Supernatural Biblical Prayer I

How & When to Pray the Prayer of Faith

by Pastor John Hamel

Many years ago I owned a landscape and tree care business.  I have planted and transplanted many trees and shrubs in my lifetime.  

Once a tree was properly planted, it was time for heavy watering.  This was to make sure the soil settled properly around the tree roots and that the tree received proper nourishment. 

Sometimes after laying out the hoses for watering, I would notice that there was no water flowing through one of them.  I would walk the length of that hose until I found the problem area.  Almost always it was because there was a kink in the hose blocking the water flow.  As soon as I would straighten out the kink the water would begin to flow proficiently again.

This reminds me of many people at prayer.  They wrongly believe that there is only one type of prayer.  They pray the same prayer over every need or problem.  

As a result the majority of their prayers go unanswered.  There is a kink in their prayer hose that needs to be straightened out in order for the power to flow proficiently.  That kink is usually praying the wrong type of prayer over their specific need.

This series of lessons on supernatural Biblical prayer is intended to get the kinks out of your prayer hose, causing the power to flow once again.  By the time you have finished this series, you will have moved up multiple rungs on the prayer ladder.  

Let’s look at something the Apostle Paul said about prayer.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18)

Notice the Apostle Paul made reference to “all prayer,” meaning “all types of prayer.”  

There are many types of prayer.  We will cover the eight primary types of prayer in this series.  Individuals who remain ignorant of all eight types of prayer see limited results, end up discouraged and quit praying altogether.  That is not the will of God.  God wants us to persist in prayer and to be effective.

This is why He raises up Pastors and Teachers to help us.  Without the help of Pastors and Teachers doing their job properly, Believers cannot pray properly. (Ephesians 4:11-14)  I am one such Pastor/Teacher and I am persuaded that you will be much more effective in prayer by the time you complete these eight prayer lessons.

We will begin with the Prayer of Faith.  We will begin with this type of prayer because it is quite possibly the type that is used more than all of the others.  Every one is constantly in need of something from God, therefore, I believe that every one must become established in effectively praying the Prayer of Faith.  This prayer could also be called the Prayer of Petition. (Matthew 6:8; 7:7)

Decide What It Is You Need from God

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” (James 1:5-7)

Here James is talking about asking God for wisdom.  However, the principle that he shares can be used to ask God for anything, as long as the request is legal, moral and Scriptural.

James said the man who asks, not expecting to receive, is not going to receive anything.  Some people are compulsively indecisive.  They never can seem to make up their mind about anything.  

Indecisiveness is a prayer killer and will keep you from expecting to receive.  Make up your mind as to what it is you need from God.  Wishy-washiness in prayer is unacceptable.  

Decide what you need and stick with your decision.

Find God's Scriptural Promise to Meet Your Need

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)

Here Jesus is revealing the importance of spending time in God’s Word in order to know what God has agreed to do for you.  Only people who take the time to study God’s Covenant promises know what they can and cannot ask.  Learning God’s Covenant promises is crucial to praying the Prayer of Faith effectively.  You must know where it is in the Bible that God has agreed to help you.  I will illustrate this for you.

If you need healing in your body, you simply go to Matthew 8:16 and 17.  There you will find that it is indeed God’s will to heal your body.  You take that verse and you say, “Father, according to Matthew 8:16 and 17, I ask You to heal me, in Jesus’ Name.”

If you need financial help and have been faithful to pay your tithes and offerings, you can go to Philippians 4:19.  With that verse you pray, “Father, according to Philippians 4:19, I ask You to meet this need, in Jesus’ Name.”

If you need a loved one to come to Jesus, you can go to Acts 16:31.  With that verse you can remind God that He promised to save your entire household, in Jesus’ Name.  

This is so simple that even children the world over do it every day.

Frequently Read the Scriptural Promise to Yourself Softly

This is called meditating on God’s Word.  You do not have to sit cross-legged in a basket of fruit, with your arms out to the side, palms up and your eyes rolled back in your head to meditate.  To “meditate” simply means, “to speak softly over and over.”  You can meditate on God’s promises driving your car or flying an airplane.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

Here Moses is instructing Joshua to keep the Law coming out of his mouth softly to where he could hear himself speaking it.  

Notice how Moses referred to it as “meditate.”  The more you hear yourself softly speak God’s promise to help you, the more faith comes into your spirit enabling you to believe. (Romans 10:17)  It is a Spiritual Law.  

Meditating on God’s Word is the only thing that will cause more faith to come into your heart.

