Prayer is like picking peas. You just get on your knees and do it. With an open Bible, praise the praises and plead the promises.
Pleading the promises is a powerful form of prayer. God is a covenant-keeping God. He is faithful to His promises. I am an imperfect earthly parent, but as far as possible, I honor my promises to my children. How much more does our heavenly Father who is perfect and loves us perfectly!
For every problem, burden, need, and circumstance, God has made you promises of His faithfulness. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God," according to 2 Corinthians 1:20. Can you trust your heavenly Father? Absolutely.
Use your Bible as your promise book. Ask God where to read daily. I always "pray the Bible" as I read it devotionally. I ask Him how to pray from each passage. Do Scripture searches on topics when you have a need.
Plead the promises until you learn that everything is by prayer (Phil 4:6). God delights to fulfill His Word. Gaze at your Father through His promises and glance at your problems. When you gaze at the problem and glance at God, the problem looks bigger than God. When you focus your gaze on omnipotent God and glance at the problem, your faith increases as you see that God is more than able to abundantly meet your needs. In this way, you exalt the One who is the answer.
Here are a few of my favorite promises. Use these to start your own promise list.
2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
Jeremiah 29:11-14a For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. hen you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Habakkuk 3:18-19 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.
1 Corinthians 9:8 God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Timothy 1:12 I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him.
Ephesians 3:20 Now [he] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
Philippians 1:6 I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
