Seven Tips to Effective Prayer

I want to read to you a couple of quotes before I actually get into the topic. I like this one really well. It's called the Spare Tire. It's from 15,000 quotations, and this happens to be number 4585, if you want to check me out. It's called the Spare Tire. Some Christians seem to look upon God as a kind of a spare tire. A spare tire is forgotten for months at a time until suddenly we have a flat on the road. Then we want the spare tire to be in good condition, ready for use. Just so many forget God during all the times when things go well. Then in an emergency, they want God to be on hand, immediately ready to hear and answer their cry of distress. That's how some people look on prayer. A couple of other just brief clippings about prayer. Here's one from a Bible friend that says this. Seven days without prayer makes one week. W-E-A-K. Seven days without prayer makes one week. Moody said this. A man who prays much in private will make short prayers in public. When I hear someone get up at church and say a long, long prayer, and I'm saying, he didn't log enough time in prayer this morning. He's using this forum to get more prayer time in. He didn't log enough time himself. Again, a man who prays much in private will make short prayers in public. And then there's one other one that I want to share with you. Let's see if I can put it here. Oh, where did I see that one? Oh, yes. When the outlook is bad, try the up-look. When the outlook is bad, try the up-look. Well, do you have your prayers answered? Are you sure you're confident they're answered? When you pray, do you know you're going to get an answer? Are you confident and are you sure? Are your prayers effective? When you tell somebody, I'm going to pray for you, do they have confidence? I had this one lady in Toronto. She was a Deacon's wife. She was one of the most diligent persons I ever knew. And boy, I said if I had wanted anybody to pray for me, it would be her. I just had that type of confidence in her as a person because of the demeanor, the way, the manner, the type of person she was. But let me ask you the question, how effective are your prayers? So I want to answer that by giving you seven tips to effective prayer. Seven tips to effective prayer. Number one, know God can do anything.

First tip, number one, know your God and my God can do anything. Look at Genesis 18. Genesis 18 verses 10 through 14, and then we'll go to chapter 21 as well for the fulfillment. But Genesis chapter 18 and verses 10 to 14. Genesis 18 and verse 10. This is when the Christ and the angels appeared to Abraham, and Abraham told Sarah, go quickly kill the fatted calf and bring it in. Let's feed these people. These are strangers in town. He thought they were strangers in town, so he was being hospitable. But verse 10, then he said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah, your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age. Remember, God had promised Abraham a seed before, and Abraham had that Ishmael from Hagar. So because he had Ishmael, he thought, well, I've got my son now. God promised me. God said, no, that is what I meant. I said, you're going to have a son. Sarah, you two are going to have a son. So now it says, now Abraham and Sarah were old, well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. She had already long ago reached her menopause because right now, she's 90 years old. And Abraham's a hundred. He's almost too old to cut the mustard anymore. And in verse 12, therefore Sarah laughed. This is a joke. He's making a joke. I'm going to have a child after I am waxed old. Shall I have the pleasure, my Lord, being old also? My husband's an old man, and I'm almost as old as he is, 10 years younger. And verse 13, the Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh, saying, shall I have a surety bear a child when I am old? Why did Sarah laugh at me? Doesn't she know who I am? I can do anything. Verse 14, and he makes this famous comment, is anything too hard for the eternal? Is there anything too hard for me to do? So when we go to him in prayer, we need to realize we go to someone who can do anything, who can cause the sun to stop, who can cause things to go backwards, who can make a long day. That's the God we serve, who can walk on water, who can open up seas and make it dry in the riverbed that was wet before.

That's your God, that's my God, who can raise the dead, who can heal all manner of sickness and disease. Is there some disease you can't listen to? Now, God can heal all manner of sickness except those, and accept that, and accept this. When we go to God in prayer, we need to go to God and know that our God could do anything. Is there anything too hard for the eternal? And he said, at the appointed time, I will return to you according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Chapter 21, verses 1 and 2. And the Lord visited Sarah, as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah what he had spoken. He enabled her to have a child. For Sarah conceived, and notice there wasn't some extra sexual impregnation. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham, a son, through Abraham, in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. So, first point is to know God can do anything.

