Groeschel hit some excellent criteria for effective prayer. Page 85-88 nailed some priorities that need to be thought through before we pray so that our prayer will mirror what God wants it to be. Here’s the helpful list. I’ll reveal below my biggest challenge on the list.
1. Give thought to our relationship with others before we pray. God cares about how we are with Him but also how we are with others. Mk. 11:24-25
2. Check out motives in praying. OK, who hasn’t blown it on this one.
3. Watch the way we live. I’ll be speaking on this passage July 11th – “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God certainly listens to those who have listened to Him!
4. We must pray in faith. God can see right through a prayer that doesn’t believe He can fulfill the request.
5. Pray according to God’s Will. Prayer is not a Christmas wish list, but rather an endeavor to discover God’s best for us.
My biggest challenge in the above list is “Asking with the right motives.” I’ll admit, selfishness runs deep in my bones and it takes a lot of soul searching to discern if my prayer is for God to be glorified or me to be satisfied! I’ll need to pray for His help with that!!
Effective prayer? Since when did God demand that prayer become so structured? You make it sound almost like effective marketing. We have to market ourselves to God? God only asks that we pray from the heart and of course as you say, for the right reasons. It’s simple! Don’t make it sound like some marketing strategy.
Kris, it seems like the word effective troubles you… James 5 says that “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Honestly, I am concerned about my effectiveness… because it speaks to my righteousness before the God who created me.
I do agree with you, it is simple and our motives do matter!
Matthew 6:8-13
v 9 “After this manner therefore pray ye:”
I don’t see it as structured prayer… more the the effect of a structured life. And why shouldn’t our life be structured to represent and glorify Him. The idea is for our prayers to be answered. If our lives are not structured to a degree that is pleasing to Him; then we’ve failed in our prayer. Therefore; no effectiveness.