WHAT IS PRAYER

The Bible has many things to say about the subject of prayer. Prayer is talking to God. It is our
way of communicating our thoughts, needs, and desires to Him. It is an avenue that God has
provided for the believer of making known the deepest feelings of our heart.

 Prayer Is an Act
Prayer is an act, not merely an attitude. This can be seen by the way the Scripture
speaks of people praying.

He [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and after He had finished, one of His disciples said to him,
Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught His disciples (Luke 11:1).

Notice it says that Jesus was praying and then He finished praying. This means that
prayer is an act. You begin it and you finish it.
 Asking God
The main idea behind prayer is petition, asking God for things. Jesus said:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be
opened (Matthew 7:7,8).

WHO WILL WE PRAY FOR

One another – James 5:16; Romans 1:9

We have the responsibility and privilege to fight for one another through the medium of prayer. We
should bring one another’s needs – especially the need for physical and spiritual healing – before the
Father. Brothers and sisters should love another enough to pray for one another.

Pastors and spiritual leaders – Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 4:3

We should pray for our pastors and spiritual leaders. Pastors/spiritual leaders need God’s wisdom to
discern the right opportunities to preach the gospel boldly. As a pastor, also I need God’s people to pray
that God would strengthen me to endure temptations and discouragement. We should pray for
pastors/spiritual leaders because they are charged to care for our souls. If pastors and spiritual leaders
go, so goes the care for our souls.

The sick – James 5:14-15

The Bible encourages us to pray for the sick. One of God’s names is Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals.
We have the privilege of bringing sick people before a holy and mighty God to ask for divine and
immediate healing. We cannot and should not demand, but humbly ask, believing he can and will. He is
sovereign. He can either say yes or no. Praying for the sick demonstrates our faith in a God who can do
the impossible.

Political leaders – 1 Timothy 2:1-3

We have a responsibility to pray for, not prey on our political leaders. No matter your political affiliation,
if you are a Christ-follower, you are commanded to pray for political leaders. We should ask God to give
them wisdom, strength, endurance, patience and integrity. If we berate our political leaders, then I
believe we grieve the Holy Spirit, and we should repent. Whether they realize it our not, God uses
political leaders to secure our religious freedom.

Our enemies – Matthew 5:44; Acts 7:59, 60

Jesus says we should pray for our enemies. Now, praying for people who hate us is a difficult one for all
of us. Why should I pray for someone who hates me and desires to injure me? Well, aside from it being a
value of living in the Kingdom of God and our obedience to Jesus, forgiving and praying for our enemies
is mysteriously tied to God forgiving and blessing us.

Israel – Psalm 122:6; Isaiah 62:6-7

As of the writing of this post, I am in Israel, helping to lead a study tour. The more I learn about Israel,
the more I am convinced of God’s sovereign plan and protection for his people. Out of all the nations,
God chose insignificant Israel to be his people. She should have been wiped off the map by the
Assyrians, Babylonians and the Persians, but God has spared her. Though she rejected God, He still has a
special place in his heart for her. Pray that Jews in Israel will repent and surrender to Jesus as Lord and
Messiah. Israel will play a significant role in the second coming of Jesus. Hence, we should pray for the
peace Israel, especially Jerusalem.

Everybody – 1 Timothy 2:1

Paul gives believers this command so they wouldn’t leave anyone out. Praying for everybody includes
family members, neighbors, teachers, friends, and anyone else in our orbit.

Ourselves – Genesis 24:12; Matthew 14:30; Luke 23:42

It is perfectly fine to ask God to bless us, give us success, save us, remember us, direct us, guide us,
protect us. So, yes, we can pray for ourselves, asking God to bless us with a spouse, a new house, a
different job, guidance, and wisdom. When we pray for ourselves, let’s make sure we are praying like
James instructs us – with the right motives (James 4:3).

 1 John 5:16
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and
God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that
leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.

 John 17:15
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil
one.

 James 5:13
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of
praise.
  Matthew 5:44
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

CONTENT OF OUR PRAYER

In Jesus model for how his disciples should pray (Luke 11:1-4), he provides five areas of focus: That
God’s name be honored – the focus on his everlasting glory (“Father, hallowed be your name”); that
God’s kingdom come – the focus on his eternal will (“your kingdom come”); that God’s provision is given
– the focus on our present (“Give us each day our daily bread.”); that God’s forgiveness is granted – the
focus on our past (Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.); that God’s
deliverance will be provided – the focus on our future.

LORD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYER

 Psalm 102:17
17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.

 1 John 5:14
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his
will, he hears us.

 1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will
he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the
requests that we have asked of him.

 James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

 John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for
you.

 Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear

 Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

 John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and
that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to
you.
 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing,

 Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be
moved.

 Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be
yours.

 Matthew 21:21
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not
only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up
and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let
you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of
escape, that you may be able to endure it.

 Psalm 37:4-5
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to
the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

 Micah 7:7
But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

 Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 Psalm 50:15
And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
  James 5:13-18
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone
among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing
him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and
the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess
your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and
he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on
the earth. ...

 John 14:14
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

 Matthew 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

 Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be
opened.

 John 5:30
“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my
own will but the will of him who sent me.

 Matthew 6:9-13
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil.

Although prayer can (and should) be done from any bodily position, the Bible lists five specific postures:
Sitting (2 Sam 7:18), standing (Mark 11:25), kneeling (Chronicles 6:13; Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60,
9:40, 20:36, 21:5; Ephesians 3:14), with one’s face to the ground (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:35), and with
hands lifted up (1 Timothy 2:8).

9 TYPES OF PRAYERS

The Bible lists at least nine main types of prayer: prayer of faith (James 5:15), prayer of agreement (also
known as corporate prayer) (Acts 2:42), prayer of request (also known as petition or supplication)
(Philippians 4:6), prayer of thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2-3), prayer of worship (Acts 13:2-3), prayer of
consecration (also known as dedication) (Matthew 26:39), prayer of intercession (1 Timothy 2:1), prayer
of imprecation (Psalms 69), and praying in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).