Anything! Matthew, chapter 14, verses 22 to 33. I won't even turn there. Just, Peter walked on water, remember? They were out in the canoe waiting for Jesus. Jesus said, I could swim there. I'm a good swimmer. I get my row ball wet. Why don't I just walk? No boats around. I'll just walk. He walks on the water. And I thought, there's a ghost out there in the water. I said, ghost out there. Then they started to get off-raid. And they said, no. And he spoke to them, hey, guys! They said, it's the Lord. He said, well, if you're the Jesus, if you're the Lord, let me walk to you. You know, come on. So, you can imagine, what would have been like to jump out of a boat on a lake and hit terra firma, or feel like you're hitting terra firma? What would it be like? Solid. May have been a little bit, floor may have been shifting a little bit, depending on the winds. And he started walking to Jesus. The only man, other than Jesus Christ, to walk on water. Most of us walk through water.

Not walk on it. He walked on water. And then when the wind started coming, then he got afraid. And he said, why are you so afraid? Why did you doubt?

Why did you doubt? See, God could do anything. He jumped out. I don't know what it was. It was an angel down there, putting their hands down. And it was an angel lying down, you know, attached to each other all the way along so he could just walk on top. I don't know how God did that, because God can do anything. Your God, my God, can do anything. Matthew 19, verse 26. Matthew 19 and verse 26.

We find what Jesus Christ said in this case. Matthew 19, verse 26. Well, they talked about the rich man who could be saved, who could be saved, and the disciples that asked him, who then can be saved? Why, if rich man can't do it, who can be saved? And verse 26. Jesus beheld them, and he said to them, with men this is impossible. Men can't do it by themselves. But with God, all things are possible. When we come to God in prayer, we need to recognize and realize that God can do anything. He could do anything. Anything he wants. You know what he did? Minor things. See, this pin, it was given to me. Very nice pin. Given to me when I left the Council of Elders. Do you know, for seven months, I looked all over the house, our house, to find it, because it's a nice pin.

I thought I may have left it in my pockets, and now checked all my suits and my sport coats, and couldn't find it. Looked in my car, pulled the seats up, checked in the back of the truck, every bag I had in my suitcases. What did I do with that pin? Seven months. I prayed about it, and I lost it. I don't know what I'd do with it. You know where it is. And then weeks went by, and I took my clothes to the cleaners, and the lady fills out her ticket with my pin.

And I said, that looks just like my pin that I lost. And she said, here, you want it? I don't think she realized the value of this pin. She said, I've got plenty of them in the drawer. She opened the drawer. She had lots of others. She wants to grab them from some other... I probably left it in one of my shirts, and somebody was getting the shirts ready to send to the laundry. They found that in a shirt, and just threw it in the drawer. Probably this is a big pin, or whatever threw it. It's not a big pin. It's a Mont Blanc. It's a very expensive pin. And so I came to the car, and I said to my wife... and the lady didn't... she didn't even face her. I said, that looks just like my pin. She said, you want here? Take it. I've got plenty of them. She opened her drawer. She did have plenty of pins, but not Mont Blanc pins. And so I came to the car, and I said, honey, you'll never believe what I found. My pin... and I think it's mine. A lot of pins could be this black. I just thought I'd take good care of mine. I'd bite it and chew. There are no chew marks. There are no... nothing. And it's in good shape. And the gold tone around it is not damaged. Mine wasn't either. I'd take good care of my pins. But I happened to not take so good of care that I didn't take it out of my pocket. So isn't that amazing? Just little things. God could do anything, anything for you. And that's something to keep in mind and always remember. Ephesians 3 verse 20. Not only does he just do what you ask of him, but Ephesians 3, 20 tells us, Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to his power that works in us. If we believe strongly enough and it's within God's will you'll find me saying that a few times. I can't say I believe I'm going to win the... the Reader's Digest. Six million dollars drawing this year. I believe I'm going to win the right lottery. Well, sometimes... if God wanted us to, God could make us a really rich church.

Just say every one of you go to take every time there's a lottery you enter it and God makes the sticky stuff on your particular ticket and person reaches it. However they do it, out comes your number. He could do it, couldn't he? He could make it happen for you, but I don't think he'll do that because I don't find the Scriptures where he says he's going to make us all instantaneous millionaires. But he could. Your God could do anything. My God could do anything. So remember, point number one, when you pray to God, remember all things are possible with him.

He can do anything. Number two, believe. When we pray, we have to believe. Don't waver. Don't go back and forth. Don't waver. Mark 9, verses 23 and 24. Some wonderful examples here.

Mark 9, verses 23 and 24. Here's a son who needed healing from a demon that threw him into the fire.

Mark 9, verse 23. Jesus said to him, the man said, have compassion on us. Help us. Verse 23, Jesus said to him, if you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.

Can you believe? When you came to church, did you believe the hall would be ready for you? Did you believe there'd be coffee back there? Did you believe? You believed! Why? Because you've trusted that. That happens regularly. You believed that—no, it didn't take a whole lot of effort, did it? You can believe God because God says it in his word, what he will do and what he won't do. And you can know that. You can know what God's will is. So if you believe, he said, if you believe, in verse 24, and straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. If there's anything in me that doesn't, help me to work through that. I believe, but help my unbelief. Luke 8, verse 41. The 12-year-old daughter of a synagogue official. Luke 8, verses 41 and 42. Luke 8, verse 41. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet and besought him that he would come to his house. He saw Jesus out in the marketplace or wherever, and he said, hey, come with me. My daughter's gravely ill, for he had only one daughter, about 12 years of age.

She lay dying. But as he went, the people thronged about him. Skip down to verse 49.

Again, this lady came and touched him, and he felt power go for him. Verse 49.

Luke 8, verse 49. While he yet spoke, there comes one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, your daughter is dead. Don't trouble the master. She died already. You're too late. You're too late. And when he came, and verse 50, but when Jesus heard it, he answered, saying, don't fear, believe only. Don't be afraid, just believe, and she shall be made whole.

And when he came into the house, he permitted no one to go in, except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the maiden, and all wept and bewailed her. But he said, weep not, for she is not dead, but sleeps. People in the house, don't worry. She's not dead. She's just sleeping. And they laughed. Their tears turned to laughter. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. But remember what the first death is, is asleep. It's not perishing. It's not that you'll never come back. And he put them all out, all the ones who were weeping, and crying, and wailing. And he took her by the hand, and he called her, saying, made arise. Her spirit came again, and she rose straightway. Her morale, her mood, everything came back. And he commanded to give her food. And her parents were astonished. Why? Jesus said, believe.

If you believe, anything can happen. I've been at funerals sometimes, and I don't know. One of these times, I'm hoping that while I'm doing the funeral, somebody knocks on, I hear this wood knocking. Let me out of here with you. I'm hoping one day that happens. God can raise the dead. I don't care if they're taking all the blood out of them. God could do anything.

He can heal. He can raise the dead. He can stop any sickness, any disease. He can change weather patterns. He can calm the wind. He can move the waters and divide the waters. That's your God and my God. Her parents were astonished, but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. Don't spread the word yet that I did this. They raised that little girl from the dead. Just believe. And of course, James 1, verses 5 and 7, and talking about asking for wisdom, he said, if you lack wisdom, ask God, but let him ask in faith, not wavering. Well, maybe God could do it. Maybe he can't. I wonder if he will. I maybe won't. Well, he won't. He won't. He won't. No. Believe or believe not. Get your daisy or whatever. I believe. I believe not. Believe. I believe not. He loves me. He loves me not. Don't do that. Don't waver. Believe that God will do it.

And if you believe, God can do anything. Believe. Don't waver. That's tip number two. Number three. Number three. Cleanse your ways. Cleanse your ways. Luke 18, verses 9 to 14. Luke 18, verses 9 to 14. In this case, we have the parable, the Pharisee, and the publican. And he spoke a parable to them which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. Now, it was thought that because God resided in the temple, if you go to the pray, you're close to them. Does that mean if you come to church and you pray at church, that's more effective than praying at home? Not necessarily, although you have God's people together. Maybe God gives more focus here. But that still is not... You pray anywhere, okay? It doesn't have to be at the temple. But they came to the temple to pray and the Pharisee stood, verse 11, and prayed with thus with himself. I like the way he said it. He prayed with himself. He's not praying to God. God's like it. He's giving himself a pep talk or whatever. God, I thank you that I am not as other men or extortioners, and unjust, and adulterers, even as this... or even as this publican. Well, I'm sure I'm glad I'm not like him. He had a very strong dose of vanity, very strong dose of judgmentalism. And verse 12, I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I possess. Publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but it smote upon his breast and saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Forgive me. Forgive me for what I've done. Forgive me for the sins I've committed. Forgive me for my omissions and commissions. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other, for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Come to God in a humble way. Cleanse your hearts. Cleanse yourself. Over in 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14, in this warning to Solomon of how to deal with national sin. This is a great verse to mark. I had to look it up again to find it. 2 Chronicles 7, 14. Listen to this. God says to Solomon, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, that's putting yourself in a godly condition, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, cleanse yourselves, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. If my people will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them. A greater scripture, another scripture that just makes this very plain, 1 John 3, 22. It's one of our memory scriptures at ABC. 1 John 3, 22. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him. We receive of him. Why? Because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Now, if somebody asks me to pray for them, they're deliberately breaking God's law unknowingly or knowingly. I have a hard time really being convicted about that. I may say, God, please be merciful to them, because God could be merciful to whoever he chooses to. But if they are trying to put their lives in line with God, not that keeping God's commandments or walking in his ways forces God to do anything, you can't. It's God's mercy that does it. It's God's decision to answer your prayer positively or negatively. By the way, a lot of us feel we don't have answered prayers. Oh, God didn't answer my prayer because he didn't give me what I wanted. Maybe he did answer it. Maybe his answer was no. Maybe his answer was not now.

Can he have those options? Yes. Does that mean he didn't hear you? It doesn't mean he didn't hear you. But see, we often say, I got answered to prayer. How did you get your answer? See, if I'd never found this, that means God never heard me. God heard my prayer. He may have said, you don't need that pen. You don't need it. Maybe somebody else needs it more than you.

But we only look at answered prayer to be that which is positive. Well, see, he gave me what I wanted. I got my prayer answered. How do you know he didn't say no to you? How do you know he didn't say not yet? You don't. But 1 John 3, 22, Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments. Do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Cleanse your ways. Check yourself. Am I doing what God asked me to do? Am I diligently following him? Am I walking in his ways? What are my ways? Are not accurately walking in. What ones am I not doing? I need to check myself to put myself in line. It's interesting. There's a quote that I didn't bring that with me that talks about Psalms 91. It says, Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. And they said, back in the days when this was written by Asaph, the psalmist, kings would often, to show their graciousness, come through the towns or have their pages go through the towns people. And if you open wide your mouth, they would fill it with sweet meats. I don't know what sweet meats are, but maybe they're delicacies. And sometimes they would fill it with jewels. The mouth. Now you wouldn't eat them, obviously. But they open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

Now when you pray, I hope you open your mouth wide. I hope you pray to God and you expect him to fill it. Your answer to give you those answers. Oh, those are beautiful, beautiful analogy. Number four, point number four, is be persistent.

Be persistent. Don't give up. Don't quit. Don't flag or fail. Well, I did this for a while, but I'm quitting. I have a certain group of people that I pray for all the time. One of them is Carolyn. Every day. There may be a day that I forget something, I'll say every single last day. But she's regularly on my prayer list when I prayer and I pray for people all over the country. There are people that I've known, the people that I've closed. Some people that I don't know, I may pray for them when I receive that particular one. And I wait for those who know them to pray for them regularly. Like there's a lady up in north of Prince George, British Columbia, named Marva Plant, who has incurable cancer. She and her husband live hundreds of miles away from any church, but they were baptized recently. And they don't have the fellowship of God's people. She's dying of cancer. She's on my list. I pray for her. Never met her. But I was moved with compassion. So I think of her up there, and I think of this person down here, and I think of these people over here, and I think these down. And I go around the country, and I have my little... Either I start at the east and go west, or I start at the west and go east. I don't give up. I mention them every day to God. God, please be merciful. Please heal. These people are waiting for you. I also pray that one day God will put a difference between His people and the people of the world. That one day He'll say, no more cancer on God's people. They did that. He blocked them in Egypt, right? The plagues. He stopped the plagues from going to God's people, but He let them go to the Egyptians. Take care of your people. Strengthen them. If He could make clothes last 40 years, He could make you live longer and continue to do well as a person, even though we are aging. All of us are aging. Even the young people are aging. As you sit here, you're aging. Each one of us. I hope I don't make you age too much. Okay, but we need to, as individuals, be persistent. Don't give up. Luke 11, verses 5 to 10. Here was a friend who needed bread. Friend who needed bread. Thought of a funny hour to call, but anyway. Luke 11, verse 5. He said, Which of you have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves of bread?

Why is he going at midnight? Was he late in midnight snack or something? I would say, Hey, why don't you eat in the morning? Come over at 8 o'clock. I'll give you some. Why are you coming to me at midnight? Okay, but he did. He came to me at midnight.

For a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. Why is his friend coming at midnight? He ostensibly was a need. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not, the door is now shut. My children are with me in bed, and I cannot rise and give to you. Apparently, they slept in the same bed together, nice and warm. You know what it's like in wintertime.

You get in, you get your bed nice and warm inside, and then you have to get up and go to the bathroom or whatever, something in the middle of the night. Then you come back to you, and then it's cold again. He didn't want to get up. He said, I don't want to get up. And he said, I cannot rise and give it to you. And verse 8, I say to you, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity or his persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, you shall find. Knock, and it shall be open to you. Do you know what in Matthew 7 verses 7 and 8 is the same thing? It says, ask, seek, and knock. You're asking for what you want. You're seeking that which is lost, and you're knocking to try to open the door to let you in.

You know what the amplified version puts it? Here's how they put that same section, but this is from Matthew 7 verse 7 and 8. Keep on asking, and it will be given to you. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be open to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives. He who keeps on seeking finds, and he who keeps on knocking, the door will be open. Persistence. Keep it up. Don't give up. Well, it's the use. He didn't hear me today. What's the use?

I can get a positive answer today. What's the use? Those people who are not being healed, what's the use? Keep on praying. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. That's the fourth area. Let me give you one more. Luke 18 verses 1 to 8 in the same section. Luke chapter 18 verses 1 to 8.

He spoke a parable to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Don't give up, and don't quit. Saying, there was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man.

This guy was a crusty old individual. He didn't care about anybody else. He was just going to make his decisions. He didn't matter how it went. And there was a widow in that city which came to him saying, avenge me of my adversary. I've got this person that's bothering me, that's threatening me. Help me. Help me. Help me. And he would not for a while. But afterwards he said within himself, though I fear not God nor regard man, I don't have any respect for anybody. Yet, because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Now, you don't weary God, but God uses this as an example. Keep coming. Keep coming. Don't give up. Keep coming. Yet, because she comes and the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge says, shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them. He may not answer right away. But if you don't pray, he's not going to answer at all. Because you don't want it. If your daughter asks you for an ice cream cone on the way home and you say, sorry, you can't, you know, you don't answer, you're driving around, oh, dad, can I please have an...

if she gives up asking, you're not going to get it for her. But she keeps asking, keeps bugging, keeps saying, hey, dad, remember that, that ice cream place is coming up. Hey, dad, remember that. He just might do it. Don't give up. Don't give up. And that's the key. He said, I tell you that he will answer them speedily.

