Joyce Meyer - A Prayer How-To - Part 1

Ginger Stache: Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us. Today's program will really help propel you to the next level in your prayer life, whether you've been praying for years or you're just getting started. Recently, Joyce shared her heart on prayer with me, my friends Erin Cluley, and Jai, on her talk it out podcast. And it is going to encourage you and spark some creative ways to connect with God.

Ginger Stache: Today, we're going to tell you exactly how to pray and get everything that you want. How to make God do what you want.

Erin Cluley: I'm so glad I'm here!

Joyce Meyer: I'm glad you're doing the show by yourself.

Ginger Stache: I thought if we said that at first, people would stay tuned.

Joyce Meyer: I'm not into lying.

Ginger Stache: It won't work. We won't really be able to do that. But it sounded really good for a teaser, don't you think? Don't you think?

Jai Williams: I wish it worked like that?

Ginger Stache: Yeah. Well, here's a great way to get started. I think when we talk about prayer, it's easy to get confused and think there's a special way that I have to do it or do's and dont's. And we are going to talk about "How to" because there are things that are important. But we tend to overcomplicate things. So, we're gonna start with a clip, from Joyce, from a teaching where she talked about the power in simple prayer. Let's listen to that first.

Joyce Meyer: But he taught me that prayer, effective, life-changing, dynamic prayer can be so simple, just so amazingly simple. I have one great grandchild and he's, I guess Jeremiah's about 3, and his mommy one night had a real bad stomachache and she was laying in bed kinda doubled up in pain. And he went over and laid his hand on her said he was gonna pray for her. And he said, "Jesus, mommy, ouchy. Amen". But listen, she said, she almost immediately, the pain stopped and she started feeling better. Actually, I came to a point in my life at one time where God actually challenged me. He said, "I want you to ask me for what you want and need with as few words as possible". Hmm...Yeah, it's harder than you think.

You know, it's hard when you've done something wrong to say, "Father, I'm so sorry, forgive me for that. Thank you". No, we want to go on. "Oh God, oh God. Oh, please forgive me, God. Please, please, please, forgive me. Oh God, I've been so bad. Please forgive me. I promise I'll never do it again". Yes, you will. Don't even waste your time making promises you can't keep. You're better off to say, "I'll definitely do it again if you don't help me". So, why don't we learn that the power of prayer is not in how many words, or how eloquent, or how long, but I believe it's two things, I think it's faith. Do I believe that God hears me? Do I believe he cares about me and wants to be involved in my life? Well, I can't read the Bible and not believe that. And I think that prayer must be sincere. You're gonna see in scripture today that the Bible says that the fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much, makes tremendous power avail, I love that in the Amplified. When we pray, tremendous power, whoo, is made available.

Ginger Stache: It seems like that would be something that we just grab on to and we say, "Yay," and we run with it, and yet, we still get confused in our own mind of, "How should this work, and what if I say the wrong thing"? And why do we complicate prayer so much, Joyce?

Joyce Meyer: I think, that we think, we have to impress God.

Ginger Stache: Oh, yeah.

Joyce Meyer: And if you've ever noticed, if you're ever in a position where you need to pray in front of somebody, or in front of a group, it's like, half the time you're not even really talking to God. You're saying what you think will impress these people.

Erin Cluley: But my words are really big.

Joyce Meyer: Yeah, right. And so, it was really interesting when God told me, "Ask me for what you want with as few words as possible". I challenge you to try it for a few days. It's actually harder than you think. For some reason, we think the more we say, the better it is. And I think it's just because we wanna sound eloquent. We wanna, you know, impress God. And you know, just like, "I know, what I did was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I receive your grace," and go on.

Jai Williams: Yeah, I know my roots in complicating prayer came from that very thing of being in church groups or at school, because I went to a Christian school. And I had all of the Christianese the cliché things to say. But I remember being in line, or like, in a circle, or we'd hold hands, or whatever like, that we'd be in a group, and I remember my heart used to just beat so hard, or fast like, "Who are they gonna call to pray"? You know, like, I'm not thinking about anything about talking to God or what I'm thinking, I'm just like, "What if I say something dumb? Or what if i", you know. But I know that mine came from my roots of like, being a kid in church, hearing all of these people that I respected and loved so much seemed like, they were the ones, and cuz we tend to put people on pedestals, too, because they, I'm like, if that's how "The real Christians" pray, then I need to live up to that. So, I began to mimic that, in a way, to a point that I remember when I turned probably about 25 or so, I was just like, "God, can you please take all that out of me? Like, I don't want to pray like that". I don't want to feel pressured to be like, "Father God, in the name of Jesus," like, I always would start it the way that I heard it when I was little. And so, I think that's where my roots came from.

