Prayer

 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer . . . “  1 Peter 3:12

How would you define prayer? Is it a conversation with God? What is involved in that conversation – confession, praise, asking, thanksgiving, and listening? Where do we get our instructions about prayer and where do we get our examples?

Webster’s Dictionary includes in its definition of prayer that it is:

Ø      a reverent petition made to a deity or other object of worship;

Ø      the act of making such a petition;

Ø      any act of communion with God such as a confession, praise, or thanksgiving; and

Ø      a specially worded form used in addressing God.

Before we can understand what prayer means in our lives, we need to look at what the Bible teaches about prayer.

A large portion of the Bible is occupied with the subject of prayer. There are 108 references to the words ‘prayer’, ‘prayers’, ‘pray’, ‘praying’, and ‘prayed’ in the concordance of the NIV study Bible. This shows us the sacred importance and necessity of prayer. We see it in the lives of individuals in both the Old & New Testaments. If we do a Bible search we can see what kind of people prayed and what they were praying for.

Old Testament Examples:

Ø      Deuteronomy 4:7 – “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?”  The Israelites always had access to the Lord in prayer. GOD IS NEAR

Ø      I Samuel 1:27 – “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.”  Hannah had promised if God would bless her with a child, then she would dedicate that child to the service of the Lord – that child was Samuel.

GOD SOMETIMES GIVES US WHAT WE ASK

Ø      Jonah 2:1 – “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depth of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.”  GOD LISTENS TO OUR CRIES FOR HELP

Ø      Daniel 6:10 – “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened to Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”  GOD WANTS US TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIM just as Daniel was faithful, even though he knew it was against the decree issued by the king. Daniel’s faithfulness to God would get him thrown into the lion’s den.

Ø      Psalm 5:2 – “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” This is just one of many instances in the Psalms where David poured out his heart to God in praise, thanksgiving, petition, or fear. To “wait in expectation” implies that GOD WILL ANSWER.

New Testament Examples:

Ø      Acts 16:25 – “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” 

GOD HEARS US NO MATTER THE TIME OR CIRCUMSTANCES

Ø      James 5:13-16 – “Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord . . . The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”      

o        GOD IS WITH US IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

o        WE SHOULD PRAY FOR THE SICK

o        OUR PRAYERS ARE POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE

Ø      Romans 15:30 – I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.      

WE SHOULD PRAY FOR OTHERS.

Ø      1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

o        PRAY ALWAYS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES – IT IS GOD’S WILL

o        THANK GOD FOR EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE WHETHER GOOD OR BAD

The Bible also gives us the perfect model in Jesus Himself as a “pray-er”. The following Scriptures tell about Jesus praying:

Ø      Luke 5:16 – “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Ø      Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”

Ø      Matt. 26:36 – “Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  v. 39 – “Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed.”

Ø      John 17:

o       vs. 1-5 – Jesus praying for Himself;

o       vs. 6-19 – Jesus praying for His disciples;

o       vs. 20-25 – Jesus praying for all believers – This prayer is for every one who will trust in Christ as Savior.

These Scriptures tell us that it was a regular practice for Jesus to get alone and talk with His Father. Not only did He pray for Himself, but He also interceded for others.

We know that Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray.

Ø      Luke 11:1 – “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray . . . ‘”

So what does all this mean for us? How do we take what the Bible teaches and put it into practice in our everyday, hectic lives – family, job, church activities, school, friends, ministry, etc.?

Is it easy to find time, much less a quiet place, to pray every day? What are your struggles in this area?

It is helpful for me to have a particular place to pray, although that might change from time to time or depend on circumstances. I use a notebook or journal to jot down prayer requests, answers to prayer, and ways God is speaking to me. Sometimes I write out my prayers, especially when I might not be in a setting where I can pray out loud.

Is prayer something we even think enough about to place on our daily schedule? If we don’t ‘schedule’ a quiet time, how likely are we to have one?

How often should we pray? 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tell us to “pray continually”.

Do we pray alone or with others? Just as we need that alone time with the Father, there are also times when having a prayer partner can be a great source of encouragement and accountability. Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.”

Prayer is a conversation between you and God, a relationship between you and your Creator. God desires our fellowship. He wants us to love Him with all our being, and He wants us to know and experience His love and Presence. Revelation 3:20 says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”

That is a very powerful and comforting thought – Jesus is waiting for us to call on Him!!

There are two acrostics I find helpful in reminding me ‘how’ to pray:

“PRAY”                                              

Praise – respond to God’s attributes    

Repentance – confess your sins

Ask – express your desire to have God meet your needs

Yield – obey what He tells you

“ACTS”

Adoration – telling God how much you love Him

Confession of sin – naming your sin and agreeing with God about it

Thanksgiving for all God has done for you

Supplication – asking humbly for ourselves and others

A love relationship with God is where effective prayer begins. If you don’t know Christ as your Lord and Savior, I would invite you to ask Him into your heart.

Each of us will have to search our own hearts concerning prayer and what God would have us do. But I can say from personal experience that my time with God every morning enables me to get through the day.

He is my:

v      Redeemer – God loved me so much He sent his ONLY Son to die for my sins. Galatians 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

v      Rock – no matter what happens, He cannot be shaken. Isaiah 26:4 – “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”

v      Fortress – He protects me. 2 Samuel 22:2 – “The Lord is my rock my fortress and my deliverer.”

v      Comfort – He wraps His loving arms around me when I am sad or discouraged or have suffered a loss. Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

v      Peace – I can rest in Him when circumstances are not good or when I don’t have the answer to a problem. John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.”

v      Friend – He loves me for who I am – and in spite of all my faults. HE created me and God doesn’t make junk!! I don’t have to walk alone. John 15:14, 15 – “I no longer call you servants . . . Instead, I have called you friends . . .”

v      Strength – through Him I have the strength and power to withstand the enemy; I have the strength through Him to make it through tough circumstances. 

Psalm 18:1 – “I love you, O Lord, my strength.”

v      God is Near –

o        James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

o        Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord.

WITHOUT HIM I AM NOTHING!! I could not make it through a single day without the Lord beside me. He is ALL I need – I am complete in Him. I belong to Him – I am His child. He cares for me. He loves me better than anyone because He knows me inside and out. He never disappoints me even when I let Him down, and I often let Him down. He desires for me to draw near to Him in prayer. Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

He is as close as the air we breathe.

I would encourage you to “draw near to God” daily – in praise, adoration, thanksgiving, confession, petition (asking), and that you yield your heart to  God’s desires for you.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” That means to hold nothing back. God knows it anyway, but he loves to hear us tell Him about it!!

God is waiting to hear from you!