The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
One of the great sources of power for God’s children is that of prayer. There are three simple guidelines that can help you connect with God when you pray:
Guideline 1: Pray with expectancy. God doesn’t answer prayer because you are good; He answers prayer because He is good and He has adopted you into His family. That means you can come to Him as a little child and cry out, “Father, I have a problem. I need Your help!” The Bible says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14)
Guideline 2: Pray with faith. This guideline has everything to do with whether or not you believe God will do what He says He will do. Do you trust God to keep His word? God has made specific promises to His children, and when you ask Him for something and go to His Word saying, “Here, Father, this is what You said You would do, and I’m asking You to do what You said You would,” you are praying in faith. Faith is the confident expectation that God will honor the promises of His Word.
Guideline 3: Pray with fervency. James wrote, “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with” (James 5:16 The Message). When you pray, pray with sincerity, expectancy, and confidence. The highest form of faith is saying, “God, here’s what I am asking You for, and what I really need; but even more than what I want, I’m asking You to work Your will in my life in this whole situation.”