APPROACHING THE THRONE ROOM

Your heart and Word preparations must be followed up with a proper presentation of your request, if you must see your desired results in prayers.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah completed all the preparatory processes of repairing the broken down altar, laying the wood in order and digging the trenches. After that, he put the burnt sacrifice on the altar and then lifted up his voice in communication with heaven and the fire fell.

Also, when David was going to face Goliath, he prepared himself by going to the brook to pick five smooth stones. But he didn't stop there. He approached the giant, cursed him in the name of the Lord, and while the giant was still wondering if David was actually coming to fight him or not, the stone from David's sling had gone into his forehead, and he was brought down (1 Sam. 17:40-50).

Effectual prayer begins with Word preparation, but it delivers through a sound-connection with heaven.

Faith

After locating the will of God concerning your situation, the next thing to be done is to build up faith for effectual communication. Faith is a potent force without which prayer will be absolutely unproductive. The Bible calls faith "The substance of things hoped for..." (Heb. 11:1). That means it is the ticket on which you take delivery of anything from heaven.

After Jesus healed the lunatic child His disciples couldn't heal, they came to Him later to ask why they couldn't cast the devil out of the child. Jesus' response is very revealing:

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:19-20

Until faith is in place, prayer will only end up in frustration. As powerful as the Word of God is, it can only produce when faith is present.

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Hebrews 4:2

Every conflict in life is a direct attack from the forces of darkness and the Word of God is the light that shatters darkness (Jn. 1:5). Psalm 119:130 tells us that it is the entrance of the Word that gives light. Until the Word gains entrance into the heart and generates faith, it does not become light; and until it becomes light, it cannot shatter darkness.

After all the whole effort of gathering the stones, laying the wood in order and pouring the water, you need to settle down and consciously cultivate faith in the Word through meditation, before going ahead to present your case to God.

You don't pray for faith, you cultivate it by staying with the Word until the assurance of its reality is established in your heart.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

Once faith is established, you can be sure of results when you pray.
James 1:6-7 says:

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

You don't only approach God with His Word, you must come with an unwavering assurance that He abides faithful and cannot deny Himself. Not with an attitude of "Let me try, maybe God will answer." The Bible says to such, "Let not that man think he will receive anything of the Lord."

When you approach the throne room in prayer, remember that God has said:

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jeremiah 29:12

The Bible also says God has not called the sons of Jacob to seek Him in vain (Isa. 45:19). These should assure you that God is committed to answer, when you call upon Him according to the dictates of Scriptures.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1 John 5:14

But your confidence in God must first be in place before you ask Him for anything, because though the Word grants you audience before Him, your faith is what motivates Him to act on your behalf.

In Matthew 9, two blind men prayed to Jesus for the restoration of their sight. Even though Jesus heard them, He did not heal them until He was assured of their faith in Him.

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.

And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened...
Matthew 9:27-30

Many have been following Jesus for long. They have done all manner of things in the name of prayer, including 30 days self-inflicted fast; whereas all that God is waiting to see in them is a believing heart.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

So, it is you, not God, who determines whether your prayer gets answered or not. As for God, His side is settled. He is constant, man is the variable.

His Word says, "No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps. 84:11). Whatsoever makes for your welfare and that of His kingdom is good in His sight, so He will not withhold it from you as long as you ask in faith.

Worship

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name...
Luke 11:2

This is the first step in effectual communication. You must approach the throne of grace in worship, if you want to get God's attention.

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalm 100:2,4

Murmuring, grumbling and tears do not give you access into God's presence; only worship does. When you come with a thankful heart and an attitude of worship, He welcomes you into His presence and is ready to intervene in whatever you have brought before Him.

After Elijah fixed the altar and put everything in place, the Bible says, "...He cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood..." That is the sacrifice of praise. Praise is the cheapest way to attract God's attention, because He dwells in the midst of praise (Ps. 22:3).

When you come saying, "Lord, I just appreciate You for who You are and thank You for all You are to me. I thank You because You are always there." With this, His ears are open to you and He is already saying, "What can I do for you my son?"

Provoking God's presence is our ultimate goal in prayer, because that is the best way to secure His intervention in your case. Once you secure God's presence, your answer is already at the door. And heart-seated praise and worship is the only way to do that.

Praise is a proof that you acknowledge His sovereignty in your personal affairs and that of the universe. It also proves that you don't see Him as the cause of your problems, but as your Helper. That grants you unlimited access into God's presence, where communication flows with ease and answers are guaranteed.

