Day 40 - What Has Gone Before

Over the past 40 days we have looked at principles for effective prayer.  The source of these principles is a book by Selwyn Hughes, titled "Fifteen Ways to a More Effective Prayer Life".  It is a thin book, all of 63 pages, but it contains some wonderful, practical advice that will benefit everyone from a brand-spanking-new Christian to a grizzled prayer warrior with calloused knees.

The 15 principles (very summarised) are:

1. Breathe a prayer for help as you begin.
   You're embarking on an amazing adventure and satan will oppose you. Start this journey by asking God to help you.
2. Establish a definite time.
   It will help you to keep on keeping. If you can schedule meetings, visits, etc., you can schedule time for God.
3. Keep your appointment even when you don't feel like it.
   That's only good manners. It will help you to discipline yourself and you will find that some of your most wonderful experiences come out of times when you pray in spite of not wanting to.
4. Find a suitable place in which to pray.
   If you have a study, bedroom or office where you can be alone, use it. If not, go for a walk. If that's not possible, find a place within you.
5. Go into your prayer time relaxed and receptive.
   Do some relaxation exercises. Relax your mind by focusing on God. Deliberately put your troubles and anxieties out of mind while you pray.
6. Begin your prayer time by reading a passage from the Bible.
   There is no substitute for His word. Expect Him to speak to you out of His word.
7. Use a notebook.
   Write your requests on one side and God's answers on the other. If you find this too mechanical, just try it for a month or two and see what happens.
8. Develop a prayer pattern.
   There are generally three parts to a prayer – look to God, look to yourself, look to others.
9. Offer up prayer in Jesus' name.
   This means to pray what Jesus would have prayed, i.e. acting as His representative.
10. Listen for God's voice.
    Prayer is a dialogue. Take time to listen that you may hear what God says to you. This takes practice and time. Do not give up.
11. Open up your whole being to the flow of God's Spirit.
    God speaks to us and works through us with His Holy Spirit. Allow Him to do this. Expect Him to do this.
12. Cultivate the power of imagination.
    Your imagination is from God and you can use it to His glory. See with you imagination how you receive God's love, joy, peace. See how He answers your prayers and affirm it by saying it aloud.
13. Outmanoeuvre wandering thoughts.
    If your thoughts wander, turn them to God or bring Jesus into the picture as soon as you realise that they've wandered. Thinking about your job? Thank God for your job and that you can serve Him in the workplace. Thinking evil thoughts? Tell Jesus about it and ask Him to fill your mind with His thoughts.
14. Add power by entering into an occasional fast.
    Fasting builds your spiritual nature and diminishes your carnal nature. That's what is known as a win-win situation. Remember Jesus said "When you fast", not "If you fast".
15. Understand and practise the principles of faith.
    Heb 11:6 – Without faith it is impossible to please God for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

I have purposely kept this summary short for two reasons:

1. to encourage you to meditate on these principles. What do they mean to you? Expect God to reveal the meaning to you as you meditate on the various principles. Naturally I'd be happy to discuss them with anyone who is interested. You can even borrow my copy of Fifteen Ways to a More Effective Prayer Life :-) - just collar me at a church service and ask.
2. all the principles are recorded more fully in this blog.  Page through it and leave comments - questions, advice, stories, testimonies, anything that seems relevant to you.

And so we come to the end of our 40 days of faith but, of course, it is not an end.  Your relationship with God continues and hopefully these 40 days have helped you to come closer to Him, to get to know Him better.  I hope that you have received a little nudge, a small encouragement, some momentum that will help your relationship with God to grow in intimacy.

I would like to do this again sometime in the future and would appreciate input about the format, presentation, etc. - any ideas that can make it better.  Please leave a comment.

Thank you to everyone who followed the blog, who prayed for it, who read it regularly and who left a comment or two.  A special thank you goes to Suneeta who contributed content as well.

May God continue to bless you as you seek Him with all your heart.