How to pray effectively - EmekaAnslem

"Pastor, I've been praying to God to visit and remember me for years now, but it seems like God has forgotten me"

Hold that thought right there!. I'm pretty sure that God visited you and it's certainly impossible for Him to forget you. However, if He hasn't done anything for you, it's probably because your faith wasn't connected to anything He was supposed to do when He visits.

Some Christians are very religious when they pray. You'd hear things like, "Father, visit me in my finances", "Oh Lord, visit me in my health", "Jesus, remember me today". And I can't but wonder what Jesus is supposed to do when He eventually visits their finances.

Some people believe that the presence of God automatically resolves challenges. As much as I'd love that to be true, God never acts without the faith of man. One would think that those soldiers would automatically rise at the valley of dry bones, but no, Prophet Ezekiel still had to declare the word of God to the bones. Blind Barthemaus was face to face with Jesus, yet he didn't receive healing until he said exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him. When those two blind men met with Jesus to heal them, the only question He asked them was if they believed He could heal them.

Read your Bible, all those who benefitted from God's visitation did so on the basis of their faith in Him. They held on to a word that was spoken to them by God. So each time they prayed to God to visit them, it was usually because of a promise God made to them.

For instance;

Genesis 21:

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Did you see that? God visited Sarah and did as He said. So my question is, what promise of scripture are you banking on for the visitation you're praying for. Because truly, your tireless prayers may move God to visit you, but if He can't find a word you're holding on to, He won't perform. Let's see how Luke 18:7-8 put it:

Luke 18:

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Did you see that? God is ready to avenge or visit you, but will He find faith when He comes?

We see a very weird possibility in scriptures, that although it's impossible for God to forget you as His creature, He knows the plan that He has towards you, and it's a plan to give you a good future. But Isaiah 43:26 says, "Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified".

Have you ever given someone an information and told the person to remind you at a particular time just so you'd remember to do it at that time? That's what that scripture means, God is ready to bless you, but you might have to remind Him when you think it's time for the blessing to arrive. But you can only remind Him of what He has said.

God remembered Hannah the moment His prophet spoke.

1 Samuel 1:

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no rasor come upon his head.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

The people of Isreal suffered an extra 30 years in Egypt because they were thinking that God will suddenly act after 400 years. But the moment they began to remind God in tireless prayers, God remembered and visited them.

As I conclude, don't be a religious Christian. Add precision to your dealings with God. When you pray, pray according to His will, He will hear you. If you want God to visit your business for instance, then be constructive in your request.

"Father, I bring to your rememberance what you said in Psalm 1:3, that I shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in seasons; my leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever I do shall prosper. Visit me today by your word, in the name of Jesus".

That's how it is done. Simple, but powerful. Your testimony will be like that of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:21, "And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD".

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed!

#EmekaAnslem