Prayer is simply communicating with God; a dialogue between two people who love each other—God and human. Prayer is much more than words—it is an expression of the heart toward God. It is the essential activity of waiting for God: acknowledging our helplessness and His power, calling upon Him for help and seeking his counsel. It is the highest and holiest work to which we can rise, yet so simple that even a child can pray. Praying does not fit us for greater work, it is the greater work.
God's promise concerning prayer
“We have such confidence in Him [God] that we are certain that He hears every request that is made in accord with His own plan. And since we know that He invariably gives His attention to our prayers, whatever they are about, we can be quite sure that our prayers will be answered” (I John 5:14-15, Phillips).
Remember that, as you bow in prayer, you are tapping an incredible source of power; God’s mighty power.
We should pray, primarily, because God commands us to “always pray and not give up,” (Luke 18:1). Obeying that command is an expression of our love for God, (John 14:5). We should also pray because it glorifies God (John 14:13); it is our line of communication with God (Jeremiah 33:3); and because Jesus, our example, made prayer a priority even though His day was filled from morning to night with many pressures and responsibilities.
It is a telling fact that Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, only how to pray. He didn’t speak much of what was needed to preach well, but much of praying well. As God’s children, we are invited to “approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need,” (Hebrews 4:16, Phillips translation).
1. Continually. (I Thessalonians 5:17)
There is a sense in which we should always be in an attitude of prayer, talking to God throughout the course of the day about everything.
2. A set-apart time. (Matthew 6:6)
There is another sense in which there should be a quiet time set aside each day for prayer. It is a time when we privately read God’s Word and talk to Him in prayer.
3. Group prayer meetings (Matthew 18:19-20)
Praying with others encourages us, builds our faith and creates a bond of fellowship and caring
There are certain basic elements which should be included in prayer. These elements can be easily remembered by the word “ACTS” which is composed of the first letters of the following words:
| Adoration: |
To adore God is to worship, praise, honor and exalt Him. |
| Confession: |
This involves being totally transparent with God, telling Him exactly how you feel and agreeing with Him about your sins. |
| Thanksgiving: |
Saying “thank You” to God is an act of obedience to His Word (I Thessalonians 5:18) and an expression of our faith in Him. |
| Supplication: |
This includes petition for our own needs and intercession for others. |
As we come to our Heavenly Father in prayer, we can pray with confidence if we follow four imperatives.
1. “Abide.” (John 15:7)
Abiding is simply walking in the Spirit with no sin unconfessed and with a spirit of total availability to God.
2. “Ask.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
If we expect answers to our prayers we must ask.
3. “Believe.” (Matthew 21:22; James 1:6)
God does not require us to have a great faith. We simply are to have faith in a great God.
4. “Receive.” (Matthew 21:22)
As we pray according to God’s Word and His will we can expect God to answer our prayer. We are to receive His answer by faith.
What should our posture be in praying?
As the following examples reveal, there is no particular posture prescribed over another for prayer. The examples show many positions during prayer; all in an attitude of reverence and worship.
Joshua 5:14
“Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence.”
II Samuel 7:18
“King David…sat before the Lord, and he said…”
I Kings 8:22
“Solomon stood…spread out his hands toward heaven.”
II Chronicles 6:13
“He [Solomon] knelt down…and spread out his hands toward heaven.”
Psalm 28:2
“I [David] lift up my hands.”
Mark 11:25
Jesus is speaking, “When you stand praying.”
Luke 22:41
“He [Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them [Peter, James, John], knelt down and prayed.”
What hinders effective prayer?
Some of the hindrances to effective prayer, according to the Bible, are praying with wrong motives (James 4:3), un-confessed sin (Isaiah 59:1-2), anything or person that takes the place of God as the supreme object of our affection (Ezekiel 14:3), an unforgiving spirit (Mark 11:25), wrong relationships between husbands and wives (I Peter 3:1-7), and stinginess (Proverbs 21:13).