Steps to Peace With God

Step 1 god’s plan—peace and life

God loves you and wants you to experience His peace and life.
The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV).

Step 2 our problem—separation

Being at peace with God is not automatic, because by nature we are
separated from God. The Bible says: “For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Step 3 god’s remedy—the cross

God’s love bridges the gap of separation between God and you.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He
paid the penalty for your sins. The Bible says: “[Jesus] Himself bore
our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins,
might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed”
(1 Peter 2:24, NKJV).

Step 4 our response—receive christ

You cross the bridge into God’s family when you receive Christ by
personal invitation. The Bible says: “But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name” (John 1:12, NKJV).

To receive Christ, you need to do four things:

1. Admit your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.”
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose
from the grave.
4. Pray and invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life
through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as your Lord and Savior.)
When you make this commitment, you become a new creation in
Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and a part of His family (John 1:12).

Here is a suggested prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a

sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins
and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come
into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and
Savior. In Your Name, Amen.”

If you’ve made a new commitment to Christ or would

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SER290
 (1 Thessalonians 5:17). So fervent and so
direct were the prayers of Jesus that once
when He had finished praying, His followers
Learn how turned to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray”
(Luke 11:1). They knew that Jesus had been
to pray in touch with God, and they wanted to have
with power: such an experience.

The Power of Prayer

Understand the
effectiveness of prayer From one end of the Bible to the other is
Learn how to pray from the record of those whose prayers have been
Christ’s example answered—those who turned the tide of
Have confidence that history by prayer; those who fervently prayed,
your prayers are heard and God answered. Abraham prayed, and so
long as he prayed, God did not destroy the
city of Sodom where Abraham’s nephew Lot
lived (Genesis 18:20–33).
Hezekiah prayed when his city was
threatened by the invading armies of the

