What is prayer? How do we develop an effective prayer life like Jesus? Let's go deep to discover prayer in the Kingdom of God.

Prayer is making our requests known unto God, and communion with God. Just as how we talk to people, we talk to God. The effectiveness of our prayer depends on our relationship with God.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. (Psalm:66:18)

In order to have our prayers heard and answered, our record before God must be clean. The only thing we need to do is ask Christ into our hearts, repent (to turn in a new direction), and seek Him fully! This allows us to have a clean relationship with Him and boldly approach His throne. We know that the Blood of Jesus has been made available for us, to wash us clean and to present us faultless before God's throne. Therefore, through Jesus our High priest, we now can make our petitions before God our Father.

Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy

and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews:4:16)

Prayer to Jesus starts with a relationship with Him. When we harbor wrath, envy, bitterness, and unforgiveness in our hearts, our prayers will not be heard.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew:6:14,15)

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

(Matthew:5:23,24)

When we make our requests known to God and doubt if we'd really receive it from Him, we may not receive anything. The beautiful thing is God meets us where we are at and builds us up in faith as we build relationship with Him.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. (James:1:6,7)

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy:2:8)

As we pray, God will meet us where we are at and show us His grace and goodness. He will give us a heart for others, show us His heart for us, and heal us of the emotional consequences of doubting his goodness.

"We often fail to believe that God is who He says He is. We do not believe that God will really do what He has promised to do; we suspect that God might not know or will not do what is best for us, and we doubt the way that God has ordered the world. When we believe lies and choose to sin, we experience emotional consequences such as depression, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and

many others". - Dan Wickert

This is what happens to us most times because we fail to recognize the greatness of our God and the truthfulness of His word. We assume God to be unfaithful because of our past experiences with humans rather than taking Him at His word and trusting that He is faithful always.