Supplication

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians 4:6

Here, Paul shares with us, an insight on how to approach the throne room of God in prayer.

First, Be relaxed. "Be anxious for nothing..." Until you are relaxed, you cannot get through on the prayer line. This first step can be described as the area code number of heaven, without which your call will never get through.

Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us come boldly..." When you are relaxed, you are bold. Supplication is basically praying with Scriptures — producing your cause and bringing forth your strong reasons to remind God of His commandment and promises.

We are often deceived by certain religious beliefs and acts, one of which is the use of many words. I remember sometime in 1977, when after a meeting we decided to leave. Somebody complained and accused us of not being able to tarry in prayers for ten hours. I said to myself, "This is a Pharisee." Jesus said:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 6:7-8

So, effectual prayer is not in many words. Only meaningful words grant you audience before God. You are heard by target words; words that are shot as arrows that cannot miss their targets. Vain repetitions and idle words are the reasons many remain in prayers for many days, and still come out without results.

Prayer is not just saying something, it is saying the right thing. Elijah's prayer in 1 Kings 18:36-37 was short, sharp and straight to the point. The result? Instant answer! This is what God commands:

Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Isaiah 41:21

Nothing moves God like His Word. So, if you are in need of a job, you can reinforce your request to Him like this: "Lord, Your Word says, ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings’ (Isa. 3:10), not the fruit of his uncle's labour or the fruit of his senior brother's labour. Also, Your Word says, ‘no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly’ (Ps. 84:11). Lord, You know I walk with You. Your Word also says, ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread’ (Ps. 37:25).I don't want to beg, because it is not part of Your covenant package for me.

In Matthew 20, You went out to the market place at different hours of the day and all those You found standing idle due to unemployment, You hired. So, Lord hire me now. I know You hate idleness; neither do I want to remain idle. Therefore, I thank You for my miracle job now, in Jesus' name."

With this, you are justified before Him and are sure to get a job. The Bible says:

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
Psalm 34:10

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Proverbs 3:27

To whom is good due? To them that walk uprightly. So when you are serving the Lord, He is committed to your good and when He stretches forth His hand, who can turn it back? That means by covenant, your life is not permitted to lack any good thing.

It is not the will of God for you to lack any good thing. So, you can say to Him, "Lord, I serve You, and You said in Your Word that no man can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). I have yielded myself to serve You the Almighty God, therefore I am not permitted to serve lack and want, hunger, suffering and nakedness. Since You have said that those who seek You shall not lack any good thing, I open up for a flow of Your abundance into my life now, in the name of Jesus. Lord, watch over Your Word to perform it, in Jesus' name."

If you have been plagued with sickness, remember God said, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." (Ex. 15:26). He told the Church in the wilderness this, and He says, "I am the Lord, I change not." So He is still the Healer today as He was in times past.

When He sent His Son, Jesus, the Bible says, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matt. 8:17). Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is still doing all the miracles of healings He performed in the Bible days today. He abides faithful, He cannot deny Himself. Therefore, you can say to that disease or pain, "In the name of Jesus, you have no legal hold over my being, because Jesus took my diseases and pains the same day He took my sins. Let God be true and all men liars! I take my liberty now, in the name of Jesus."

When this comes from a Word-prepared and faith-ignited heart, heaven must respond. Supplication does not only mean substantiating your desires with Scriptures, it also means engaging in heart-felt communications.

James 5:16 says, "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The Amplified Version says,"...The earnest (heart-felt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]."

That means only the prayer that emanates from the heart, not from the head, is the prayer that will avail much. This is because you can have a head full of Scriptures, but on an empty heart.

Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 1:12-17 is a very good example of a heart-felt prayer.

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

"She spake in her heart. Only her lips moved, her voice was not heard." But she said she had poured out her soul unto the Lord. That means the whole of her being was in what she was saying. She meant it from the depth of her heart, which is where God looks into and relates with.

Effectual prayer has its root in the heart. If your heart is not in what you are saying, heaven does not reckon with it. God has no respect for those who draw near unto Him with their lips only, whereas their hearts are far away from Him (Isa. 29:13).

After Hannah's prayer, the Bible says:

And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
1 Samuel 1:18

She was sure she had contacted heaven, so she went away and was no longer sad. She was assured of her answer from the moment she prayed.