P
rayer is natural. We were fashioned in
the beginning to live a life of prayer, Assyrians under the leadership of Sennacherib,
but sin has built a barrier between us and the entire army of Sennacherib was
and God. As someone has said, “Prayer is the destroyed and the nation was spared for
highest use to which speech can be put.” another generation—because the king had
prayed (2 Kings 19:15–37).
Today many people regard prayer as a
venerated tradition. We have no sense of
coming to grips with God; we simply use
prayer as a formality. Yet how can we go on
We can change the
unless there is a renewed emphasis on prayer? course of events if we
Thousands of people pray only in times of
go to our knees in
great stress, danger, or uncertainty. Christ
believing prayer.
instructed His followers always to pray
Elijah prayed, and God sent fire from Heaven we go to our knees in believing prayer. Jesus
to consume the offering on the altar he had Christ told us of the joy in Heaven when one
built in the presence of God’s enemies sinner turns from sin to God (Luke 15:10)
(1 Kings 18:17–40). Elisha prayed, and the and breathes the simple prayer, “God, be
son of the Shunammite woman was raised merciful to me, a sinner.”
from the dead (2 Kings 4:17–37).
Jesus prayed at the door of the tomb of
Christ’s Example in Prayer
Lazarus, and the one who had been dead When the disciples came to Jesus and said,
for four days came forth (John 11:1–44). “Lord, teach us to pray,” the Savior answered by
The thief prayed, and Jesus assured him giving them His model petition, the Lord’s
that he would be with Him in Paradise Prayer. However, it was only part of His
(Luke 23:39–43). Paul prayed, and churches sacred instruction. In scores of passages,
were born in Asia Minor and in Europe Jesus Christ offered further guidance and a
(Acts 9:11–31). Peter prayed, and Dorcas series of lessons on prevailing prayer. Jesus
was raised to life to have added years of had only three years of public ministry, yet He
service for Jesus Christ (Acts 9:36–42). was never too hurried to spend hours in prayer.
John Wesley prayed, and revival came to How quickly and carelessly, by contrast, we
England. Jonathan Edwards prayed, and pray. Snatches of memorized verses hastily
revival came to Northampton, spoken in the morning, then we say goodbye
Massachusetts, where thousands of people to God for the rest of the day until we rush
joined the churches. Events have been through a few closing petitions at night. This
changed time after time because of prayer. is not the prayer program that Jesus outlined.
Jesus pleaded long and repeatedly. It is
recorded that He spent entire nights in
Too often we use fervent appeal. But how little perseverance
petty petition ... and persistence and pleading we show!
rather than the cries The Scripture says, “Pray without ceasing”
of our inmost being. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV). This should
be the motto of every follower of Jesus
Christ. Never stop praying, no matter how
What a glorious thing it would be if millions dark and hopeless your case may seem.
of us would avail ourselves of the privilege of A woman once wrote me that she had been
prayer! We can change the course of events if
pleading for 10 years for the conversion of Too often we use petty petitions, oratorical
her husband but that he was more hardened exercises, the words of others, rather than
than ever. I advised her to continue to plead. the cries of our inmost being. Too often,
Then some time later I heard from her when we go to prayer, our thoughts roam.
again. She said that her husband was We insult God by speaking to Him with our
gloriously and miraculously converted. lips while our hearts are far from Him.
Suppose she had stopped praying after only Suppose we were talking to a person of
10 years? prominence, would we let our thoughts
Our Lord frequently prayed alone, separating wander for one moment? No, we would be
Himself from every earthly distraction. I intensely interested in everything that was
would strongly urge you to select a room or said. How then dare we treat the King of
corner in your home where you can regularly kings with less respect?
meet alone with God. That quiet, secluded,
soul-to-God praying in which you come to the Praying for Others
mercy-seat can be your greatest blessing.
Jesus teaches us for whom we are to
As we observe the prayer life of Jesus, we intercede. How startling His instructions
notice the earnestness with which He prayed. and His example! He tells us to “pray for those
The New Testament records that in who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). In other
Gethsemane He cried out with a loud voice, words, He says to pray for our enemies. We
that in the intensity of His supplication He are to plead for our enemies, asking God to
fell headlong on the damp ground of the lead them to Christ and for His sake to
Garden, that He pleaded until His sweat forgive them.
became “like drops of blood falling to the ground”
In the first words that Jesus uttered from
(Luke 22:44).
the cross after the heavy nails had been
hammered through His hands and feet, He
interceded for His crucifiers, saying, “Father,
Quiet, secluded,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”
soul-to-God praying (Luke 23:34). How many of us have ever
in which you come to spent time praying for our enemies?
the mercy-seat can be We are also told in Scripture to pray for the
your greatest blessing. conversion of sinners. I listened to a
discussion of religious leaders on how to
Prayer Essentials
communicate the Gospel. Not once did I
hear them mention prayer. And yet I know Do not put your will above God’s will. Do
of scores of churches that win many converts not insist on your way. Do not dictate to
each year by prayer alone. If there is a God. Do not expect an immediate answer in
person of our acquaintance who needs the way, the place, and the manner that you
Christ in his life, then we need to start are demanding. Rather, learn the difficult
praying for him. We will be amazed at how lesson of praying as the sinless Son of God
God will begin to work. Himself prayed: “Not My will, but Yours, be done”
(Luke 22:42, NKJV).
Our Confidence in Prayer Many of you have never come to know Jesus
Christ so that you can pray in His Name.
One more lesson that Jesus teaches is the
The Scripture says that the only mediator
victorious assurance that God answers every
between God and man is Jesus Christ
true petition. Skeptics may question it, deny
(1 Timothy 2:5). You must know Him, and
it, or ridicule it. Yet here is Christ’s own
you must pray in His Name. Your prayers
promise: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
must be directed according to the will of
you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done
God, and the Holy Spirit will do that
for you” (John 15:7, NKJV). We need to trust
for you.
that promise. Our Father possesses
everything, and He “shall supply all [our] need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 4:19, NKJV). Let His Holy You must know Him,
Spirit help in our prayer life just as He
promised in Romans 8:27: “He makes intercession
and you must pray
for the saints according to the will of God” (NKJV). in His Name.
With God nothing is impossible. No task is
too arduous, no problem is too difficult, no
If you do not know how to pray, start now
burden is too heavy for His love. The future
by saying, “God, be merciful to me, a
with its fears and uncertainties is fully
sinner.” Ask God to forgive all your sin,
revealed to Him. Turn to Him, and say with
transform your life, and make you a new
Job: “He knows the way that I take; when He has tested
person. He can do it now in answer to your
me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10, NKJV).
 prayer. That simple, direct prayer will 3 Pray Like Christ
open new horizons of spiritual victory for In Jesus’ prayers in the Bible, He ultimately
you and add a new dimension to your life. prayed that the Father’s will would be
accomplished. He submitted Himself to the
Father’s desires and purposes for His life and
actions. When we pray like this, we can be sure
that God will hear and answer our prayers.
Moving Forward
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that
Here’s how you can have a if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
more powerful prayer life: And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we
know that we have the petitions that we have asked of
Him” (1 John 5:14–15, NKJV).
1 Come in Jesus’ Name
In order to communicate with God in prayer, you
must have a relationship with Him. The Bible
makes it clear that we can only know the Father
through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). To
learn how you can know Christ personally, please
read the “Steps to Peace With God” on the back of
this pamphlet.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
2 Be Purposeful and Persistent
When You Pray
Praying is not repeating the same phrase, like a magic
formula, until you get what you want. Prayer is simply
talking to the personal, living God; therefore, you
should pray with sincerity, expressing the true
concerns of your heart. God also wants you to come
to Him in prayer often.
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless
otherwise noted. ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are
taken from the New King James Version. ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
their many words” (Matthew 6:7, NKJV).
©1989 (revised 2001, 2004, 2006) Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails Originally published in Decision magazine, May 1989
much” (James 5:16, NKJV). Printed in U.S.A. 44983