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<a href="http://www.thearticlesense.com/article/Troubleshooting-Prayer/" target="_blank">Get Paid to Submit Article like "Troubleshooting Prayer"</a><br /><br />Troubleshooting Prayer<br /> <br /> <br /> What are the requirements for effective prayer?<br /> <br /> To Pray to God, one must believe in God. The more powerful our Faith in God, the more effective our prayer. If we do not believe in God, then we must ask for this belief, even if it is only conditional. It is in times of stress, that man is created to reach beyond himself.<br /> <br /> What are the different types of prayer?<br /> <br /> Adoration, Praise, Thanksgiving, and Petition are the different types of prayer. Many of us will pray only when we need something, which is a prayer of petition. Prayers of Adoration, Praise and Thanksgiving, however, can be very powerful.<br /> <br /> Why is it that many who pray do not appear to get prayers answered quickly?<br /> <br /> Prayers may not be answered quickly, if they are not said with humility, Love and Faith. In the Gospels, the centurion, the publican, and the Good Thief had prayers answered quickly, because they were close to Jesus and were humble. Since no one is more humble than a child, children's prayers can be very powerful. <br /> <br /> One becomes humble by accepting the humiliations that God sends them; this is sometimes not so easy to do. Sometimes God, who wishes our eternal happiness, may withhold answers to prayer, when we are not ready for those answers.<br /> <br /> Are all prayers equal?<br /> <br /> All prayers are not equal. Some prayers are more powerful in achieving results than others. God favored the prayer of the humble publican over that of the Pharisee. The prayers of those close to God not only can get results for themselves, but they can act as intercessors in prayer for others. We can see that some Christians were so humble, faith-filled and close to God that they were even able to raise people from the dead (e. g.. St Patrick, St Francis Xavier, St Martin of Tours, and of course Our Lord).<br /> <br /> All things being equal, communal prayers (prayers said in common), or in song, can be more powerful than private prayers. Prayers of praise of God, thanking Him for our difficulties, can effect greater results than prayers focussed on the difficulties themselves. Praise is better than petition. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all will be given to you. Praising God for our difficulties can effect more than seeking to be released from them.<br /> <br /> Repeated prayers said to Jesus with the assistance of intercessors (such as Our Lady, St Joseph or St Catherine, or even a prayerful friend, living or dead) can get surprising results in a short period of time.<br /> <br /> Which Prayers are the Best?<br /> <br /> Certainly the prayer that Jesus recommends in the Bible has to be considered the ultimate personal prayer, namely the "Our Father". This prayer is also included, not only in the rosary, where are prayers are offered through Mary, but in the highest public prayer, where we offer not only imperfect ourselves, but Jesus himself, namely, the Mass. It is in the Mass, that the Sacrifice of Our Lord is not repeated (that can happen only once), but re-enacted.<br /> <br /> Does God answer the prayers of sinners?<br /> <br /> Yes, God does answer the prayers of those in a state of sin (we have the example of the prayer of the Good Thief), and is anxious to forgive their sins. There is good evidence that God looks also closely at the Faith and humility, with which a sinner prays.<br /> <br /> How can we tell a good prayer from a bad one?<br /> <br /> Firstly, we can look at the prayer results. Did we get the expected results? If not, then were our expectations wrong? And if so, where? Was our prayer, a demand? Or what was it a humble presentation of the problem to be solved, Much as Mary saying "They have no wine", and allowing Jesus to provide the solution, rather than demanding from him, a miracle. It can happen that, while we are not happy where we are, we are exactly where God wants us to be.<br /> <br /> In prayer, who controls? God or man?<br /> <br /> It is God who invites us to prayer, and assists us in that prayer. Initially we may want God to be our co-pilot. It is only later, that we realize that God is the pilot, and we are a willing or unwilling passenger, and we need to learn to pray accordingly "Thy Will be Done".<br /> <br /> How do we best prepare for prayer?