Success Secrets of Prayer

I got admitted into the University, I made up my mind that I do not want to accommodate squatters (and of course, I prayed never to be one myself). However, when I got to my third year, it began to dawn on me that keeping up with my “policy of no squatters” was getting increasingly difficult.

The university, generally, had a policy of providing a hostel accommodation to the first and final year students, amongst other special cases. Nevertheless, often times, even the first and final year students don’t get to secure an accommodation space for various reasons.

It was during this time, that one of my very good friends approached me for help. He had been unable to secure an accommodation space. He wanted to put up with me –the very thing I had always dreaded. At this moment, I had to choose between letting my policy to suffer and letting my friendship to suffer. Which was I to choose?

The backbone of prayer is faith and friendship with Jesus! Friendship with Jesus is key! Friends are mindful of pleasing each other. When we ask a favour from a dear friend, we usually expect a positive response—notwithstanding how difficult it might actually be for our friend to please us. Faith, on the other hand, is a function of trust. We trust that our friend, if he is truly one, will not let us down.

When we have such working friendship with Christ, we expect that as long as we are in his will, he hears us when we pray! That’s faith! And also our friendship with Christ compels us to come boldly to God in prayer! In the story of the man who had a late night visitor (Luke 111:5-9), it was his friendship with His neighbour that made the neighbour unable to turn him down! And also his faith (i.e. persistence) made his neighbour, leave the bed where he was, with his wife, to the kitchen to attend to his knocking friend at his door!

Most times, Patience and perseverance in our petition-making to God is the clearest manifestation of faith! Importunity is the verb form of Faith! And of the two lessons, Faith can be more forceful than friendship! It was faith or importunity of the widow, which “coerced” the unjust judge into granting the widow’s petition. Though God is never unjust, our daring faith will often be called upon if we are to get our needs met in prayer!

When my friend made his request to squat with me, I could have easily turned any other person down, but not him! So God is our friend! He is not like the unjust judge. So if I, being evil, but for friendship sake, could drop my policy, how much more God, who is just grant our request especially when we have faith too? ACTION POINT: Become a genuine friend of Jesus and build trust in Him! Then your prayers will get results – every time!!!

Contributed by Bar. David