Prayer is talking to a great person called Jehovah: I am that I am! He is the greatest of all. He is the creator of Heaven and earth. He is the Lord of Lords. He knows the beginning and the end! There is none like Him! No one else can touch our lives that way that He does! How great is our God and how great is His name!

Whenever we pray, we come before the great and everlasting God. There must be a way to speak to Him properly. We must learn how to speak to this great God. A simple way of learning how to pray is to learn how to speak to a great person. Indeed, many of the principles that must be used when talking to a great person are the principles that are used in prayer.

What are the principles you must have in mind when you are speaking to a great person?

1. DO NOT ASK FOR OR MENTION YOUR NEEDS AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR INTERACTION.
You may have a legitimate need and the important person may be the right person who can solve your problem. The need you have may be something very noble and very right.
But the timing of the mention of your need is critical. It is very tempting to ask an important person for what you need. You may know that the important person has what you need. You may also know that he can easily supply your needs. But you must control yourself and not mention your needs to this great person.

Many years ago, whilst living in London, I was really broke and in need. Every time I met an uncle or a relative I immediately wanted to inform them of my need for a few pounds. I could see that they had lots of pounds. I could see that they did not know that I did not have any money. I could see that they werecompletely unaware of my dire situation. Oh how I was tempted to blurt out, “Please give me fifty pounds.” It is natural to want to tell great people what you need when you see them.

But when Jesus taught us to pray, He taught us not to mention our needs first. Our needs are to be mentioned much later in the discussion, if at all. Many years ago, on my first interaction with a great pastor, Yonggi Cho, I invited him to come to Ghana to dedicate my church. But that was a mistake. He flatly refused
and I left the meeting dejected and depressed.

He cited some bad experiences he had had with other African pastors. I could not blame him because he did not even know me. The dedication of
my church was thrown out of the window. However, after years of relating with him, he himself decided to come to Ghana at his own expense and dedicate my church.

There are also many other things I have asked him for which I easily receive. I just send an email and I get a positive answer from him.
I learnt the valuable lesson of not mentioning my needs at the beginning of a relationship or a discussion. Jesus taught us to pray after this manner or in this pattern. The pattern is clear; bring up your needs later on.
AFTER THIS MANNER THEREFORE PRAY ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

2. DO NOT ASK FOR OR MENTION YOUR DESIRES AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR INTERACTION.
When Esther, the Queen, went to see the king to make request for the lives of her people the Jews, she wisely used this time-tested strategy of talking to an important person. She did not immediately ask for her desires. She avoided the mistake that many people make when they desire help or assistance from a
great person. She did not ask the king for what she wanted until the second night of interaction.

She just stayed in his company, chatted with him and enjoyed his presence. On the second day, it was the king himself who began to press her to say what she needed and what she wanted. Read it for yourself:
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. And the king said again unto Esther on THE SECOND DAY at the banquet of wine, WHAT IS THY PETITION, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the
kingdom. Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: Esther 7:1-3

Avoid this great mistake of saying what you want at the beginning of your interaction with a great person. Many people have destroyed their relationships and ended their conversations with important people by asking for a laptop, a bicycle or even for money. If they had learned just how to talk with an important person without bringing up their needs or desires, they would probably have developed a strong close relationship and one day received their desires, anyway.

3. LEARN HOW TO GENUINELY TALK ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF THE GREAT PERSON.
If you talk about the greatness of a great person in a way that is not genuine, you irritate the great person. Great people can see through the words of a flatterer. We are to start our interaction with the Lord by thanking Him, honouring Him and praising Him. Every important person will warm up to you when you say
nice things to him.

One day whilst chatting with a rich man, I asked him whether he supported a political party. He laughed and said to me, “I once supported a political party and gave them a lot of money but I do not do that any more.” “Why not?” I asked He laughed and said, “Some years ago, some politicians came to me and spoke nice words to me. They told me I was one of the wisest people in the country.” Then he continued, “Being so foolish, I swallowed this story and believed that I was one of the wisest people in the country.

