A great force of God’s power will be released as we commit ourselves to effective prayer.

In Acts 4 we read how the Christians prayed together with one heart, mind and spirit. Then all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer (Acts 4:24).  The result was a great boldness in sharing God’s message.
It is our earnest prayer that you will be directed and enabled by the Holy Spirit to become personally involved in praying for a worldwide revival and spiritual awakening.  Also, that you will be actively involved in boldly sharing God’s good news with people in your sphere of influence.

• The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (James 5:16b NASB).
• The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results (James 5:16b NLT).
• The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16b NIV).
• The prayer of a righteous man has a powerful effect (James 5:16b Good News).
  

“And the word of the Lord came to him, saying…so he went and did according to the word of the Lord”  (I Kings 17:2,5).

In order for us to be effective in our prayers, we must have these two qualities that were a part of Elijah’s lifestyle.  We must be open to God’s will and direction for our lives as is revealed through His Word.
As we read and study the scripture, we will learn what the will of God the Father is and as we know His will, we can pray and ask according to His will.  For example, I Peter 3:9 tells me that it is not the will of the Lord that any perish, but His will is for all to come to repentance.  Therefore, when I pray for those around me who do not know Christ, I can be sure that I am praying according to God’s will.
The Word of God also tells me that I am the Lord’s witness.  ” ‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord”  (Isaiah 43:10).  This means that I do not only pray for the lost, but I also go and tell them what I have seen, heard and experienced of the Lord.  I go and share the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness with them.  When the Word of the Lord came to Elijah, he went and did according to the Word of the Lord.
Hearing and knowing God’s Word and then going and doing according to His Word will result in many answers to our prayers.

“”I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe!”" Psalm 116:1, 2 (Living Bible).

Spending time developing our own personal relationship with the Lord is a valuable investment of our time. God has made it possible for us to communicate with Him through our prayers. He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. Therefore, the more we pray and read His Word, the deeper our relationship with Him will be.

A simple guide to help us be more effective in our communication with God can be remembered by the word ACTS.

• Adoration - This means I worship God for Who He is rather than for what He does. In adoration we verbalize our worship, praise, honor, and exaltation of God. Many of the Psalms help us focus on the attributes of God, such as His loving kindness, His mercy, His majesty and others. Adoration is expressing our love for Him through our words.

• Confession - As we begin our prayer with a worshipful adoration of God, the Holy Spirit will often reveal any sin in our life that needs to be confessed. To confess means to “”agree with”". In other words, I agree with God concerning my sin – that it is sin. I also agree with God that the blood of Jesus Christ has paid for that sin. This leads me to thank Him for His forgiveness.

• Thanksgiving - Giving thanks expresses faith, and faith pleases God. In giving thanks we are expressing verbally our gratefulness and appreciation for what God does. Thanksgiving is also saying, “”God I trust You.”" It is the opposite of whining and becoming bitter.

• Supplication - Supplication with thanksgiving is letting our requests be made known to God. We are praying for everything that concerns us, as well as for the needs of others. Supplication includes intercession and petition. ACTS helps us to be “”on the alert”" in our prayers.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6.