What is Prayer?
To have an effective prayer life, you must understand some basic principles of prayer.  First, prayer is about developing a divine relationship with God.  Through prayer you learn to cultivate a closer relationship.  You talk to God and you listen for Him to respond.  When you spend time with a person, you get to know that person and a level of trust develops.  The more you spend time in God’s presence you will develop that trust level.  You will have more confidence in God’s ability and not in your inability.  

From reading the Bible and from personal relationship, we develop a point of reference from which to draw the conclusion that “God is God, all by himself.”  We are encouraged to pray and to seek the Lord, to inquire of Him, and to call upon Him.  Jeremiah 29:11 gives us the confidence to call upon Him, because it states: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”  The benefits of praying and seeking God is that you will find Him and when you call upon him, He will answer.  Because He loves us, He wants only the best for us.  Through prayer and guidance from the Lord, you can find what that “best” is and fellowship and commune with Him.   Our desire always should be “to know Him.”  

To download the complete pdf study on Effective Prayer, click here.