In the model prayer, Jesus Christ gave His disciples a basic outline from which they could craft their own meaningful prayers to the Father.

Why are some prayers answered and not others? What is prayer's purpose? Since God commands His people to pray, it must have a reasonable, spiritual purpose.

The whole world is in hurry-up mode. What have often suffered are prayer and its companion, Bible study—and ultimately, the individual's relationship with God.

Even though we often must wait for a response, God listens closely to our prayers from the heart and is looking out for our best interests.

Jesus begins His instructions to His disciples about how to pray with, 'Our Father in heaven.' There is more to this simple salutation than meets the eye.

Praying according to God's will means overriding our own desire, using forethought in our petitions, realizing that God's direction is steadier than our own.

Jesus remarks that our lips tell the tale our hearts try to hide. Using this proverb as a foundation, what do our prayers tell God about us?

Though we can serve in many ways, one area where we often miss a golden opportunity to help others is in prayer. It requires no special skills or equipment.

God expects us to intercede in behalf of others, but we must do this with wisdom, sincerity, and humility, with the help of God's Spirit, according to God's will.

Prayer to a tool we must learn to use. Because we take on the characteristics of those we are around, we should keep company with God continually though prayer.

Constant, earnest prayer keeps faith alive and makes certain the receiving of the qualities that make us in the image of God. God's purpose comes first.

Persistence in prayer does not mean an incessant pestering God into action. God always looks at our petitions from the vantage-point of His purpose.

Living faith has its roots in fervently, diligently seeking God and His righteousness with intense desire (like a passionate lover) through habitual prayer.

Christ's example teaches us to pray humbly in all situations, including decision making, resisting temptation, and acquiring spiritual strength.

Rather than having an apathetic relationship toward God, we must ardently, earnestly, and fervently seek God in order to imitate His behavior in our lives.

God does not hear a prayer of pride, selfishness, and self exaltation, but He listens to prayers of supplication and intercession for the saints.

Memorizing the Lord's Prayer is a wonderful thing to do. But we must go further and teach our children that the prayer is not one to be mindlessly repeated.

How can we build a relationship of such intimacy that God and Christ know it is a relationship that will last for an eternity?

At day's end, ask how much time we spent communicating with God and Christ and how much time They were in none of our thoughts (Psalm 10:4).

Unlike the sleeping friend, God is not reluctant to answer our prayers, but He does want us to be diligent and patient in our requests.

In Luke 21:36, our Savior gives us two essential keys to being accounted worthy and escaping the terrors of the close of the age: watching and praying always.

Though the widow speaks only five words in this encouraging parable, she provides Christians in these last days with an example of persistence in prayer.

The Bible shows several positions used in prayer, but gives special attention to the posture of raised hands, symbolic of giving up or being vulnerable.

The most effective way to develop a relationship with God is by developing a continuous prayer dialogue, conversing with Him through Bible study and prayer.

How does 'praying always' work? Why is consistent, thoughtful prayer such a powerful tool in the process of overcoming?

God's sovereignty seems to imply that prayer is pointless. Yet the function of prayer is not to change God's mind, but ours!

God reveals a grand secret through David: namely, that spiritual growth will come to people who set the Lord before oneself continuously.

Deeply examining ourselves for flaws and shortcomings, as we do each year before Passover, helps us to accomplish Christ's command to watch and pray always.

Our spiritual enemies are no match for the mighty power of prayer, backed by God who promises to aid us in our warfare.

There are two seemingly-contradictory types of fear, the good fears and the bad ones. We must begin and remain in the proper fear of God to cast off other fears.

Many have over-reacted to Christ's instruction about the Pharisees praying in public to be seen by men. Jesus and the disciples often prayed in public.

Luke 21:36 says to 'Watch and pray always....' Does this refer to watching world events, or is there more to this verse spiritually than meets the eye?

Praying according to God's will is sometimes ambiguous. Yet as we respond positively to His covenant, He reveals more and more of His secret plans.

If God is manipulating everything in His sovereignty, why pray? What does prayer teach us? Here is why God commands us to come before Him in prayer.

Prayer is not a dictating to a reluctant God, but a demonstration of our attitude of dependence and need. It is a means to get into harmony with God's will.

We can maintain spiritual contact using David's tactic of continually maintaining the Lord before him in his thoughts, prayers, and meditations.

Jesus' command to pray always contains the advice Christians need to strengthen their relationships with God as the return of Christ nears.

God does not delay because of indifference, but wants to provide maximum opportunity for repenting, overcoming, and building character.

The purpose of prayer is not to overcome God's reluctance, but to help in yielding to His will. 'Prayer changes things' is only true if it conforms to God's will.

Praying without gratitude is like clipping the wings of prayer. Thankfulness is not natural to carnal human nature which loves to grovel as a timid worrywart.

We should not seek material rewards under the New Covenant, though God may sometimes bless us physically. Our focus should be on spiritual rewards.

Should we only pray to God the Father, given Christ's words in the model prayer and His proclamation that the Father was greater than He?

Prayer comes under attack if we live double-lives, giving us a guilty conscience, not practicing what we have been taught, allowing our hearts to condemn us.

Sin, the real opiate of the people, makes us oblivious to danger, giving us a debased and reprobate mind. It is not static, but leads to destruction.

Prayer should be a major practice in our life and bring us into contact with God's creative purpose, indicating to Him that we will yield to His purpose.

Happiness is the result of faithfully keeping God's Covenant, ensuring peace, prosperity, and an abundant life. The world's joy only disappoints in the end.

Many people hit a plateau in their spiritual growth and go little further. Have we have overlooked the simple principle of 'ask and it will be given'?

We may find God's means of correction discouraging, but when we place His actions in context with His overall plan, we can find peace in God's sovereignty.

Some believe that we should not pray for those in the world because of a few verses in Jeremiah. However, the bulk of the Bible shows just the opposite!

Does it seem like your prayers never reach God's throne—that at best they are only recorded on His answering machine? Here is another way to look at prayer.

Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem fulfilled prophecies. The crowds welcoming Jesus were actually choosing the Paschal Lamb of God on Abib/Nisan 10.

Entering the Kingdom requires choosing the narrow, difficult path of sacrifice, service, and humility over the easy, broad path of selfishness.