So I gave them a lot of money.” Nowadays, I do not believe whether they say I am the wisest, the most intelligent or most clever person in the world. I just do not give my money away.” You see, the politician had spoken wisely to this great man and told him nice things that he liked to hear. Everyone would like to hear that he is the wisest person in the country. The politician had learnt the art of talking to a great person. God is equally impressed when we approach him with praise, worship and honour that come from our hearts. Of course, God can see through hypocrisy and empty words.
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7).

Indeed, we must learn the art of coming to God with words of genuine praise and honour. We must tell the Lord words that we believe are true. We must enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. That is how to start talking to a great God – with thanksgiving, with praise and with honour.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4

4. LEARN HOW TO STAY COMFORTABLY IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IMPORTANT PERSON FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT BEING NERVOUS.
The ability of a person to stay in the same place with a great person without wishing to leave or checking the time is an important thing. Great people notice those who are fidgety and uncomfortable in their presence. No one wants to be “unwanted”. I do not want to be in the presence of people who do not want to be with me. I do not like being with people who are constantly looking at their watches and wishing for their time in my presence to end. You can learn to be comfortable in the presence of God by playing music or preaching messages.

These create an atmosphere which makes it possible for you to stay comfortably in the presence of God for a long time. Also, you can put on videos and play church services from the very beginning and to the very end. This creates an atmosphere where you can stay in His presence for even longer periods.

Somehow, you become more relaxed, less fidgety and less in a hurry to run out of His presence. God loves people who are not in a hurry to leave. God loves to talk to people who are not in a hurry to go somewhere else. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because
of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Psalms 37:7
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

5. LEARN HOW TO TALK TO THE IMPORTANT PERSON ABOUT THINGS HE HAS SAID OR WRITTEN.
If ye abide in me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:7
How impressive it is when you speak to someone who knows what you have said or written. Make sure you remind the important person about things that he has said by quoting statements he has made before.
You reveal your intelligence when you are able to play back the important person’s words. You reveal your understanding of
important wisdom. As an author, I am always impressed when I meet people who know what I have written and what I have said. The easiest way to get into conversation with an important person is to start talking about the many things that the important person has ever said.
I once spoke to a little girl in a church service to see if she could maintain a conversation with me. I was amazed as she quoted different things that I had said in the past. She quoted from my book on The Art of Hearing. She told me that I had written about twelve kinds of voices which were important for
every Christian. I was amazed at her knowledge of my different teachings. She kept talking to me for an hour and I warmed up to her because I was impressed that she knew me so well.
Jesus said, “If my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it will be done unto you.” The more you know about what God has said the more you will be able to speak to the Lord. The more you know about what God has said, the more you will be able to speak to Him intelligently and properly.

When you know the words that God has spoken, you will speak with the Lord according to His own words. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if
we ASK ANY THING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14-15

6. LEARN HOW TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT PERSON’S GREATEST PURPOSE AND GOALS IN LIFE.
In the natural, the purpose of most great people in this life hinges around things like business, politics and the events of theday. If you cannot talk to a great person about these subjects you are not likely to be able to stay for long in his presence.

In the same way, God has great interests. His great interests are His eternal work and His eternal purpose. The more you are able to talk to God about His eternal work and His eternal purpose, the more you will have to say in prayer. Matthew 28:18 encapsulates the great interest that the Lord Jesus has in the earth. His great purpose is saving all the nations by building churches, planting churches and teaching the Word
of God.

If you are involved in building the church, you will have a lotto talk to God about. You can be with Him for hours as you pray for His will to be done in the church. This is why pastors and those who work for God have more to pray about. If you want to improve your prayer life begin to work for God. The more you work for God, the more you will have to pray about. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus Christ spent three hours praying in the garden of Gethsemane for the will of God to be done. Anyone who works towards the will of God being done will spend hours in the presence of God. Jesus spent hours putting His life in the hands of God and entrusting Himself to the will of God. He was amazed that up and coming pastors like Peter and John could not do that for at least one hour. Peter and the other disciples were just
students.

