Rick Warren's Blog, page 535

Why Do We Pray in Jesus��� Name?

The Bible says, ���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��� (John 14:13-14 NIV). God wants to answer your prayers, but he also wants you to ask in Jesus��� name.

The Kind of Prayer God Answers

There���s only one kind of prayer that God answers: the prayer of faith. Matthew 9:29b says, ���According to your faith let it be done to you��� (NIV). We see so little in our lives because we expect so little in our lives.

Why You Pray Is More Important Than What You Pray For

If you expect God to bless your life, you must be willing to bless other people���s lives with the same benefits God has given to you. One of the conditions for answered prayer is a willingness to help those less fortunate with the blessings that we are given.

Your Relationships Can Affect Your Prayers

Nothing will hinder your prayers faster than resentment. When you hold a grudge, when you nurse an ill feeling, when you allow bitterness to grow in your life, it renders your prayers ineffective.

Three Questions to Evaluate Your Relationship with God

Does God promise to answer everyone���s prayers?

John 15:7 says, ���If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you��� (NIV). That���s a beautiful promise. But in Scripture, every promise has a premise. God promises to give us what we ask for ��� if we have an honest relationship with him.

Step Six in Crisis: Humbly Confess Your Sin to God

In the last few days we���ve looked at how to pray during a crisis. Daniel shows us six key principles during his prayer in Daniel 9. The first five of these principles are:

Step Five in Crisis: Thank God for His Love and Promises

You can���t do anything more important than pray during a crisis. As we���ve been learning, Daniel 9 gives us a great pattern for prayer as you walk through life���s toughest times.

Step Four in Crisis: Show God You���re Serious Through Prayer

Daniel���s prayer in Daniel 9 provides us with a great model for how to pray during a crisis. In the last few devotions, we���ve learned from this passage to:

Step Three in Crisis: Pour Your Heart Out to God

Over the last few devotionals, we���ve been looking at how Daniel prayed during a time of crisis in his life and the life of Israel. His pattern shows us how we can pray in a way that God answers us.

Step Two in Crisis: Focus and Seek God

We���ve all had times of crisis that test everything in life, including our trust in God. Daniel gives us a great blueprint for prayer during these difficult times.

We can find six important principles for this in Daniel 9. In the last devotional, we looked at the first of those principles ��� we let God speak to us before we speak to him.