By Janet Conley
Key #2 to Effective Prayer - Being Connected
Yesterday we found that the first key to effective prayer is the need to be specific when we pray. Today, I want to show you the second key: The need to have a close relationship with God.
In John 15:5, Jesus says,
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
God wants every part of our life to be connected to Him. And He tells us that as that happens, as we have our lives connected with Him, we bear much fruit. A few verses later Jesus directly connected that fruit to prayer.
In John 15:16, Jesus goes on to say,
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
If we are connected to God and we abide in Him, Jesus says we will bear much fruit—prayer fruit. Think about a fruit tree for a moment. The leaves come out because the branches are attached to the tree. In the spring the branch will blossom, and from those blossoms comes the fruit.
But if something happens and the branch is not solidly connected to the tree, it will probably not bear any fruit at all. There may be a few leaves, but the blossoms won't come and there won't be any fruit. The blossoms and healthy fruit will only come if the branch is fully connected.
God wants us connected to Him in every part of our lives. When that happens, our prayers will be in line with His desires, and we can be confident that He will answer.
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Prayer is communication with God. It is speaking, and it is also listening. And like all communication, prayer is a skill that can and should be improved.