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, shall he find faith on the earth? Faith to continue. A person who keeps at it. A person who doesn't give up and quit. Be persistent. Number five, be specific. Be specific. I'm going to read this. Second Kings 19.

Second Kings 19 verses 14 to 20. We're going to read it from today's English version, but you can turn there. It's the case of Hezekiah. Hezekiah and his prayer. King Hezekiah took the letter which was a threatening letter from Assyria. King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and he read it. So this point is, be specific. When you pray, God, please help this people in general. Please help everybody. God, give me my food for a whole year. When you think about the sermon on the Mount, he doesn't say, Lord, give me a year's supply of food. What does he say? Give me this day my daily bread. Now, if you want to eat, how many times do you have to pray? Every day. Every day for your daily bread. Not your month. Okay, God, give me a year's supply and I'll see you next year.

Like I can do with some medications, I can get three months at a time. Give me three months at a time. Give me three months at a time. Three months at a time. I don't know, economy of words. No, don't do that. Be specific. God, help us in general. Be specific. What do you want? What are you asking of him? So a lot of things we talked to him about, as was mentioned. You can talk to God. You can tell him how your day was. You can tell him how you do. And by the way, I don't just necessarily believe in prayer all at one time, though all at one time is good. I try to spread it out throughout the day. Try to get a few minutes here and a few minutes there and maybe some more of it in the morning and more of it the evening and then some of it during the day. Because I want to be instant in prayer. I want to be able to say, wow, that was wonderful, as I did when I received this thank you, God. I want to be instant in prayer. When I get home and find my telephone booth or my closet and I'll go in and kneel down and I can say thank you to God. Be instant in prayer. Be able to pray anytime, anywhere, in any position. So a church, as I say, this person needs our prayers. Maybe if you didn't know them and didn't they're new to you, you might say in your mind, Lord, help that person, help Sandy and Ken, help them to be better, help them be healed and take care of them and look after them in Jesus' name. You can just say it in your mind and then keep on listening. You can do it. It'd be instant in prayer. Being able to contact God at any time. He's there. He's available to listen. But in this one, he says, King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went to the temple, placed the letter in the presence of the Lord, and prayed, O Lord, God of Israel, seated on your throne above the winged creatures, the beasts, the seraphim. You alone are God, ruling all the kingdoms of the world. You created the heaven and the earth. Verse 16, Now, Lord, look at what is happening to us. Listen to all the things that Sennacherib is saying to insult you, the living God. We all know, Lord, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate, burned up their gods, which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands. Now, Lord, our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that only you, O Lord, are God. They'll know only you are God. He was very specific. He actually took the letter and put it before God. Put it before God. In your prayer, God, I say, you know what? I got this thing. And they say, this is my disease. They said, this is my ailment. God, see what they're saying about me. You can heal anything. You made the human body. Be specific about what you are asking. Hosea 14 verses 1 to 5. Hosea 14 verses 1 to 5, when Israel was going to turn back to God. Here's the counsel that Hosea the prophet writes they should do. Hosea 14 verses 1 to 5. O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have fallen by your iniquity. Take with you words and turn to the Lord. Say to him, take away all iniquity. Take away all my sins. Take away all my wrongdoing. Receive us graciously. So will we render the calves of our lips. We'll give you the praise of our lips. And here's what we'll say. Asher will not say. I'm going to quit throwing in with Asher.

I'm going to quit trusting in my cavalry. I'm going to quit looking to the works of my hands and making idols. I'm not going to do that anymore, because I know in you the fatherless find mercy. When you go to God and pray, pray specifically. Pray specifically. What do you want? What do you want? Don't beat around the bush. Well, maybe if you want to. You might think about, perhaps you would like to do this for a while. If you don't, I understand. Be specific. What do I want?