You cannot pray for faith.  Faith for whatever you need comes only by hearing, over and over, God’s promise to meet your need. (Proverbs 4:20-22)  Skipping this essential step almost always leads to prayer failure.  

Actually, you are not ready to pray the Prayer of Faith until you have spent some time meditating on God’s promise to help you.

Ask God One Time & One Time Only to Help You

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)

Here Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask … believing …”.  If you really believe that God heard you when you approached Him with His written promise, you will not keep asking over and over.  Asking over and over is not believing.  Asking over and over is doubting.

If you called me on my cell phone, asking for $200 and I agreed to give it, you would not keep asking me over and over, would you?  Of course you wouldn’t.  

You would take me at my word, knowing that the $200 is on the way because I gave you my promise.  You would even say “Thank you” before hanging the phone up, rejoicing that your need has been met.  

If you continued to call me, asking for the same $200, over and over, I would think you were nuts.  I would block your incoming calls and even run when I saw you coming.  You would not deal with me in this manner because you know it is inappropriate, potentially offensive and obnoxious.  You would not behave this way because you would know that I gave you my word.

This is how our faithful Father must be approached in prayer as well.  

He does not appreciate it when one of His children keeps calling Him, asking for the same thing, over and over, as if His Word is no good.

Once you have found God’s Scriptural promise to help you, ask Him for it one time and then hang up and leave Him alone.  You don’t want Him to think you’re nuts, do you?  

He said He would help you, now give Him half a chance to do so.  Trust His love.  Trust His Word.  He has integrity.  He heard you and He will respond. (1John 5:14,15)

Reject Satan's Audio Visual Presentations of Failure

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2Corinthians 10:5)

Once Satan sees you take these steps, praying the Prayer of Faith boldly, he is going to start showing you mental images of yourself failing at prayer.  His mental images are not like those old silent movies either.  His are “talkies.”  He is going to show you pictures of yourself failing and he is even going to talk to you about failing.

When he talks to you about failing, he will use pronouns so you will not know he is doing the talking.  He will say things like, “God’s not going to answer me.  If He really cared, He’d have done so by now.  I’m out of my mind thinking God’s going to help me.”  

Satan will use words like “me” and “I” instead of “you” just so you will think it was you thinking, not him talking.  If he can convince you that those are your thoughts, you will not take authority over them and tell them to go away.  That is when he really gets a foothold in your prayer life.

However, one you realize that he is doing the talking and that he is using pronouns to deceive you, you can start hammering on him with the Word of God and the Name of Jesus.  

You can say, “Satan, I bind your thoughts and images of failure.  I cast them down.  Stop talking to me now.  Cease and desist in Jesus’ strong Name.”  You will be surprised at how quickly those thoughts, images and words will stop.  He’ll back off.  He recognizes your position of authority above him.  

Then you can get back to meditating on God’s Word, building faith while you are waiting for your answer.

Praise Your Father for Answering as Promised

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)

The way some people pray, you would think they were interpreting the above verse as follows.  “Be anxious about everything when you pray.  It’s important to be uptight.  Keep hammering away at the Gates of Heaven, praying and supplicating until you’re blue in the face.  Don’t bother with thanksgiving.  There’s no time for that.  Keep letting God know what your requests are, over and over.  Sooner or later He’ll wake up and get the message.”

There is no room for private interpretation of Scripture.  The simple fact of the matter is that you will never see the blessings of God until you release the power of thanksgiving and praise.

Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel were faced with the crisis of their lives, but the power of thanksgiving and praise turned their enemies on their heads. (2 Chronicles 20:1-25)

Paul and Silas were bound hand and foot, deep in a dark, cold, hopeless dungeon.  The power of thanksgiving and praise sent an earthquake that literally set them free. (Acts 16:16-31)

Jesus prayed for a group of ten lepers.  The leprosy immediately stopped eating away at the flesh of all ten lepers.  They were all cleansed.  However, only the one who came back and said “thank you” had his missing body components restored to original condition with factory-authorized parts.  He was made whole again. (Luke 17:11-19)

So, here’s the drill on praying the Prayer of Faith.  

Decide what it is that you need.  Go to the Bible and find where God promises to help you.  Meditate on the promise of God.  Ask God for the promise one time and one time only.  

Reject Satan’s DVD’s (Demonic Visual Displays) of failure.  Talk to him and tell him to back off in Jesus’ strong Name.  

Praise God and thank Him for answering you even before you see the answer.

People who practice praise receive far more proficiently than people who pummel God with perpetual petitions.

Pray the Prayer of Faith.  Live in victory and frustrate Satan and demon powers every time.

Be Blessed ...  John and Barbara Hamel

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