Praying According to the Instructions

Philosophy View

Detailed information about how something should be done or operated.

King James Version Dictionary View (KJV)

To teach; to inform the mind; to educate; to impart knowledge to one who was destitute of it.

One of the things that discourages us as Christians or Believers from praying is fear of not saying or doing it right. Apostle Paul echoes that whoever comes to God must believe. Sometimes we ask questions like what if we don’t believe enough? How do we measure our faith, or how does God measure it? Do I have to do it right to get my prayers answered?

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he, that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Hebrews 11:6 KJV

For example, if we purchase a cake mix and then ignore the instructions on the box adding additional ingredients into the bowl and start mixing, then things starts going wrong and we begin blaming the manufacture when the cake flops. It can be the same with prayer, when our prayers “flop” (when they seem to go unanswered or when we get a no that we did not want), we immediately blame the manufacturer (God) when all the while we just have not read the instructions on how to pray.

Basic instructions concerning praying

We must come in faith, believing there is a God who will hear us and reward us Hebrews 11:6

We must willingly let God examine our heart psalms 139:23-24 Confess our sins 1 John1: 9, and then repent Acts 3:19

We can pray even if we feel that our faith is small Matthew 17:20

We must consider if there are any of our relationships that needs mending. Then we need to go and try to make them right Matthew 5:24-23

We must come to prayer by asking in Jesus’s name and for his sake. We can ask ourselves, will the answer to this prayer honour Jesus’ name? Will it glorify and extend the work of the Kingdom? John 14:13

Conclusion

As Christians and believers of the gospel let us practice the discipline of prayer and try to keep these basic patterns in mind, we will find ourselves on the way to doing it right, nearer to a “perfect cake”.

Few verses on Instructions

Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. Psalms 50:17

He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly, he shall go astray. Proverbs 5:23

Then I saw and considered it well: I looked upon it and received instruction. Proverbs 24:32

But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. Jeremiah 17:23

And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. Jeremiah 32:33

Thus, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. Jeremiah 35:13

So, it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction, and an astonishment unto the nations that [are] round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it. Ezekiel 5:15

I said, Surely, thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so, their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Zephaniah 3:7

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ctise” we will get Timothy 2:3-16