Joyce Meyer: Obviously, we have a reverential fear of God. And that just really means respect. And we always should have that, and we know that he's a holy God. And so, we wanna do what's right in his presence, but God is also our friend. And scripture says that. And so, prayer is just talking to God. I mean, that's really all it is. And if I was gonna sit and talk to Ginger, I wouldn't all of a sudden become some other person, you know? And so, I think that people, if we can not complicate prayer. And the book I wrote on prayer, it's called, "The power of simple prayer," if we can keep it simple, and believe that God's not expecting us to become some other person when we pray. And there are no, like, if you don't say certain words, you know, then you're gonna be in trouble and God's not gonna hear your prayer. And I think my life was changed by James 4:2, which simply says, it talks about what causes strife and jealousy and envy and all these things among people. And then, it simply says, you try to get all these things yourself, "You have not because you ask not". And I love that. So, why can't we just ask God for anything we want, because Jesus said, "You can ask me for anything". And the bottom line is, is you don't really have to worry, because if it's something that's not his will, you're not gonna get it anyway. And so, we don't have to be afraid to just, you know, things that the Bible covers, I always say, "I know this is your will". But if I'm asking for something that's maybe a little more carnal or, you know, something that, you know, I'm not sure about, I just say, "If it's not right, please don't give it to me". I don't want anything that is not God's will for me.

Erin Cluley: One thing I loved in the teaching we just listened to of yours, was the story that you told of your great grandson who prayed and...

Ginger Stache: It's so sweet.

Erin Cluley: It's so sweet. And having kids has really taught me how much we can pray more simply. A couple of weeks ago, we were talking to the kids about what happened that day. And Peyton said, "Well, my sad thing today was my teacher got a paper cut". And she was deeply impacted by this paper cut. It must've been, there was a lot of blood. And so, that night, when we were praying together, she said, it was her turn to pray, and she said, "I pray for miss Davis' paper cut". And then that was it, and then, we moved on. And then, she listed a few other things and first, I thought, "Well, that's cute and silly". But then, I thought, like, "That matters to her, so that matters to God". And so, God will probably heal her paper cut tonight because Peyton came with such sincerity in her request to him.

Joyce Meyer: Well, see, that's what God wants.

Erin Cluley: Yeah.

Joyce Meyer: He wants sincerity. He doesn't want us to put on or become some other person, I mean, the Bible says, don't repeat words and phrases over and over and over again, like, you know, I think, we think we have to become real religious when we pray.

Ginger Stache: Not trying to put on a show, we're trying to communicate with someone who loves us.

Joyce Meyer: That's exactly right. And so, like you said, you need to know God loves you and you need to know that he wants to bless you. He wants to give you what you want, but he won't, if it's not right for you. And we should all be satisfied with that.

Ginger Stache: I remember a time when I was probably, in my twenties, you know, I grew up in the church, grew up in a Christian home, always had that dialog, I guess, I would call it, with God. Then, I got to a point where I was working in Christian television, around all these people, like you were saying, jai, who really knew how to pray. And I was like, "Whoa, I've been doing this wrong for years".

Joyce Meyer: Yeah right.

Erin Cluley: You gotta start over.

Ginger Stache: So, I started really getting kind of caught up in this, "I don't know if I'm saying the right words". Like, "When do I need to say in Jesus' name? And when do I plead the blood of Jesus? And when do I bind what"? And...

Jai Williams: "Loose".

Ginger Stache: Exactly! And I got to where I was like, "Ah! I don't even know how to pray anymore". So, I know there are things that are important, and there are things in the Word of God that make a huge difference. I'm not trying to make light of any of that. But I really let myself get kinda tied up in knots. So, what would you say are some of the keys to things that make prayer effective?

Joyce Meyer: Well, I do think that we need to pray to the father, in Jesus' name. That's biblical. And...