What do I ask? And what am I come to you for? And why am I talking with you? Be specific.

1 John 5 verse 14. Remember, whatever we ask must be in accordance with his will. 1 John 5 14.

This is our confidence that we have in him if we ask anything according to his will. He hears us.

So, you want effective prayer? Be specific. Pray according to his will. That's number five.

Point number six. Effective tip for prayer number six, in number six for effective prayers, is ask in Jesus' name. Ask in Jesus' name. Jesus' name, when you say, in the name of Jesus Christ, that's why I don't use that except sparingly. When I write personal letters to people, I don't say, in Jesus' name. Very subtle. If I'm writing an authoritative letter to them about something they're doing wrong that they need to repent, I might say, in Jesus' name. Most of the time, I will say, you're loving in Christ's love, in the love of Christ, in Christian love, warmly or sincerely, in Christ. But I'm not going to say, in Jesus' name. That is invoking power and authority. And when you say, in Jesus' name, you're saying by His permission, you're saying, this is my calling card. You're saying, this is my password. I'm thankful because you received the answer necessarily, yet. But Luke chapter 17, we find an example. Luke 17 verse 11. And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men who were lepers, which stood afar off. And lepers had to stay far. If lepers start to come near you, people pick up stones and stone them. Get away from me! Stay away from me! I don't want to get this dread disease leprosy. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! And when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourself to the priests. And it came to pass as they went, they were cleansed. Because they obeyed him, because they listened to him, as they went on their way to go do what he asked them to do, their leprosy was healed, it was cured. And verse 15, and one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back with a loud voice, glorified God, and fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks. He was a Samaritan. Only one out of ten said thank you for healing from a disease that was so dreadful that people basically spent the rest of their lives rotting away. And Jesus answering said to him, said, Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Why haven't all ten said thank you? Because they were healed. They asked him, Lord, have mercy on us. He answered them. They didn't even give him thanks. He says, There are not found that returned to give glory to God except this stranger. And he said to him, Arise and go your way. Your faith has made you whole. Are you thankful to God? Your prayers should contain thankfulness. Be thankful. Thank you that I could come to you. Thank you that I could trouble you in the midst of you running the whole universe. Did you spend time listening to me?

Lowly little me in this little closet. I used to pray out of a closet, I told my students that.

I believed you had to pray out of a closet. So I went into my closet. Couldn't breathe very well because there was no ventilation, no light bulb, clothes in my face, shoes on my knees, under my knees. And I tried to last in there until my was almost asphyxiated. Then I would come out.

But it said, Enter your closet, old King James. So I literally went into my closet. When I had to pray. Be thankful when you pray. Thankful to God. Thank Him. Let Him know that you love Him. You appreciate Him. You thank Him. If you're even listening to me in that little closet, He's listening to me. He's willing to. Thank you, Father. Philippians 4 verse 6. Our prayers should be filled with thanksgiving, too. Philippians 4 verse 6. Philippians 4 verse 6, we read this.

Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication. With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. With thanksgiving, be thankful in your prayers.

God will appreciate it as we saw Jesus did. John 11 verses 41 and 42. John 11 verses 41 and 42. Here's what Jesus Christ said when He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead with all those people standing around Him. Look what He said.

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid, and Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

Jesus Christ Himself said, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you hear me always, but because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. I thank you, Father, for hearing me. Do you thank God enough? And again, do you tell Him you love Him while you're thanking Him and all the rest?

Ephesians 5 and verse 20. My last scripture, Ephesians 5 and 20.

Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. He says, Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be thankful. So use these seven tips so that your prayers, my prayers, may be more effective. Know God can do anything. Believe that He can. Clean and cleanse your ways.

Be persistent. Don't give up. Ask specifically for what you want. Ask it in Jesus' name.

And be you thankful. Remember, the answer may be yes, it may be no, and maybe not now.

But may we all have more effective prayers.