We need to make sure we have a clear line of communication with God and that takes study and practice. First, know God’s Word thoroughly which takes daily Bible reading and study, watch preachers regularly on television and read all the religious source material you can including books by well known Bible scholars and preachers. I have a library full of them and they are a source of joy. You will never know enough. The goal is to stay in God’s Word until the Holy Spirit etches God’s commands into your heart. I want to become so familiar with Scripture they’re like old friends so I know exactly how God wants me to respond to any situation. The continuous journey we are all on should be spent seeking God’s will in our lives, which is called sanctification.
Second, we need to learn how to pray so we can become a mighty prayer warrior for God. We need to know what and when to pray and what resources we have available to help us pray to God effectively. I know one thing, it’s hard to pray effectively if you don’t know God’s Word. So we have to start there. The Bible tells you how to pray in detail. There is a set process acceptable to God which goes like this: praise, thanksgiving, petition, intercession and confession. Use as appropriate, depending on the type of prayer and what you are praying about. Remember that prayer is just talking to God and He promises to listen because you are a child of God, His child.
Prayer doesn’t have to perfect to get results but the closer we are to the ideal prayer the better. The Lord’s Prayer is the perfect model prayer we are to emulate. Keep in mind the Holy Spirit is indwelt to hep us modify our prayers to God, if needed, so that it is acceptable to God the Father. Jesus is also at God’s right hand making intercession for us continually. So, we have our own prayer interpreter (Holy Spirit) plus we have our own counselor in heaven (Jesus Christ) to plead our case before the throne of grace. It’s obvious God wants to hear from us in prayer because He has established the perfect framework for us to communicate with Him. The Bible is God speaking to us and prayer is us speaking to God. God’s Word is perfect. God has established a perfect system to communicate with us. The problem is man, who is falling down on our end by praying ineffectively or not at all.