In this article, I am using the term “religion” to refer to man-made effort that utilizes works to please God. It is very easy to mistake being religious for having a relationship with God. All religions in the world are based on religion which is a man-made attempt to reach God. However, Christianity is supposed to involve having a genuine relationship with God (2 Cor. 13:14).
The following is a chapter from Joseph Mattera’s latest book “Travail to Prevail: A Key to Experiencing the Heart of God”.
My Story
When I came to Christ in January of 1978, I was the kind of person that could read the bible for many hours, but I had a hard [difficult] time praying for more than a couple of minutes.
All that changed in June of 1978 when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. Within a few months I was able to pray for a long time without getting bored.
Text: Job 37:6-7 (ESV)
This week there was a blizzard in New York City that dropped 20 inches of snow. Both the commissioner of the NYC Sanitation Department and the mayor of the city took huge hits to their reputations because, as of the writing of this article (three days after the storm hit) many of the streets still have not been plowed! This is so scandalous that some in the New York City Council are also thinking about having hearings to investigate why this happened.
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Introduction
Merely praying is never enough; if this was so every person in the world who prays to God would have their prayers answered. There are clear criteria in Scripture related to how and for whom God answers prayer. The following are scriptural principles related to praying in the will of God.