Ginger Stache: Yeah, I think that's worth really talking about, cuz it's not just good thoughts. When people say, "I'll be thinking about you," that's nice, but please pray for me. You know, so, I think that's important. Who are you praying to?

Joyce Meyer: Who are you praying to? You're praying to God, the father. Jesus said, "You ask the father, in my name". And you know, I know sometimes people pray to Jesus, I don't, you know, I don't think you're gonna get trouble if you do that. But I address my prayers to God, the father, in the name of Jesus. And sometimes, I'll just say, "I come in Jesus' name, because I know that I have no right to come before you in my own steam and power".

Erin Cluley: That's the reverence in perspective.

Joyce Meyer: Because in the Amplified Bible, and I love this, it says that when we pray in the name of Jesus that we're presenting to God, all that Jesus is.

Jai Williams: Yeah, that's good.

Joyce Meyer: So, see, I can't pray in the name of Joyce. Otherwise, I'm presenting what Joyce is, and I'm gonna be in real trouble. So, it is important that you understand what it means to pray in Jesus' name. And that also helps you understand why you can come boldly to the throne, like it says, "Come boldly to the throne". We don't have to come ashamed, you know, that's why it's good if there is anything between you and God to get that straightened out right away. You know, if there's sin that you haven't confessed or something, you need to take care of that first, get that done. And then, I think we just, you know, I don't think our prayers should be all about ourselves and what we want. You know, a lot of times I start out with people that I know that are sick, and I'll ask God to, I mean, there's one woman I know that's been sick for quite a while. And I just, I pray very simply that she'll have a good day. You know, that God will comfort her, and keep her pain level down, and that she'll just have a good day, and he'll give her grace. And you know, so, we need to remember to pray for other people, just think through who you know, that's going through something, pray for them. We need to pray for our nation, you know. We have serious problems, and we need to pray that God will show us what to do or do something himself. I cover my kids every day, I put a covering over them. Ephesians 6 lists all the different aspects of spiritual warfare, "Put on the breastplate of righteousness, put on the shoes of peace, put on the helmet of salvation," and then, it says, "And cover everything over with prayer". So, when you think about that, like it's written, you can put a prayer covering over people's lives. So, when I pray for my kids, I pray that they'll be healthy, and that God will protect them from accidents. And I pray the same thing for Dave, and for myself, and for our partners, and our ministry. And a lot of thanksgiving in prayer. And here, again, none of these are rules.

Ginger Stache: Right.

Joyce Meyer: But, you know, Paul's prayers were full of thanksgiving, and he said, "Every time he prayed, he thanked God for his partners". And so, there are some things that you can pray, every time you pray. So, I thank God a lot of mornings, because I pray out by my fireplace in the winter, I thank God for my fireplace because it's something that I just enjoy so much. And I thank God for clean, running, hot and cold water. And you know, so, prayer should be full praise, worship, thanksgiving, petition, casting your care on God, if you have any worries. I love that, Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing". So, if I am, you know, I'll, "Help me not to worry about this". It's really just things that you need and want, just asking God for them. And the Bible says, Mark 11, I love too. It says, "You ask. You believe that you have received, and you will get it". And the thing I always say is, "It doesn't say when you'll get it".

Erin Cluley: It doesn't.

Joyce Meyer: And so, I mean, that's a great point there, because in between asking and receiving is where a lot of people lose it. You know, because in here, you know what you're gonna get? The devil's gonna try to make you doubt. So, what I like to do is, when the devil comes at me in there, I like to say, and I say it out loud, "God is working".

Erin Cluley: That right there, in that middle part's where it gets hard. Because I'm asking and nothing is happening. Or sometimes he's so quiet. You hear nothing. So, it's so easy to get frustrated in, that middle's a hard spot to be.

Joyce Meyer: Well, and you know, so many people never have victory in their life because they don't make it through the middle of anything. They don't make it through the middle of trials or tribulations or hard things, you know, they get, or even like, success in ministry or business or whatever, you know, you're not gonna build anything without going through some hard times. You're just not. But if, I just think it's so important for people to realize that when they ask God for something, if it's something that's right for them, and you can ask God for something that's right for you, but it may not be the right timing in your life. So, we need to trust God's timing too. And then trust that if it's right, God will give it to you, not your way, but his way. His ways are above our ways. His thoughts above our thoughts. So, you pray. Then, you cast the care on God of how he does it and when he does it. And I really like my little thing, "God is working". And there is a scripture. I think, it's in 1 or 2 Thessalonians, "As long as your believing, God is working". Isn't that good?

