Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18, NRSV
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18, NRSV
thedailylily.com 
Jude 1: 20-21 “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The Message (MSG) “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”
Hey, looks like we are busy BEES!
Yes! looks like we had BETTER be busy bees. Bee prayerful. Bee consistent. Bee earnest. Bee thankful. Bee truthful. “Don’t worry….BEE HAPPY!”
Charles Spurgeon says it this way: The three methods of prayer exercise a variety of our graces. …faith asks, hope seeks, and love knocks. Faith asks because it believes God will give. Hope, having asked, expects and therefore seeks for the blessing. Love comes nearer still; it will not take a denial from God but desires to enter into His house and to dine with Him. Therefore, love knocks at His door until He opens.
He thus gives an example:
These three modes of prayer suit us in different stages of distress:
There I am, a poor beggar at mercy’s door; I ask, and I will receive. But suppose I lose my way so that I cannot find Him of whom I once asked so successfully. Well, then I may see with certainty that I will find. And if I am in the last of all, not merely poor and bewildered, but so defiled that I feel shut out from God, like a leper shut out of the camp, then I may knock and the door will open to me.
One part of the scripture above commented on, Ephesians 6:18, that stands out to me is “Pray in the Spirit…”. That may distinguish the kind of prayer God desires, effective prayer, from ineffective. It would seem that if we are ‘out of the spirit’ and praying from our own desires or minds it may be just dead prayer/no value.
This scripture from John 6:63 comes to mind: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
I have heard Bible teachers say, “pray the Word; pray the Word:. So if we are praying the Spirit-Words of Jesus, Himself, are we praying “in the Spirit”? Or is there another condition(s) that must be met? I would suppose that as Spurgeon pointed out, as quoted by Rena, that the condition of the heart is KEY!
We may quote the Word of God but if our hearts & INTENTIONS are not sincere & pure before the Lord then we are, like Debi says, ineffective in our prayers and we have wasted our time in prayer. How sad!
I would think the ‘key’ would be found in the Book of James; “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James 1:22
Once I did a little teaching of my own on “Instructions for producing a Healthy and Good Tree: I used for headings, Read the Word, Study The Word, Pray The Word and Confess The Word. One verse for Studying the Word I used was; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)
” But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
When we follow the instructions we will equipped to do….I think this to be the Key!
A confirmation to James’ Scripture 1:22 might be found in Psalm 94:12-13 which reads, “Blessed, fortunate and to be envied is the man whom You discipline and instruct and teach out of Your holy Word. That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the day of adversity ( until the inevitable pit of destruction is dug for the enemy (who comes against him) AMP
Isaiah gave us some power words if we were to catch His spirit and ride the waiting on the Lord and develop some Eagle Power, while running and not growing weary. They will walk and not faint. We will have clear strong heads and not dizzy heads….
I love Kenneth Carter, Jr.’s thoughts from “Pray for Me”:
Christian life is difficult. There are mountaintops, but there are aslo valleys. There are rainbows, but there are also storms. There are sunrises, but there are also sunsets. There are Easter mornings, but there are also Good Fridays. There are beautiful spring days, but there is also the dead of winter. Most of us have made this journey. We’ve been there!
– Kenneth H. Carter Jr.
“Pray for Me”