How to Make Your Prayer Life Flourish

"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. ²Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. ³My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. ⁴For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. ⁵The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. ⁶Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. ⁷But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. ⁸Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. ⁹For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. ¹⁰Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. ¹¹But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. ¹²For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield." --Psalm 5.

1. Start Early. David prayed early in the morning (v. 3). "Those who don't seek God in the morning will be hard pressed to find Him later in the day."
2. Ask Often. PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens.
   "Pray without ceasing." --1 Thessalonians 5:17
3. Hate Evil. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Sin is evil.
   "Abstain from all appearance of evil." --1 Thessalonians 5:22.
4. Seek Mercy. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." --Matthew 5:7.
5. Live Righteously. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." --Romans 12:2.
6. Find Refuge. God is our shield (v. 12).

Source: Joey Adams in Sunday School [ImpaKt Youth Group], Sept. 22, 2013.