PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER PART TWO Principle no. 5 Pray with An Expectant heart and with faith 1 Cor. 15:58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Let us examine again the first sentence in the above passage: therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. So, always pray to God with an expectant heart and faith.Principle no 6 Present Your Case Systematically before God Do not pray vagabond prayer points. Ask for one thing at a time. Do not pray like this: “O Lord, I thank You for keeping and saving me from the wicked. I ask that You lay Your hands upon me, and that my work should prosper. I pray for our Church. I pray that my pastor would live long and grow old. I also pray for my town and village, in Jesus’ name”. This is nothing but vagabond prayer. It has no focus. A good prayer warrior takes up a prayer point and would pray it to a level of assurance before he or she moves on to the next one. In fact, as that person prays, he or she feels the assurance of answered prayer; as the prayer goes on. Isaiah 41:21: Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. The above passage is telling us to present our reason(s) systematically. Isaiah 43:26: Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. This means you should tell the Lord your reasons systematically, and without wavering.Principle No.7 Do Not Be Selfish in Your Prayers Job 42:10: And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. James 4:3: Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER PART THREE Principle 8 Be Serious with Prayer It is a warfare, and not a joking matter: you want to talk with the creator of heaven and earth, it is warfare, a bend or break, make or mar affair – not a joking matter at all. And the Bible says we should come boldly to the throne of grace. Principle No.9 Fast Along with Your Prayer Fasting beats down the flesh and this allows the spirit man to arise. However, fasting does not force God. Fasting has to be done purposefully and not compulsively or competitively. Principle 10 Do not dictate to God how He should answer your prayers. Just let Him do it His own way – after all, He is God. Do not try to help Him answer your prayers. If you go through your Bible very well, you will see the various kinds of ways that God used in answering prayers – amazing kinds of ways. Moses at the Red Sea thought that was the end of the road, for there was nothing he could do. He called unto God and He answered saying. Principle No. 11 Your prayer must be persistent. God’s delay is not God’s denial; each day brings you closer to the realization of your dreams. Deut. 3:25-26: I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. 26But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Principle No. 12 Pray to a Level of Assurance Finally, you must pray to a level of assurance and then begin to praise God for the answer. But if you pray and doubt is still in your heart, then go back and continue.