...And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
1 Samuel 1:19

You can't pray heart-felt prayer and miss your target. May your heart find a thoroughfare to heaven from henceforth.

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
James 5:17-18

The details of Elijah's earnest prayer is recorded in 1 Kings 18:42-44:

...Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

He was out for an answer, he was not doing guesswork. He was ready to stay out there and hang on, until His answer came and he did. His servant went to check for the cloud seven times before he eventually saw it, and then the rain came. And when rain comes, the earth yields her increase. I see you enter into your season of abundance, as you engage in heart-felt prayers, in the name of Jesus!

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Psalm 42:7

The Bible says, the heart of man is deep (Jer. 17:9). Since it is deep that calls unto deep, if you must enjoy deep communications with God, you must engage your heart in prayer. Let no ordinary statement come out of your mouth. It is not much speaking, but "heart-speaking" that makes for effectual prayer. It is not how loud, but how genuinely we call from the deep that matters.

I was a victim of tuberculosis, but one day, in the dead of the night, I got on this heart-felt prayer frequency and that plague was shattered there and then! In Zechariah 12:10, God said:

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications...

There is what is called the spirit of grace and supplication, which enables a man stand strong on the prayer tower, praying from the depth of his soul, as though travailing for his only son.

Ask God for the outpouring of that spirit upon your life, so you can enhance your communication with heaven.

Thy Kingdom Come

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10

Kingdom-oriented praying gives you special audience with God. The Bible says:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33

If you desire breakthroughs in your personal life, one of the fastest ways to achieving it is to have a strong affection for God and His kingdom.

When a kingdom prayer point is raised in church, a lot of people just mumble through; you can hardly hear what they are saying. But when you say, "Pray for yourself, that this year's prophecy may find fulfilment in your life", people begin to pray with so much vigour and energy. But it is how much you take pleasure in the affairs of the kingdom that determines the quality of response you enjoy from God.

When you are interceding on kingdom matters, let it be from the depth of your being, as if you are praying for your only child who is dying. Let it means much more to you than your personal matters.

This is a prayer strategy that moves heaven to rain down favour on you, so much that you will not need to pray for most things before you get them. Many people are dying in their prayer rooms because they are self-oriented in their prayers. They are the "needy-stars" of the kingdom.

They always pray, "Lord, give me this; Lord, bless me; Lord, bless my wife and my children", and their demands are endless. All they remember to pray about is "me, I and myself." They are least concerned about the welfare of anybody else or on any issue that does not touch them personally.

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
Psalm 102:13-14

God even answers me before I call, because I pray sincere and heart-felt prayers for the kingdom and His people. So, He can't but surround me with favour. As you begin to seek His kingdom in your prayers, I see every concern of your life become a testimony.

Two-way Communication

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
Habakkuk 2:1

Prayer is not just reporting your case to God; it is communicating with Him. Every genuine discussion or dialogue is made up of comments, enquiries and responses from the parties involved. It should be a two-way communication flow. But most people do all the talking in prayers, not giving God a chance to speak to them in return, nor pausing to listen to what He has to say.

It is time we began to engage in responsive meditational prayers — where you talk and wait for God's response, where you make enquiries and take delivery of divine strategies to deal with the issues confronting you.

To truly win in prayer requires your being alert in the spirit, listening in meditation and keeping your heart open to receive what He has to say to you. You also have to engage in intense worship, in order to maintain the communication channel. When you ask a question and there doesn't seem to be an immediate response, you begin to worship and call God by His names. Then you ask again, "Lord, what are You saying?" You are sure to get an answer, because He assures us:

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3

In Daniel chapter 2, Daniel and his friends were faced with a decree of death. The king had a dream, which he forgot and wanted Daniel and his colleagues to tell him the dream and its interpretation or they would all be put to death. See what Daniel did:

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
Daniel 2:17-19,23

When you approach God, remember that He is the One before whom all things lay bare. The One that reveals deep and secret things, the Omniscient God. Go before Him and take delivery of your answers, as you engage in a two-way communication with Him. That is what prayer is all about.

Make Enquiries

There are times we get to points in life, when we don't know what next to do or which way to turn. These are the cross-roads of life. The Bible tells us what to do:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5

We are full of prayers of petition, calling on God to intervene and do something about our situation. But we have more often than not ignored the place of enquiries, which is what gives us access to God's ways. It is the access to the secret and hidden things of life. You must make enquiries from Him, if you really desire the way out of your predicament, for God's ways are higher than ours and His thoughts than ours (Isa. 55:9).

Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls...
Jeremiah 6:16

"Oh God, come and do it for me" is the prayer of babies; but, "Lord, what must I do?" is the prayer of sons. As long as you remain a child in the kingdom, always asking for things to be done for you and crying in the face of every situation, the glory never comes near you. It is sonship that attracts the glory, and responsibility is what makes a son (Isa. 9:6).

In prayer of enquiry, God shows you what you need to do, in order to get what you are looking for. It then becomes your responsibility to put to work what has been revealed to you.

King David won all his battles because he was a man of enquiries.

But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand?... And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees... And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
2 Samuel 5:17-25

David was a man of enquiries, so he never suffered any defeat or injuries as a warrior. He had access to divine instructions by prayers of enquiry, and it made a world of difference in his life. One instruction from heaven can deliver from a lifetime of struggles. You will no longer suffer injuries in your life.

I have often said, "Responsibility is the price you pay for greatness." There is what you must do to commit God to listen to you. You have your part to play and God has His; He will never play yours for you. He said, "Draw nigh unto me and I will draw nigh unto you" (Jam. 4:8). It is your drawing near to Him and making enquiries that provoke His drawing near to you with answers and instructions.

Don't watch your life drag on endlessly, with your hands akimbo, saying, "God will do it." Get into God's presence and with your entire spirit, approach Him for an answer. Do not be in a hurry, be set to get an answer and take delivery of His higher ways, which will put you above whatever situation you are in.

Make enquiries! "Lord, why is this home not working? Why is this ministry dragging? Oh God, what would You have me to do? What is missing in my life that is responsible for this problem? Lord help me. What am I not doing that I should start doing? What am I doing that I should stop doing? Lord, I am looking up to You for an answer."

Something in your life might be what is responsible for the problems. Maybe the way you talk to your spouse is what sets the whole house on fire. Maybe you are neglecting your covenant responsibilities towards your workmen, that is why your business is going down. You may have been giving tithes and kingdom investments, yet your financial situation is getting tighter. It could be that you are not doing it properly.

Whichever way you are missing it, He will reveal it to you when you go before Him to enquire. You worship before Him, speak to Him and wait for His response, celebrating in tongues until the answer comes.

God Answers

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5

God is committed to answering your prayer, if you ask, not if you cry. No matter how many demons are connected to your problem, God's wisdom which is released in prayer of enquiry will give them a knock-out.

This is your hour of triumph; you are leaving the realm of people doing things for you, to that of getting it done by yourself. When God opens you up to that realm, you are on a flight, far above principalities and powers.

The Seal

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 14:13-14

The name of Jesus is the seal of authority that compels heaven to dispatch the answer to your prayer once you are heard. Many people think the name of Jesus is a punctuation mark, a pause in prayer or an exclamatory religious word. No!

There is power in the name of Jesus! The name is backed up with all the anointing that Jesus has, both while He was here on earth and now that He is seated at the right hand of God. The Bible tells us that God gave Him the Holy Ghost without measure (Jn. 3:34). Also, Acts 10:38 says:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Jesus is anointed without measure, telling you how powerful His name is. If, for instance, the President of your nation gives you a note, with his name and signature on it, that note carries as much power and authority as his physical presence with you. With it in your hand, you have equal access to the places and things that the President has access to.

In the same way, the authority and power in the name of Jesus is what you release when you pray in His name. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us:

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

That name answers both in heaven, on the earth, and everywhere. That means no authority in heaven, or on the earth can resist it. Peter's prayer for the lame man at the gate Beautiful, though very brief, but because it was wrapped up in the name of Jesus, the result was instant.

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Acts 3:6-7

No opposition facing you can withstand the name of Jesus. When you invoke that name, you are not only putting a demand on the anointing, but also on the integrity of God, and He is bound to respond. At the mention of the name of Jesus, angels arise in heaven to carry out the orders that the name has been sent to accomplish (Heb. 1:4,14).

Moreover, the name of Jesus is your heritage in God. You have every right to use the name, as Jesus' Himself commands us:

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24

So stop chanting the name as though it carries no power; it is the authority seal that validates your request in heaven. With the proper use of that name, your prayer cannot return to you unanswered. God is committed to the name, as He Himself gave it to Jesus (Phil. 2:9).