<br /> <br /> Success in any undertaking is difficult when we are undernourished. Just as creation tells us to eat of fruits, vegetables or animals or we will physically die, so Our Lord tells us to eat His Flesh and Blood, or we shall spiritually die. So nourished by the communion that is his Body and Blood, is the best environment for prayer.<br /> <br /> What is at the heart of the mystery of Prayer?<br /> <br /> At the heart of Prayer is the mystery of God's Will and our will, which can stand in contradiction to one another. It is only when these two wills converge, by our trust in God's Will that we find happiness. This is the key that unlocks success in Prayer. God's Will is in fact, His Holy Temple, as stated in Psalm 84:<br /> <br /> 1. How lovely is Your dwelling place,<br /> O Lord God, my King.<br /> My heart and flesh cry for Your grace;<br /> my soul faints with yearning.<br /> <br /> Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, O God,<br /> and whose strength is in their Lord!<br /> They have set their hearts on the pilgrimage;<br /> set their path upon Your Word.<br /> <br /> 2. Even as the sparrow finds a home,<br /> and the swallow finds a nest —<br /> so my place is near my God and King:<br /> at Your altar will I rest.<br /> <br /> Hear my prayer, O Lord, look upon my soul,<br /> and know that I am true.<br /> For You, my God, are my sun and shield:<br /> Blessed are those who trust in You!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Why Should We Place Our Prayer in the hands of Mary? <br /> <br /> While Jesus could have come to us directly, without an intermediary, He chose to come us through Mary, as we learn from the facts of the Bible, and was subject to her. And while the old Garden of Eden was closed by a Cherub with a flaming sword, so that Man could no longer discourse with God, Mary, the new Eden, was opened by the Holy Spirit, where Our Lord dwelt for 9 months, and was subject to her for 30 years. Mary is the unique creation in that she is the daughter of God the Father, Mother of the Son, and spouse of the Holy Spirit. No creature can share in the Divine life as she does.<br /> <br /> Because we are imperfect, our prayer, in this life, will always be imperfect; but prayer placed in the hands of Mary, becomes as perfect as God's creation can be. Thus our prayer becomes Mary's. To Jesus, through Mary.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Why Adoration?<br /> <br /> Normally, when we think of prayer, we think of the Prayer of Petition, but there is also the Prayers of Praise, Thanksgiving and Adoration. In our prayers, we speak to God, but it is in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and reception of Our Lord, that we can more easily hear what God says to us. It is there, that we can learn His will for us, and receive the strength to accept this Will: Thy Will be done. <br /> <br /> Take The Prayer challenge!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Present a personal or public problem to Our Lord. Beginners might start with something small, from which confidence and Faith can be built.<br /> <br /> Review your results.<br /> <br /> If the results are not as expected: <br /> <br /> 1. Did we present the problem, rather than demanding a specific solution?<br /> <br /> 2. Did we get the right intercessor (Our Lady, St. Joseph for selling houses, St Anthony for finding things, St Jude for impossible causes, or even a close friend).<br /> <br /> 3. Were we humble enough to repeat our prayers, as in a novena?<br /> <br /> 4. Have we sought true contrition for our sins?<br /> <br /> 5. Are we looking for a result that contradicts God's Law or Will?<br /> <br /> 6. Do we look at our hearts, rather than our lips, as does Our Lord? What is our real prayer objective? We may ask for wealth to give us freedom, but God may grant us poverty to give us freedom. We may ask for health for happiness, but He may grant sickness as a path to happiness.<br /> <br /> 7. Did we interfere in the response to our prayer, by trying to also do things our way? God doesn't need to help those, who help themselves; He only help those who trust Him.<br /> <br /> 8. As we placed the matter confidently in Our Lord and Lady's hands, did we pray with Thankfulness for the result, whatever it is?<br /> <br /> <br /> If we work at putting these 8 elements in place, answers to our prayers can come more quickly, than slowly. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> All problems are resolved in prayer!<br /> <br /> "Jesus, I trust in thee"<br /> <br /> <br>corpdat troubleshootingprayer.com