Four Powerful Attitudes in Prayer that Yield Results

Do you struggle in your prayer life?  Not just in making time for prayer or trying to avoid distractions in prayer, but do you struggle with how to pray?  I believe that the Psalmist King David demonstrates four powerful attitudes in prayer that yield results.

First Powerful Attitude in Prayer - Boldness

Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, 

that we may receive mercy, 

and may find grace to help us in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

When you pray to the Lord, do you tend to pray with words like "please", "could you", "if it's your will"?  I do, and I'm guessing I'm not alone in this.  To give ourselves Grace, we are praying to God Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth after all!  

Yet words like "please' "could you" or anything prefaced with "if", does not sound like bold, believing prayer, but doubting prayer.  

To clarify, as Believers, we certainly should be praying for God's will in a situation, but I believe we can pray for God's will boldly just as David did in the following verses from Psalm 55...

Give ear to my prayer, O God,

and hide not yourself from my pleas for mercy!

Attend to me, and answer me; 

Psalm 55 1-2a

David is boldly calling God into action by using action words!  He is not praying demandingly or selfishly, but praying according to the promises of God's Word which could not be more in God's will!

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, 

1 Peter 3:12a

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

    you discern my thoughts from afar.

3 You search out my path and my lying down

    and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,

    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

Psalm 139:1-4

“Before they call I will answer; 

while they are still speaking I will hear.”

Isaiah 65:24

When we pray boldly to the Lord, those prayers will indeed yield results.  

Second Powerful Attitude in Prayer - Honesty

Do you feel intimidated to really tell God how you feel; to allow whatever frustrations, resentments, concerns, worries, selfishness or whatever you're feeling in the matter of prayer to be detailed to the Lord in all honesty?

If you're like me, you might be ashamed about how you are feeling and not want to articulate that to the Lord.

But can I tell you, He can take it!  He wants our prayers to be honest so that He can address them lovingly.  

David demonstrates this as we continue in Psalm 55...

My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling come upon me,

and horror overwhelms me.

And I say, "Oh, that I  had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

yes, I would wander far away; 

I would lodge in the wilderness;

I would hurry to find a shelter 

from t he raging wind and tempest"

Psalm 55:4-8

Here we see David praying honestly about his feelings.  Telling the Lord that he is afraid and not only that, he wants to run away from his troubles!  I think David and I would get along!  ;-)

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; 

he delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:4

When we adopt an attitude of honesty in prayer it will yield wonderful results.

Third Powerful Attitude in Prayer - Authority

You might be thinking, whoa Karen, I think you've gone a little too far with this attitude.  

Here's the thing, there are many matters of prayer that we CAN pray with authority.   Such as praying to the Lord that a sinful bent or desire be destroyed in yourself and/or in someone else; that a lie you are believing that is contrary to Scripture be eradicated from your mind; that Truth be proclaimed to all those that do not know Christ, just to name a few...

David demonstrates praying with authority in the following verses...

Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;

for I see violence and strife in the city. 

Day and night they go around it

on its walls,

and iniquity and trouble are within it; 

ruin is in the midsts;

oppression and fraud

do not depart from its marketplace.

Psalm 55:9-11

When we pray with authority over that which is contrary to God, it will yield results.

Fourth Powerful Attitude in Prayer - Expectant

Going back to my "if" statements earlier in the post, I'm speaking for myself here, but too often I pray boldly and expectantly for others, but for myself, not so much...

Think back to when you were a child, when you needed something for comfort, for sustenance, for direction, you would ask your mother or father, and you expected that they would provide for what you needed, never doubting.  Those things that were not frivolous or materialistic or selfish, but those things that would be of benefit to you and indeed were gladly given to you by your parents.

In the same attitude, we can come to our Heavenly Father in prayer, expecting that He will answer.  He will not withhold any good thing from His children.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; 

The LORD gives grace and glory; 

No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 84:11

David demonstrates this expectant attitude in prayer in the following verses...

But I call to God,

and the Lord will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon

I utter my complaint and moan,

and he hears my voice.

He redeems my soul in safety

from the battle that I wage,

for many are arrayed against me.

God will give ear and humble them,

he who is enthroned from of old, Selah

because they do not change

and do not fear God.

Psalm 55:16-19

Here we see the culmination of David's prayer in Psalm 55 - the expectant attitude that ALL that He boldly, honestly, authoritatively and expectantly prays for WILL be answered.

For more posts about prayer please checkout the following by clicking the titles:

How to Pray to GOD's Fullest Potential

Careful What You Pray For

The Power of Thanksgiving

Boomerang Prayers

Prayer and a Piano

The Assurance of Things Unseen

Dare to Ask

3 Reasons Why God Might Be Waiting to Answer Your Prayer

Four Bold Prayers of the Bible Every Christian Should Pray

Does God Hear My Prayer?

When Jesus died on the cross at which time the veil of the temple was torn, we gained full access to the Lord without fear of coming to Him in prayer boldly, honestly, authoritatively and expectantly for He is waiting to yield results for us above and beyond what we hope or expected.

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