If you’ve been praying, but feel like your prayers aren’t bringing results, there is an answer. Mark 11:24 says, “You can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” The Bible clearly defines the formula for this kind of successful prayer that is 100 percent effective.
You were meant to live a successful, overcoming Christian life. God has magnificent plans for you. He has set aside an inheritance of abundance for you to enjoy. But God’s will is not automatic. You have a part to play.
If you’re ready to experience a 100 percent success rate in prayer, here are the seven steps to prayer that bring results.
Step 1: Base Your Prayers on God’s Word
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” –1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)
The key to seeing the kind of results God wants you to achieve through prayer is not just shooting random arrows in the air, hoping something might happen. James wrote, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss” (James 4:3, NKJV). If you want to hit the bulls-eye every time you pray, your prayers must be based on the Word of God.
You can go boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), by knowing what God’s will is in advance and having it firmly fixed in your heart.
So, the first step to praying prayers that bring results is to locate the promise or promises that fit your situation in the Word of God. Then, like an arrow to a bulls-eye, shoot that prayer with boldness and confidence.
This principle works in any area of prayer. Do you need healing in your body? Don’t pray what the doctor says or what religious tradition has taught you. Pray, “By His stripes I am healed” (see 1 Peter 2:24, KJV). Say, “Thank You, Lord, that You’ve provided healing for my body. Help me to receive it now. I thank You and praise You for it!”
Do you have a financial need? Don’t pray your problem—pray the answer! God has said He will provide for you, so pray, “Thank You, God, that You have said You will supply all my need according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I call in this promise now, in the Name of Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
When you focus on the answer, it will activate your faith.
For more on effective prayer, try these 3 Prayer Secrets from Gloria Copeland.
Step 2: Submerge Your Prayers in Faith
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” –Matthew 21:22 (NKJV)
Once you begin praying based on God’s Word, the next step in praying effectively is to submerge your prayers in faith. That means you don’t wait for a manifestation to believe you receive—that’s not faith!
This might seem difficult at first, but as you practice applying your faith, it will become a way of life for you. Here are some quick-start tips for adding faith to your prayers.
1. Believe you receive when you pray
God’s Word is always true. If He says it’s done—it’s done. So, as you pray, begin to move yourself from believing He can to knowing He will.
2. Speak It
Start your confession of faith before you see the manifestation of answers to your prayers. Then, hold fast to your confession without wavering. Don’t speak faith one day, then doubt the next. Hold on tightly; don’t let go; and no matter how tempting it might be, speak the Word only about your situation.
3. Act On It
When the 10 lepers came to Jesus for healing, He told them to show themselves to the priests, and when they went, they were cleansed. They didn’t stand there and wait for Him to do something. They did exactly what He said do. They acted on His word. That is how you apply faith.
The same was true of the woman with the issue of blood. She acted on her faith when she reached out to touch His robe to take her healing. When faith was applied (acted on), results came.
Kenneth Copeland put these steps into practice when he lost his voice while preaching a long series of meetings in Jamaica. Instead of shutting down the meetings, he took these steps to submerge his prayers in faith. First, he found the scriptures that promised him healing. Then, he applied his faith. He said, “Lord, if I were to ask my voice if I’m healed, it would say no. If I were to ask the people here if I’m healed, they’d say no. But I’m not asking my body; I’ve asked Your WORD and I believe I receive it in the Name of Jesus.”
He didn’t see it, he didn’t feel it, but he knew it. He walked right back out to the pulpit and whispered into the microphone, praising God. His voice came back, and he kept right on preaching!
Every single time you act in faith with that kind of dogged determination on the Word of God, you will always wind up the winner.
Step 3: Stop Fear in Its Tracks
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” –2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)
Satan is a master trickster. But because he doesn’t have any real authority, he has to rely on the same old tactics. Mainly – fear.
Fear is debilitating. It will hinder your belief in God’s Word, it will stop you from receiving, and it will rob you of THE BLESSING. But Satan is wrong 100 percent of the time. Praise the Lord. He always is. He’s never told you the truth yet.
If you want to see results in your prayer life, fear and doubt can no longer be part of your vocabulary. You don’t always need to say everything you think! And you certainly don’t need to say things you don’t mean. Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37, WEB). Anything outside of that stems from evil. Clean up your vocabulary and begin to talk the Word of God.
