PRAYER IS THE KEY!
Peggy Kannaday

Prayer Changes Everything! 
PRAYER IS THE KEY!
(2014 words)
The door to the Kingdom of God has a very special key. It is the key of prayer.
What is the Kingdom of God? It is anywhere the King of the Kingdom of God is allowed to reign and rule. 
Jesus Christ has been given all power and dominion in this world and in the next:
Eph:1:21: "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:"
Every area of the church is under His authority, and so that is why His power and authority can be incorporated into the church through the key of prayer. We can be used by God to bring in His Kingdom through prayer.
We know that there is ten-fold power in even two people agreeing in prayer. How much more power is generated when we come into agreement with almighty God through prayer.
The Lord Jesus Christ has given us the Keys of Binding and loosing through prayer. This means that what is bound in heaven can be also bound on earth through our prayers, and what is loosed in heaven can be loosed on earth through our prayers in the Name of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!
What is bound in heaven? The answer is hatred, lying tongues, strife, violence, jealousy, and the list can go on and on.
What is loosed in heaven? The answer is love, joy, peace, kindness, truth, praise, worship, faith and the list can go on ad infinitum.
This power and authority has been bestowed upon the heirs of salvation! What a privilege and what an honor.
Eph:1:22: "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," 
Jesus said that if we ask "in His Name"; He will do it. What does "in His Name" mean?
Strong's says it means:
The word "name" is used for everything which the name covers,
everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one's rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellencies, deeds etc.
Many times we use "in Your Name" and "in Thou Name" with the wrong spirit and heart. First and foremost our prayers must be filled with God's love, faith and hope.
WE ARE TOLD TO: 1 Thes. 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." That we are to pray in every situation.
WE ARE ALSO TOLD TO PRAY "FOR" ALL CHRISTIANS: Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
WE ARE TOLD TO PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS, OUR FAMILIES AND ALL THE UNSAVED. IN SHORT, WE ARE TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE AND OVER EVERYTHING.
If we pray "for" our brothers and sisters in the Lord; we will reap prayer for ourselves as we reap what we sow.
This type of prayer will also bring harmony and unity and God's glorious purposes into the lives of His people.
We should understand that when we pray; we are praying according to the will of God when we use the phrase "in Thy or Your Name". Some say that using that term is a faith killer, but I believe it is a faith BUILDER!
Why? Because when we come into agreement with the King of this universe; we obtain His power and authority in our prayer. We gain His stamp of approval and His royal decree.
In ancient times, the King put a special seal upon those things that He had approved, and when we pray "in The Name of the King of kings"; we have His seal upon our request.

Joh:14:13: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
Jesus teaches us How to Pray:
1.) We enter His throneroom through the gates of thanksgiving and the courts of praise. Psalms 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
2.) We pray unto God alone and not to be noticed or to advertise our "holiness".
M't:6:5: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
When we are acknowledged by others; then we lose our reward from God.
M't:6:6: "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
3.) Our prayer should be sincere and from our hearts even though the words may be few.
M't:6:7: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

The words of our mouth are very important as they hold the key to prayer. What we say is what we will get both good or evil. Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
God knows what we need, and He wants us to express our needs unto Him for His answer. Jesus Christ asked the people that He healed what they were wanting from Him. He knew everything, but the King needs an official request before He can put His seal upon the need.

