Prayers That Avail Much

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

Sometimes I wonder if we don't make an unnecessary mystery out of prayer. John offers a fairly simple principle for answered prayer. Pray according to God's will. This is where the mystery comes in. So often we act as if we're not sure of what God's will is...as if its some big secret. Yet if we stop and think about it we'll realize that God's Word is full of examples of prayers that we know that we know are God's will. Then follows the far bigger question...why aren't we praying these kinds of prayers?

Some years back I did a personal Bible study and came up with the following list. These are 14 prayers that I could pray regularly with certainty that they were according to God's will. Enjoy these Prayers That Avail Much. And pray!

1. That we would be a people “after God’s own heart.” That our hearts would be touched by the things that touch the heart of God.
2. That God would place an increasingly deep burden for souls on our hearts and the hearts of the people of our church. That sharing Christ would be an increasingly common and natural occurrence.
3. That God would place a greater burden for the need of intercession and prevailing prayer on our hearts and the hearts of the members of our church.
4. That God would destroy any and all strongholds, spiritual blindness, complacency, and apathy in our hearts as well as among the people of our church, including any hindrance that would keep the unsaved from coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
5. That God would grant a spirit of cleansing, confession, and repentance in our hearts and the hearts of the people of our church of any and all sins, known and unknown.
6. That a spirit of love and unity with no division would prevail and increase among the ministries and the people of our church.
7. That God would send laborers into the ministries of our church in the form of members and volunteers new and old, for the laborers are few and the fields are white unto harvest.
8. That God would grant among our membership “a mind to work” and that everyone would feel that our task in building God’s Kingdom is a joy and not a burden. That a positive, sacrificial attitude of servanthood would prevail.
9. That God would grant us a spirit of personal revival, renewal, and vibrancy in our Christian walk including a deep and abiding hunger for God’s Word and daily time in His presence.
10. That we as individuals and as a ministry would hunger to spend increasing time as passionate worshipers. That we would learn the language of praise; praising God as David did, for who He is and for all that He has done.
11. That God’s character, deeds, name and glory will be increasingly magnified and exalted in our lives and among the people of our church.
12. That God would continue to bless and guide the spiritual leadership of our church. That they would increasingly hear His voice and obey Him with passion.
13. That a spirit of genuine excitement, enthusiasm, and passion for ministry and building God’s Kingdom would be generated and spread throughout the Body at our church.
14. That God would place a hedge of protection around us and keep us and those we love. That He might deliver us from evil as we endeavor to obey and serve Him.