Conditions for Prayer

Does it seem to you that God answers some people's prayers more than others? Do some people just seem to have a hot line to heaven? Can that be true? I think it can.

Years ago one of my sister-in-laws mentioned that there are conditions for prayer, and I nodded my head knowingly even though I didn't have the vaguest notion what she meant. Later I discovered that there are certain conditions for an effective prayer life, and I learned what those conditions are. I will write about these conditions in the devotionals for the next few weeks.

You may ask, "Can't anybody pray at any time about anything? James 5:16 tells us that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." But Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." So how can we become righteous so our prayers will be powerful and effective? We have to admit we are unrighteous, that we are sinners, and acknowledge that Jesus paid the price for our sins. When we confess, repent, and accept Jesus as Savior, the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. II Corinthians 5:21 assures us, "God made him who had no sin [and that could only be Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." So the first and foremost condition for an effective prayer life is accepting Christ.

What about other people? Can't they pray? Yes, they can. There is one prayer that is always open to everyone. That is the prayer of confession, repentance, and acceptance of Christ. God is always ready to answer that prayer in the affirmative. Jesus promised in Revelation 3:20 that He is standing at the heart's door of every person, and whenever someone opens that door and invites Him into his/her life, He will come in. Romans 1:16 tells us that the gospel "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

There is a wonderful old expression, "being on praying ground." If we want to be on praying ground, to have an effective prayer life, to connect to God's hot line, we need first to be one of God's own children.

Father, You have promised to take in all who want to belong to You. Thank You for taking me in and making me your child and giving me the privilege of prayer at all times and in all places about all things. Amen.