Paul's Lesson on Prayer.

Romans 1:8-12
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Paul is very insightful in this passage of Romans on what we should know about prayer. He wants to show us what God is looking for in our prayer lives. Let me break it down for you:

1. Always praise God when you pray (see verse 8). Paul was always very thankful to God for other Christian believers. In fact, their faith stood out as being significant. Their faith helped them to worship the one, true God, and Paul acknowledged that.

2. You need to pray through Jesus Christ (see verse 8). You can look at Jesus not only as God's son, but as God's messenger. There's no other way we can come to God other than through Jesus. Without him, prayer wouldn't be possible. Notice how when we pray, we say "in Jesus' name."

3. Pray with a sincere and righteous heart (see verse 9). You can tell others that you pray everyday and that your relationship with Christ is on the up and up. However, only God can tell how genuine you are with regard to your spiritual life. Paul was a great example of being sincere. There was no pretending. Paul knew that prayer was important and he knew that God knew about his prayer life.

4. Constantly pray (see verse 9). You know how there's always that one thing that you bring with you everywhere...your cell phone, laptop, or a good luck penny, perhaps? Try and add prayer to that possession of yours that you always have with you. Don't quit praying! Pray as much as possible throughout the day, not just once!

5. Make sure your prayers are intercessory (see verse 9). What is intercessory prayer? I learned it a few weeks ago. It's seeking God on one's behalf. In other words, don't just pray for yourself; pray for others. Don't just pray for others, but pray for others with great hope, trust, and positivity. Notice how Paul mentioned the Roman believers in his prayer.

6. Make a specific prayer request (see verse 10). Even though God knows what we want, it's part of building our relationship with him. We have to come to the Lord and let him know what's specifically on our heart and mind.

7. Surrender and accept God's will in times of prayer (see verse 10). Remember, we are to live "by God's will." Once you state your request, accept the fact that it will be granted only if it is part of God's will.

8. Be encouraged by faith through God and his people as you pray (see verses 11-12). Realize that God works in magical ways. Some of his work you'll see as treasure while in other cases, you won't feel that way. However, God shapes you as he sees best. Remember to see the big picture of God. That will allow you to see his magic all around.

That's a wrap on today's post on prayer. Perhaps print this out and remember these eight ideals as you pray based on scripture.