Ginger Stache: Yeah, it is.

Joyce Meyer: So, if I just keep believing, I don't care what it looks like, God is working. And he'll either give you what you ask for or he'll give you something better because you're not smart enough to ask for the better thing yet.

Erin Cluley: So true.

Ginger Stache: That's one of those things that I do pray for a lot is, "Lord, help me to know what things I'm missing. Help me to know what I need to adjust in my life. Search my heart, and know me, o, Lord," those kind of things. And show me what direction, I think we're all praying for what direction to go all the time. But going farther than that it's like, "Lord, don't let me miss a nudge from you". And there are so many things that really make a difference. And I think that's where it's that personal relationship. It's not just a big God who's got puppet strings. It's a God who wants to love us and guide us and help us. And so, those kind of conversations, I think, are what means so much to me, is not making prayer, something I set aside, and I only do it in the morning from 7:00 to 7:15. You know, it's all day. It's walking with Jesus and talking with him throughout everything that I do.

Joyce Meyer: It was so life-changing to me when I realized that, you gotta get over being religious before you can really pray.

Erin Cluley: That's so good.

Joyce Meyer: I mean, as long as you've got these religious ideas about prayer. It was, that you have to be in a certain spot in a... So, I remember when I first, you know, got into a more stronger walk with God, and I always would walk around and pray. Pray with my eyes shut. I mean, I'd walk into walls.

Erin Cluley: That is dangerous.

Joyce Meyer: And I mean, I prayed loud. You know, Dave would sit and look out the window with his eyes open and pray. And I remember looking at him and thinking, "You ain't praying. You're not praying".

Ginger Stache: "Dave, that's not gonna work".

Joyce Meyer: Because I had this idea that you had to pray with your eyes shut, you know? And so, we get all these goofy ideas about it. But like you said, you can pray anytime, anywhere. You can pray silently, you can pray out loud, you can pray with people, you can pray by yourself. If you read the Bible, you don't have all these rules about how to do it. It's is your heart sincere: do you really mean what you're saying, and are you honestly talking to God? That's why I got such a revelation like, you know, in our conferences and I pray quite a bit about different things. And I've caught myself so many times, saying more that I think will impress the people than actually forgetting about them and really sincerely talking to God.

Ginger Stache: Like, preach praying?

Joyce Meyer: Huh?

Ginger Stache: Like preach praying.

Joyce Meyer: Yeah.

Ginger Stache: Where you can tell sometimes, and I've done this, where you're praying, and you begin to give your kids, who are listening, the message that you want them to hear.

Joyce Meyer: Yeah, totally.

Erin Cluley: That's good.

Joyce Meyer: And I think people have to realize, prayer is not something you have to do. It's not an obligation. You're not gonna get in trouble, if you don't pray every day. Prayer is a privilege. I mean, when you think about, just imagine, having the privilege of going to the God who created everything and can do anything, anytime, anywhere, and being able to ask him in Jesus' name, for what you want or need. I mean, I can't think of any greater privilege. And so, so many things, I hate this statement. "Well, God, I guess there's nothing left to do but pray". And how many times do people say that? When that should be the first thing we do, not like, a last-ditch effort. "Well, I guess I'll pray. I've tried everything else".

Ginger Stache: And how we can pray about absolutely anything. I remember last week when my friend Joyce, I'm making that clear, she's my friend, you called and you were talking about thinking about your hair. And I remember, as soon as we got done, I'm like, "Ok, God, show her really something that she's just gonna love with her hair". That was it. I didn't drop to my knees and, you know, make it a big ordeal. But those are little things that God cares about, that we care about. We can pray for one another. It can be so simple and so quick and seemingly insignificant. But it's not. It's like you said, it matters to us, that matters to him.

Joyce Meyer: And it's very helpful to the person you're praying for. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that you're not helping people when you pray. To be honest, and I really mean this, I don't think that I could do what I'm doing and stay alive, if people didn't cover me in prayer. Because, I mean, the enemy hates anybody that's doing anything that's advancing the kingdom. And I really, really, really appreciate the people that pray for me. It amazes me when I run into somebody that says, "I pray for you every day". It's like, "Wow".

Ginger Stache: What a gift.