Refuse to allow doubt and fear to enter into your consciousness. The Bible says you have the ability to do so (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
You can’t stop the devil from knocking on the door, but you sure don’t have to answer! Like Brother Hagin said, “I can’t keep the birds from flying over my head, but they sure don’t get to nest in my hair.”
Not only Satan, but even people will try to talk you out of your stand of faith—don’t listen! Say, “I refuse to doubt or fear. I am standing on the truth, and the truth makes me free!”
Step 4: See Yourself Succeeding
“Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” –Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)
Part of having faith for prayer that brings results is seeing yourself succeeding and taking possession of what you’re believing for. Does this mean you see in the natural? No. It means you see it with your spiritual eyes. When you can really see it, not just in your mind, but deep down in your spirit, it has become a reality to you—as real as a natural manifestation. That’s the kind of believing prayer that brings results in the natural.
Dr. Bill Winston said it this way: “God told Abraham, ‘As far as you can see, I’ll give you.’ Until you see it, you’re not entitled to it. Without revelation there is no restoration. You’ve got to see it to have it.”
Part of seeing yourself succeeding is avoiding places, people and situations that talk failure. You can’t be around people who always talk about failing. It will eventually rub off on you.
Decide right now to succeed. Quit planning to fail. Don’t plan for a what-if. Plan for success, plan for victory, plan to receive everything you’re believing God for. Stretch your faith as far as it will go. “I can’t” should not be in your vocabulary.
Step 5: Testify That Your Prayer Is Answered
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” –Revelation 12:11 (NKJV)
This verse tells us we overcome the plots and plans of the enemy two ways: by the blood of Jesus and by the word of our testimony (speaking it out). Everything you need has been provided by the blood of Jesus, and as a born-again believer, those things are rightfully yours.
But, we do have an enemy who is out to steal, kill and destroy our rights. Jesus already did His part in defeating him, and our part is simple—our words. You’ve taken a lot of steps to get to this point in achieving prayer that brings results. Don’t stop now!
When you testify to answered prayer, you achieve two things:
1. You claim what is rightfully yours. You have the right to have anything the sacrifice of Jesus procured. When you testify to that right, it begins to take place in your life.
2. Your testimony of faith will encourage others and help build their faith. That’s why Jesus told the man who had been demon-possessed to go home and tell his family everything the Lord had done for him (Mark 5:18-20).
Your testimony is a powerful tool in your prayer life.
Step 6: Get Involved Helping Someone Else
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” –Galatians 5:6 (NIV)
So far, we’ve learned that prayer that brings results is fueled by faith. And now, we see that faith works by love. In other words, if we want our faith to be at a level that will bring results in our prayer life, we’ve got to express that faith through love to others.
Our faith is strengthened as we reach out to others. So, if you’re standing and believing for something in prayer, get involved helping someone else. Tell someone else what Jesus has done for you. When you do, all your problems will seem to fold up and roll away.
True prosperity is the ability to use the power of God to meet the needs of mankind in every realm of life—spirit, soul, body, financially and socially.
Step 7: Get on the Giving End
“Give, and it will be given to you.” –Luke 6:38 (NIV)
If you want to be on the receiving end of prayer that brings results, start by getting in on the giving end.
What does that mean?
If you need healing, pray for someone else to be healed (James 5:16). The way you measure out is how it will be measured back. The Word says God is Love. If you need your children to be more involved with God, go witness about salvation to someone else’s child. If you need more time, give what little you do have and ask God to redeem it for you—He’ll give it back in abundance. Walk in the light you have, and God will give you more.
Jesus said, “Give and it will be given to you again.”
God is looking for someone He can use to become a channel of His blessings. The more He gives, the more you give. You can become a rich blessing of giving, not just receiving. If you’ll take the receiving end off your mind, and focus on giving, you’ll be in position for answered prayer.
In conclusion, when you determine to take these seven steps, your prayers will bring results every time. All you have to do is develop the kind of believing faith that receives all that Jesus did for you on the cross. You don’t have to struggle in your prayer closet anymore. Go boldly to the throne of grace!
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