Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A Simple Prayer Formula With Positive Results

During the past couple of days I have shared some different types of prayers. Both I have discussed so far came directly from the Bible.

Today's prayer method comes from a different source. One of the most inspirational books I have read is "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale. It is an incredible book that teaches us what its title says. Unlike other books like it, this one is written from a Christian perspective. I recommend the book to anyone.

One chapter in this book is devoted to prayer. The heart of this chapter is a simple but effective 3 step prayer. Although it is not taken directly from the Bible, it is certainly based on several verses. The formula is this: Prayerize; Picturize; Actualize (p 45-46). I will explain:

1. Prayerize - This is prayer as it should be. That is, continuous communication with God about everything in our lives. For the things we desire, the struggles we need help with, blessings for ourselves, and others, etc. This is where we can also look to hear from God to determine if something we pray for is His will for us.

2. Picturize - This step goes beyond prayer. At this point we are to envision our prayer being answered. See ourselves living and experiencing the result of our answered prayer. This is where faith enters the equation. If you don't believe this, I recommend you read Mark 11:24......."I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours".

3. Actualize - As we have communicated with God, and have and idea that what we are asking for matches His will, we then picture the answered prayer. I believe the sooner we see our prayer being answered in our minds, the sooner we see the prayer answered. With each of us (ourselves and God) playing our part, our desire then actualizes into the lived out, answered prayer. Then we enjoy the benefits of that answered prayer.

Can it be this simple? Once again, I can only answer from my experience, and in my experience it has been highly effective. You can't argue with a scripture verse that says God will answer our prayers if we simply believe and see them as already answered. And if for some reason He says no, then we will experience something even better than what we asked for.

I recommend this type of praying to anyone. Used along with the Lord's prayer and any other ways we know how to pray, I believe it will immediately impact your life positively as it has mine. It has helped me very much which is why I feel the need to share it with many others. I hope you experience the same positives that I have.

As always I encourage you to share your thoughts and positive results. I thank you in advance for doing so. In the meantime, have an excellent day

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