Becoming Bold in Prayer

By Joyce Meyer, Christian Post Guest Columnist Saturday, July 12, 2008

As a Christian, one of the most important subjects to learn about is the mystery of prayer. It's critical for us to learn how to pray—how to articulate those things that are in our hearts to God. We need to learn to talk to God about everything—things like our hurts, our needs, our joys, those things we are grateful for… Only then will we start to see some real change in our lives, and we can help others begin to see positive changes in their lives as well.

In Matthew 16:19 it says, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven (The Amplified Bible).

What I believe that really means is that God says He's going to give you authority to bring HEAVEN to earth. That verse says that God will give you the keys of His kingdom. That's a pretty powerful statement. Think about it: The very keys to His kingdom are in your hands! God has given you the power to release a bit of His kingdom into your life or into someone else's life.

I want to show you another verse in Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] (The Amplified Bible).

If this verse is true—and I believe it is—we have to become much bolder in our prayers. We don't need to come before God's throne in prayer with a fearful spirit. We need to come boldly! Now, can you come boldly to God if you are feeling worthless? NO! That's why, before you can really become bold in prayer, you must understand the message of righteousness through Christ.

When you understand the truth that it is through Jesus Christ and Him alone that we were all made righteous, then you will understand that becoming the righteousness of God is not all up to you or all about you. We can approach God's throne with boldness because we are confident in the power of what Jesus accomplished for us at the cross.

And when we pray for ourselves or others boldly, we make power available. We open up a door through prayer for God to work, either in our lives or in the life of the one we are praying for.

Do you really want to have a better prayer life? Do you want to have that feeling when you finish praying that you really connected with God—that your prayers really got through?

In order to really connect with God in prayer, we must learn to pray in the Spirit. Now what does that mean? I realize that there could be many different definitions of that phrase "in the Spirit." But all I mean is that our prayers must originate in the heart of God and come from God's heart to our hearts. Then what comes out of our mouths is prompted by the Holy Spirit.

We need to get over just praying our own prayers and what we want to pray for other people. Prayer is so much more serious than that. It's amazing to me the things that God will put in our hearts to pray for others if we'll just be patient and wait on Him to show us His heart on the matter.

Next time God lays someone on your heart, just take a few minutes to listen carefully. Ask Him what it is that He wants you to pray. Usually, in just a few short minutes God will reveal to you the things that He wants you to pray. When you pray like that, you can pray boldly, knowing that your prayers are getting through…they are touching His heart.

For more on this topic, you may order Joyce's four-CD series The Mystery of Prayer by calling 1-800-727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org.

Author/teacher Joyce Meyer has been helping people overcome life's problems through biblical keys to practical Christian living since 1976. Her radio and television programs are broadcast throughout the United States and much of the world. For additional information, you may contact Joyce Meyer Ministries at P.O. Box 655, Fenton, Missouri 63026 or visit www.joycemeyer.org.