Effective praying is more than “talking to God” and “listening to God.” There is a third aspect, and I believe it to be the key to effective prayer. Because when one engages it and speaks to God, the words spoken come from motives that are aligned with God’s will.

Also, this third aspect binds the Holy Spirit to the human spirit (the repository for the Holy Spirit. Click here for more info), thus creating an intimate relationship in which God can be clearly heard.

This third dimension is “living for God.” It is the life we live before going into the proverbial prayer closet that determines effective prayer. An example of effective prayer is God honoring Jesus’ every request; be it for wisdom, guidance, patience, spiritual strengthening, forgiving and blessing others, future revelation, etc. Every time He prayed, He got what He asked for. That’s because He lived what He heard and saw from God.

That can be our experience too. 1 John 5: 14, 15, says that when before God in prayer, we can be confident that He hears us and will give to us what we ask for; as long as it is in accordance to His will.

That then raises the question of how do we become familiar with His will? The answer is revealed in John 15: 7. There, it says that if we live in Jesus and Jesus’ words live in us, whatever we ask will be done for us.

Living in Jesus and His words living in us is a sacrifice that’s true, holy worship. It defines “living for God.”