best way to learn most things is “hands on”. I did it my way and found ways that worked for me. In the same way PRAYER IS BEST LEARNED BY PRAYING. You don’t need to copy anyone’s methods or mannerisms. Be yourself and pray from your heart. Prayer is, after all, conversation with your best friend – your Heavenly Father, who cares about you as your “Abba” – “Daddy”.

Some of the best prayer meetings that I have been involved in have been in prisons. Most inmates who come to our Bible studies are sincerely hungry for God – they are desperate for God. Being DESPERATE will energize your praying. “They that hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). We learn to pray by praying and by hearing those who really know how to pray. The spirit of prayer is contagious. Jesus’ disciples caught the desire to pray by watching and hearing Jesus pray.

DEPEND ON GOD’S WORD. Take God at His Word. After graduating from high school, God directed me to attend a Bible college in the frozen north in Minneapolis, MN. As my first Christmas away from home approached, I was feeling very homesick and wanted to go home for Christmas break. I didn’t have my car with me and had no money for airfare. But I decided to take God at His Word. “When you pray, enter into your closet and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father which is in secret and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6). I went into the closet of my dorm room, got on my knees, and claimed the promises of God in prayer. As I was praying, someone knocked on the door to my room. As I came out of my clothes closet, a fellow student walked into my room. He said he was looking for someone to ride home with him and help with the driving. After talking, I discovered that he would be going through Decatur where my dad worked and could pick me up. Marv Everwine became a good friend and was later in my wedding.

Was it a coincidence that Marv knocked on my door the exact time I was praying for a way home? No, for God is a prayer answering God. Not all prayers are answered immediately, but you can depend on God’s Word.

DETERMINATION not to give up will enable you to pray with power. Jesus taught much about persevering in prayer. Too many people give up too easily and too soon when their prayer is not answered immediately. In Luke 11 Jesus told a story about a man who had some late night guests arrive from out of town. He was out of bread and could not give them anything to eat. In their culture that would be impolite and embarrassing. So the man went next door to his friends to borrow some bread. He knocked on the door but his friend did not answer. Being so late at night, the family was already in bed and asleep. But the man just knocked louder. I can picture someone like Fred Flintstone knocking on Barney Rubble’s door. Fred begins to yell for Barney to get up. Barney opens the upstairs window and tells Fred to be quiet and go away, his family is in bed. Fred won’t take no for an answer and knocks louder. Finally Barney gets up and gives him a loaf of bread. Not because he is his friend but because of Fred’s determination.

Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9-10). The tense of that scripture means don’t give up; keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. Be determined to take God at His promises.

Know that God DELIGHTS to give good gifts to His children who ask in faith believing. (Matthew 7:11) “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2). In Luke 11:12 Jesus adds that God delights to give us the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the Holy Spirit helps us pray. (Romans 8:26-27) Delight in His Word and ask what you want. (John 15:7) God brings delight to our soul when we fellowship with Him in prayer. Jesus stands knocking at your heart’s door. Will you in prayer invite Him in?

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).