M't:6:8:"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
Jesus being the Master Teacher of all time, gave us a model or example to go by when His disciples asked Him how to pray. A good teacher always makes it easy for the student to learn the lesson, and that is why Jesus always brought down His great Truths to our level.
He used ordinary, everyday analogies to explain His Kingdom to us. He is the greatest Teacher of all time.
Jesus Christ is not telling us "what to pray" but "how to pray". Teaching us how to pray is superior to teaching what to pray as is teaching a person how to plant a garden is superior to giving a person some of the vegetables from our own garden. 
Jesus said that we were to pray after the manner that He taught. He wants us to form our own words from our own hearts based on the example that He set forth. 
He wants to have fellowship with His people through prayer, and He doesn't need to have a rote prayer spoken to Him that has been memorized. He wants to have real communion (closeness) with His people, and He wants to hear from their own lips the adoration, proclamations, petitions and needs that they express in this love relationship.
4.) The Famous Lord's Prayer starts with adoration to God and a declaration of His holiness:
M't:6:9: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
5.) Jesus makes a proclamation that God's Kingdom come; His will be done on this earth as it is in heaven. That is powerful! 
In our prayers; we can proclaim God's Kingdom wherever we go. We should pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us each day in all that we do, say and pray.
When we pray according to the will and way of God, then we will have the great benefit of His great seal of approval on our requests. Our faith will increase as we know that the King of kings and Lord of lords will be at work to bring His Kingdom into being through our prayer.
M't:6:10: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
6.) Next we just give a petition for our needs that day. We do not have to be burdened about our future as each day is new and separate, and we should seek and pray to God each and every day. 
This method of prayer reveals to us that we cannot "store up" our prayers for a rainy day. We need to have fellowship and koinonia with God each day.
Just as the manna from heaven couldn't be stored up; we cannot store up our prayer times or our Bible reading times for another day. We need God's fellowship and His Word each and every day!
M't:6:11: "Give us this day our daily bread."
7.) The Lord is not only concerned with our vertical relationship, but He wants us to be a vital part of His whole family. This means that our relationship with Him and with others must be right. 
He wants us to forgive even as we desire God's forgiveness toward ourselves. If we do not forgive others; we are binding God's forgiveness toward ourselves.
Unforgiveness is a sin, and it blocks the prayers of God's people. It is so important that the Lord included forgiveness in His model prayer. We must forgive others in order to have a right relationship with almighty God and to be able to participate in His earthly ministry through our prayers.
M't:6:12: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
8.) We need to ask for God's protection from temptations from the satanic realm, and we end with a declaration of God's mighty power and glory! Amen means "so be it". 
M't:6:13: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
9.) Our prayers need to be consistent and persevering as Jesus' parable indicates. It is with faith and patience that we receive the promises of God.
Many people give up after several prayers, and they think "It isn't gong to happen" or "I'm wasting my time". Many times they quit right before the tremendous breakthrough.
God wants us to learn patience in our praying, and He knows that some prayers take time due to the particular need being put before Him. If God is dealing with a person or persons; He has to patiently wait for them to change as He does not "force" people to choose the right way, but He gently speaks to them and draws them.
We need to learn to be patient, faithful and persevering in prayer:
Lu:11:5: "And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;"
Lu:11:6: "For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?"
Lu:11:7: "And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee."
Lu:11:8: "I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."
10.) The Lord wants us to have faith when we ask for something that is of Him and according to His will. He gives the example of an earthly father giving a stone for bread when his son asks him for bread. Bread, fish and eggs are items that are good for our physical health, and how much better is being given the Holy Spirit to our Spiritual health and well-being.
Lu:11:9: "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Lu:11:10: "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
Lu:11:11: "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?"
Lu:11:12: "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?"
Lu:11:13: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"
Our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us how to pray in these verses, and He wants us to know that He has good gifts for us as we ask, seek and knock at the door of the King. The Kingdom of God has a large door that all may pass through, but the Key to the door of the Kingdom is heartfelt, faith-filled, and persistent prayer. God has everything that we need for an abundant life and all Godliness, but He requires that we come to Him in prayer to receive.
He wants to hear from us. He wants for us to open the door of our own hearts to Him through the key of prayer. 
The same key opens the door to the Kingdom of God and to the our hearts. Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
In short, the King of the Kingdom of God is standing and waiting at the door of our hearts to come to us and have fellowship and share His Kingdom with us. Let us open the door with the wonderful key of prayer.