Shut the door. — Matthew 6:6

Atmosphere is a major key to a strong prayer life.  You cannot get intimate with God or anyone else if there are constant interruptions during your fellowship time.  Phones ringing, neighbors talking, or TV’s blaring will not allow you to get alone with Him.  Shut the door!  Pick a time and a place when and where all is quiet.  Early in the morning is a time of little distractions.  Quiet your mind from worldly thoughts by reading the Word, quoting scriptures, or meditating on the Word while praying in tongues.  Fervent prayer needs to involve your spirit, soul, and body.  If you are tired and falling asleep, walk while you pray.  Lazy?  Kneel down and pray!  Do whatever it takes to condition your body to come in line with prayer.  Let others in your household know, “I pray from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.-–do not disturb!”  Shut the door on distractions and give God and His Word your undivided attention.  Keep your time and place open to God and closed to the world.

Pray to your Father. — Matthew 6:6

You come to prayer, not as a servant, not as a slave, but as a son of God.  This means you can come to the Father with confidence and security.  Trust Him as a Father!  Talk to Him like you would a caring Father!  Don’t beg and plead with Him like you don’t belong.  He desires the best for you, to lead you, to show you, to speak to you.  He needs you to get His work accomplished in the earth.  He wants to strengthen you, to comfort you, even to correct you.  He is a loving Father who wants to fulfill your every desire.  Listen for Him to speak to you in your spirit.  Write down what He says, so you can go over it time after time.  Let Him impart to you the spiritual energy you need for the day!  Others will start to see the change in your life from the time spent with your Father.  Do you want to live in victory?  Deliver bound people?  Preach the Word with fire?  Change the world?  It all starts when you pray – with a motive of love, in your secret place, after you shut the door, and have spent time with your Father!  Successful Christians do daily what other Christians do occasionally!  You choose, today!

My house shall be called the house of prayer. — Matthew 21:13

We have discovered that we, as individuals and collectively, are the house of God, God’s dwelling place.  Notice that Jesus gave the house a name or a title.  He called it “the house of prayer.”  Many churches are built on gimmicks, on buildings, on social events, on children’s ministries.  But a true house of God is a house of prayer!  A praying church is only made up of praying members.  True members of a church not only attend, tithe, and support – but they pray!  Prayer or communication with God is what you were created for!  If you are not a pray-er, one who consistently, daily spends quality time with God, you are failing to fulfill your purpose in God.  Set aside a time starting today – even if it’s only 15 minutes – and spend time talking and listening to God.  In a matter of weeks, it will change your life!

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer... — Philippians 4:6a

God gives us a choice in this life:  worry, be troubled, be distressed, or pray!  He says worry about nothing!  Why?  You have a prayer connection with God.  You have been given the ability to go to God – in every thing, by prayer.  How can you tell if someone is truly acting as the house of God, or if they are committed to prayer?  They very seldom worry about things.  If you find yourself worried about things, your answer is prayer.  Trouble in your marriage, worried about children or lack of money, attacked with symptoms?  Pray!  Get God involved in your situations and circumstances.  You’ve tried it without prayer – how did it go?  Pray in everything and get worry out of your life.  Ask and you shall receive, seek, and you will find, knock, and doors will open – through prayer.