Prayer of Faith

There is a prayer in the bible that King David pens for us that we can learn from and be encouraged by. It is found in Psalm 20 and I would like to examine it and apply it to our lives today.

Psalms 20:1 (NLT)
¹ In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm.
Wow, what a prayer for you and I. I want to claim this prayer for you. The Lord always responds to His children's prayers each time they pray in sincerity. May God keep you from all harm.That's my sincere prayer for you and I pray that's your prayer for me. How powerful we can be when we pray for each other. In this way we are loving and caring for each other as Jesus said we should do.

Psalms 20:2 (NLT) May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

God's sanctuary is no longer on earth but it is now in heaven. My prayer for you is God will send you His help form heaven and save you from whatever you are struggling with. May He also strengthen you from heaven where He now sits on His throne. At the time of David's prayer God's presence was in the sanctuary in Jerusalem. Now His presence is in heaven.

Psalms 20:3 (NLT)  May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. 
The New Testament says that God will not forget your gifts and service for Him.                               Galatians 6:9 (NLT) 

⁹ So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
God promised eternal rewards for those who do good works for Him. He will surely look favorable on your service for Him.

Psalms 20:4 (NLT) May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
Take a good look at this prayer. This is almost to good to be true but God said in His word He would give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4 (NLT) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.
There's the condition for God to give you the desires of your heart. Delight in Him, put God first in our lives each day and read His word. He will fulfill all your Godly desires and plans.

Psalms 20:5 (NLT) May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
Tell someone about your victories so they can rejoice with you and give glory to God. David repeats his prayer to God for all your prayers to be answered. That's also my prayer for you right now as you read these words. You must believe God wants to answer all your prayers and He will if you are sincere.

King David gives us a first hand testimony in the next verse. Psalms 20:6 (NLT) 

⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power. David says he knows, with no doubting, that it is God who saves him.

David had personally been saved and rescued from many situations by God's great power.

Psalms 20:7 (NLT)  Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God. David knew where his victories came from. It was not by the might of man and his armies, but victory comes from the Lord always. What are you looking to for your victory? I pray you are looking to God because no one else can give you that victory but Him. May you boast only in God and not man.

Psalms 20:8 (NLT)  Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
All nations and individuals will collapse and fall without God, but those who belong to God will rise up and stand firm in the face of all obstacles.

Psalms 20:9 (NLT)  Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help. Knowing all victories come from God, David would pray and ask God for the victory ever time. God always heard David's prayers because he was one of the most victorious and powerful kings in the history of Israel and the bible. Wouldn't it be wise for us to learn from one who was a man  after God's own heart. He knew the key to being victorious in all of life. May we know God that way.

INVITATION: You can not pray to God for the victory until you come to know Him through His Son Jesus Christ. In fact you have no relationship to God at all without Jesus to forgive your sins. John 3:36 (NKJV)  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Ask Jesus to forgive your sins if you have never done that and you will be so glad you did. Invite Jesus into your heart and life to take charge of you and then begin to pray for God's help and it will surely come according to God's own words. He promised to supply all your needs. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
May we all "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. To God be the glory both now and forever". Amen! 2 Peter 3:18.

Why And How to Pray

The question is often, if God knows what we need, why should we pray? Let's look at what the bible has to say about that.
I. First, it shows our dependency on Jesus, He said in God's word:
John 15:5 (NKJV)  I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. That's pretty plain. We are not sufficient within ourselves. We are not independent of Jesus Christ. All of us have needs that no person can supply.

II. Second, it is the way to receive from God.
He tells us in His word: Luke 11:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
III. How are we to pray effectively? 

A. We must have faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV) ²² So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. We must speak to the problem with which we are dealing just as JESUS spoke to the fig tree. 

Mark 11:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰ Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."
Then Jesus says we must not doubt in our hearts, but we must believe the things we say will be done. If we do we will have whatever we say. We can't allow ourselves to speak negatively once we pray. If we do, we will get what we speak! So speak positive answers to our prayers without doubting.  

B. We must forgive all who have hurt us or spoken evil of us. If we have unforgiveness in our hearts, our prayers will not be heard nor will God forgive us. Look at the following scriptures.

Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
²⁵ "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
God can't be much plainer than that!

C. Then last of all, we are to pray without anxiety in our minds and hearts.

 Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) 

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Anxiety on our part means we really don't trust God to be able to handle our situation or circumstance. 

We are to pray with thanksgiving to God in our hearts. We are to be thankful for who God is and what He has done and what He is going to do. Be thankful you can trust Him for the answer.

When we pray this way, God makes us a promise. Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) 

⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God's peace will keep, [that word means guard] our heart and mind. Trusting God with our problems and worries gives us a peace of mind that can not be understood with the human mind because it comes from God Himself. Then that scripture says God will guard our heart and mind from anxiety. We can't be anxious when we truly take our problems to God, trust Him for the answer and then leave them there with God. 

God invites us to cast all  our cares on Him because He cares for us. 

Peter 5:7 (NKJV) ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

What have you got to lose except your anxieties, worries, and doubts? You can not pray with faith in God unless you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Has there been a time that you stopped and admitted your sins against God and asked Jesus to forgive you? If not, now is the time in the privacy of your own home or wherever you are. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. If you are sincere, He will forgive you instantly and forever your sins will be washed away never to be brought up again. Then you can pray for anything your heart desires that is in tune with God's will for your life. That is the truth, and it is the whole truth in Jesus, name. You will never be the same again.