pray to God for His direction. When they went to college they knew exactly what they wanted to do. The majority of college students have no idea their direction.

3. We must pray for spiritual wisdom and understanding in order to walk in a manner worthy of Christ’s name. We must pray that others can see the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We must live a life patterned after Jesus and pleasing to Him. Thus, others will see that our character and our conduct are such that they can recognize Christ in us.

4. We are to pray that our lives will bear fruit and good works in every aspect whether at work or at home. We must demonstrate His power that is in us. We are to pray that our lives make an impact and a difference in the lives of others.

5. We are told to grow in the knowledge of God. Once we become knowledgeable we will have more patience and greater endurance. Pray that God will give you the spirit to not give up. Too many believe that if they attend church and listen to the sermon they will become knowledgeable of God’s “will”. Just listening and not studying, usually will not make us godly people.

6. Pray that we will experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God wants to bless us. For everything we say or every act we commit there are consequences. If we are obeying God’s will, we will be blessed. If we are disobedient we may receive consequences that are not favorable.

7. Pray that we will be joyful and positive people. It is important that we have the right attitude. We can be any kind of a person we want to be. However, to be kind, joyful, trustworthy, caring, gentle, loving and sensitive requires a lot of prayer and help from the Holy Spirit. Remember: Scripture teaches constant prayer promises to transform lives, ours and others.

Recap:
a. Pray that we may know God’s “will”.
b. Pray for God’s purpose and direction.
c. Pray for spiritual wisdom and understanding in order to walk as a representative of Christ.
d. Pray that our lives will bear fruit and good works.
e. Pray that we will become more knowledgeable of God and will grow in patience and endurance.
f. Pray that we will experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
g. Pray that we will be joyful and positive people.