How To Pray With Success and Results

Prayers are the most direct route to communicate with God, and if people only knew how
powerful prayers are, or can be, they would be making fewer requests and praying more in
gratitude.

When people ask me to pray for them, sometimes I ask questions just to make sure that I am
clear with the direction that I need rohani madani istikhara take. Praying without a sense of
bearing would be similar to driving my car in a new city. I am there, but finding a particular
address without a street map or GPS to guide me won't be easy.

At times we find ourselves praying for something we want badly, but it might not be what we
truly need. It happened to me a few years back when I prayed heart and soul to save my
marriage. Divorce came anyway, and now that I look back, it was the best solution for both of us.
I got what I needed, not what I had prayed for.

Today, you have people suffering from illnesses which are totally in the hands and care of
doctors and nurses. And rightly so, if it's some form of cancer which is being treated. There's
absolutely no question here as to what's required in the type of prayers for the patient.

If I were asked to pray for someone in this situation, my request would be simple: I would be
praying for God to help the doctors and nurses to do a great job; for the chemo and radiation
treatments to take effect; and that the patient is cured permanently. The family of the loved one is
in unison with me, for we are both praying with direction and focus toward the same objective.

My recommendations for praying by yourself are very easy to follow, and if success and results
are your goal, please go over these guidelines:

- Pray for someone who might be very ill with an actual sense of recovery for that person. In
other words, say for instance, "Thank you Lord for healing my loved one, and for this favor I
will be forever grateful to You." Your prayer is in the present tense, and that signifies faith, not
doubt or apprehension. And when your prayers are answered, please deliver on your promise.

- Pray for your life with a feeling of gratitude for all that God has already done for you, and will
do for you in the future. I have said this before, make friends with God, especially if you've been
away from Him. Don't wait until your final hour of your life to make amends.

- Pray with peace in your heart. Praying in anger toward God is fruitless. You're pushing away
from God, not getting closer to Him. Enjoy the moment when you're near to God in prayer, for
He listens with patience and love to your petitions. We all owe Him that courtesy and respect.

- Pray without the burden of your sins and past actions which might be regretful. Today is a new
day with you and God. When the door opens for communication, don't make the mistake of
shutting the door to go back to your past. I once had a nephew who would ask the family to pray
for him and we would all pray. The following day he would be back in the streets buying drugs
and liquor for personal consumption.

- If you feel like your world is coming apart in pieces, and you want to pray, this will help you
every time. Start your prayers by saying, "Dear God, I am here to pray in total faith, so please
help me." When you open your heart to the mercy and kindness of God, you will reach Him.

- Never, ever, underestimate the power of your prayers, however humble they might be, to help
you through any situation! But, please don't make the mistake of assuming that a one-time
moment on your knees will take care of everything. People pray one or two times, and then leave
it all to heaven to take care of everything; and when nothing happens, they lose hope. Stay your
course until you get results.

- Keep track of what you're praying for, either for you or for your loved ones, including a close
friend. You want results, then, you must be ready to make the same request various times. With
me, the best way to keep track of all that I need to ask for people, I type it on my laptop, and as I
start my daily prayers I just refer to my list of names and requests.

- When you pray to God, don't be afraid of God, but instead embrace Him. When you hear the
words, "Fear of God," it means respect for God. Don't let anyone put fear or doubt in your heart
to the point that you're afraid to reach for Him. "If you seek God with all your heart, you will
find Him." That's in the Bible.

- When praying to God, please treat it as a very personal and private moment. On occasion, I
play the "Lord's Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This
powerful rendition will give you a tremendous boost of inspiration!

If you remain in a state of gratitude throughout your day, you will bring toward you many good
things. The reason to be thankful is easy to appreciate. Jesus thanked God, privately and in
public at every moment of his life and ministry while on Earth, and that's where that lesson
comes from. Before performing every miracle, Jesus said thanks.

"Thank you dear God for all that you do for me." If these words are all that you wish to say
daily, now or ever, that's fine. Because it will be more than what millions of people in the world
will ever say in their entire lives.

Your success and results with prayers is totally within you; and the strength of your prayers will
be in accordance with the amount of love and sincerity that's in your heart. And only God knows
how to read our hearts!

Please remember that praying is a sign of strength and not of weakness. And having someone
else pray with you or for you becomes a united front, with an appreciable force behind every
prayer.