As an example, let's use the prayer for salvation. Your first step is to go to the Word and find out what God says you must do to be saved. Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
This scripture is the basis for your prayer. You confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. God's Word says it so you can accept it as fact. When you fulfill these two prerequisites, the Word says, "Thou shalt be saved." You must receive it by faith.
When you pray the prayer of salvation, you may not feel differently. Realize that your feelings do not have anything to do with it. God's Word is His part of your prayer life. He has already said in His Word, "Thou shalt be saved." You have allowed the Word of God to engineer your prayer. It makes no difference how you feel. Exercise your faith. By the authority of God's Word you are saved! In Mark 11:24 Jesus said, "What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
God's Word is His will. When you pray in line with the Word, you have automatically prayed in line with God's will. First John 5:14-15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Your prayer for salvation, based on God's Word, was clearly heard by the Father. After you pray and receive your salvation by faith, you then simply thank God for it.
Praying for healing involves the same faith principles. Search God's Word for your answer. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Matthew 8:17 says, "Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses."
Undoubtedly healing is God's will. According to these scriptures, Jesus paid the full price - not only for sin, but for sickness, disease and the consequences of sin. More religious traditions have discounted God's will for healing than those that discredit salvation. To know God's will toward healing, look at Jesus. Jesus said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).
During His time on earth, Jesus was the express image of God (Heb. 1:3). What did He do? He healed the sick. Acts 10:38 says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
The prayer for healing is a simple one. You say, "Father, in the Name of Jesus, I see in Your Word that healing belongs to me. I believe I receive it. I thank You for it. I act upon it now."
Once you have prayed, trust. Do not let Satan convince you that you are still sick. He will try his best to sell you his lies. Stand your ground! Say, "Satan, it is written...." Then begin to speak what God's Word says about your healing.
Just as he fled at the command of Jesus' words, Satan will have to flee when you speak God's Word in faith (Matt. 4:1-11). He has no defense against the Word of God when it is spoken in faith by a believer.
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries