Prayer is a matter of the heart.
For our prayers to be effective, we must
prepare our hearts regarding love.
Paul said that faith expresses itself through
love. (Galatians 5:6)
This is true regarding prayer and includes
both love for God and love for others.
"From whence come wars and fightings among
you? come they not hence, even of your lusts
that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to
have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet
ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
James 4:1-3
Prayer that is full of love for others will not
cause fights and quarrels, because it doesn't
covet.
Prayer that is full of love for God will not
seek to please itself, but God.
Part of the problem of unanswered prayer
is that we do not ask.
But asking out of selfish desires and motives
can also keep us from receiving, because we
are missing the most important ingredient,
LOVE!
Lack of love, consideration and respect in our
relationships can actually hinder our prayers,
keeping them from being answered.
The solution is found in the love of God; it
must be perfected or made complete in us.
We come to this completion by obeying God
and loving one another.
When the love of God is perfected in us, our
prayers will be effective and powerful, for
they will be all about Him and not about us.
Our prayers will arise out of love and God
will not deny that which He has perfected in
us.