They were not yet working for God. It is Jesus who was actively working for the Lord. That is why He could not sleep that night. The students slept but the worker stayed up and prayed to the Lord for three hours. This is the pattern you find all over the church. The workers pray and the members sleep! Are
you a worker? When you become a genuine worker you will pray for many hours.

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Matthew 26:40

7. LEARN HOW TO TALK ABOUT WHAT A GREAT PERSON LOVES.
Great people love different things. Some great people love soccer. Some great people love golf. Some great people love tennis. Many great people love money, stocks and bonds.
These things may not be the purpose of the great person in this life but he loves them and he loves to talk about them. If you have nothing to say about golf, you may not be able to sustain an interesting conversation with the great person. If you have nothing to say about business, politics, money, stocks and bonds,
you may have very little to say to the great person.
In the same way, there are things that God loves. What does God love? God so loved the world that He gave His Son. God loves sinners. God loves evangelism. You will have to learn to talk to God about the lost people in the world and the sinners that He came to die for.

People do not pray for long because they do not pray for souls
to be saved. They have no interest in souls and therefore they
have no interest in what God loves. Because of this, they are
unable to sustain a conversation with the Lord.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which
was lost.
Luke 19:10
People do not pray for long because they are not interceding
for those who are about to go to Hell and burn in the lake of fire.
All Christians who spend a long time calling on God for the lost
will have a lot to pray about and will spend hours in the presence
of God.
Abraham spent hours negotiating with God about the people
of Sodom and Gomorrah who were about to be burnt in the fire
of judgement. He was interceding for lost people. That is why
his prayer is recorded as one of the famous prayers in the Word
of God.
8. LEARN TO ASK FOR WHAT THE GREAT PERSON THINKS YOU NEED.
Do not ask for things the important person has no intention of doing. Do not waste your time asking for things that are clearly not in His will or plan. You must analyse and judge what you think is the great person’s wish and will for you. That is what you must ask for. Ask for what the great person thinks you need. That is what you will get. And then you will begin to get other things. We can glean the will and the wishes of God from the Bible. There are many things that are clear that

He wishes and wills for us. Those are the things we must spend our time asking for. It is far more productive to ask for things which are specifically laid out than to make strange requests which the great person has no intention of giving you.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 1 John 5: 14

Most rich and great people do not think that poor people need money! Most rich nations do not think that poor and developing nations need money per se. The presidents of America and Europe think that poor and developing countries need democracy and the rule of law more than anything else. They think that poor
nations need to do away with corruption.

They also think that poor nations need good education and good health. Have you not noticed that when rich countries are assisting poor nations they give help in specific areas? They help with elections, they help with education and they help with health. But they do not help by donating presidential jets and presidential
helicopters.

God does not think we need money too. God thinks that we need wisdom and the Holy Spirit. As you read through the Bible, you will discover that there are very few prayer topics that are given to us. These are the most important things to pray for. They are what God thinks we need. God thinks that we need the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to help and empower us. When you ask for these things you will receive them. When you ask for presidential helicopters you will not receive them.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:11-13

There are many reasons why Jesus told us to pray for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God and He will help us to live a supernatural, holy and upright life. Instead of wasting time to pray for things that will never be answered, let us start asking for things that can and will be answered.

Praying for wisdom and revelation is one of most important things to pray for. It is one of the prayers God will answer. It is one of the requests God is impressed by. This is one of the reasons why Solomon is considered to be wise. When God asked him what he wanted he asked for wisdom. Through wisdom he had everything else given to him. God was so impressed with his prayer topic that He gave him everything else that he did not ask for.

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and GOD SAID, ASK WHAT I SHALL GIVE THEE. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. GIVE THEREFORE THY SERVANT AN UNDERSTANDING HEART to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? AND THE SPEECH PLEASED THE LORD, THAT SOLOMON HAD ASKED THIS THING.

And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee And I HAVE ALSO GIVEN THEE THAT WHICH THOU HAST NOT ASKED, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 1 Kings 3:5-13