I truly feel that prayer/meditation is an extremely powerful way for us to elevate our connection with God, oneself and humankind.  However, for us to maximize the benefits of this amazing gift we must all learn how to approach God.  While I only make reference to the New Testament, in NO way am I suggesting this is only the book.  For the Old Testament, Koran, Sanskrit are all wonderful, beautiful and helpful guides in teaching us how to strengthen our faith and relationship with God and one another.

Have you ever wondered why your prayers go unanswered?  If so, has this experience left you not believing in God and or weaken your faith in him?

There is no better time to discuss this topic than during lent.  Yesterday was Ash Wednesday.  The first day of the season for Lent for Christians.  For the next six and half weeks (40) days many of us will take this precious time for repentance, fasting and abstinence.

There are five things I want to share with you that will help you understand how to commune with God and get your prayers answered.  First, you must have a right relationship with God.  In other words, you just can’t make boastful request that go against you betterment and the kingdom of heaven.  Pray with humility.  In the case of Christians pray in the name of Jesus Christ. John 12, 12:14, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Second, you must have a good relationship with you spouse, children, parents and humankind.  In short, you must learn to forgive and ask for forgiveness when you are wrong.  Peter expresses the importance of maintaining good relationships for our prayers to go unhindered.  1 Peter 7, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

In summary, steps 1 and 2 expresses how important humility and right relationship with all is when approaching God in our prayers.

This next step is very important so please pay attention.  You must learn how to make the right request for the right reason.  God will answer no prayers that will spiritually hinder you or anyone else.  Remember that you can not serve two masters.  If your only interests are worldly pursuits and pleasures than you can not serve God and fulfill your divine destiny.  You will find yourself as James poignantly states in 4:3, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Fourth, pray with faith.  Believe that God has already answered your right request for the right reason.  Do you believe what Mark states in 11:23?, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”  Don’t worry if you don’t believe this wholeheartedly for you are not alone in not doing so.  That is why we must work on strengthening our faith.  How do we do this?  Praising God for all our blessings and help in dealing with challenging moments.  For Christians reading the Psalms and learning the miracles helps build our faith.  So study and recite them.  Give thanks!  Lastly, obedience, that voice you hear that we so often refer to as our conscious is God.  He is a speaking God.  So please remember and keep this in your heart, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrew 11:6

Finally, I urge you never give up on your rightful prayers until God answers you.  “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  Romans 8:32

I write this not to convert anyone into christianity, but hoping that I have encouraged you to build and strengthen your faith in God.  That you will diligently study the scriptures with an open heart and mind in your quest in becoming all God has divinely destined you to become.

I PRAY FOR PEACE, JOY, HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND LOVE TO ALL!

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