Prayer
Discipleship Lesson 4
Matthew 6:9-13: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.13 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.
The Doctrine of Prayer
1) Prayer is asking
To “pray” to God means to request things from God (see John 16:24). The term “pray” is synonymous with making a request (e.g., Genesis 18:3; Joshua 2:12). God has sovereign control over the world (I Chronicles 29:11-12; see also Acts 4:28), so he has the ability to hear and answer our prayers (Psalm 65:2). Beyond this, God is pictured as being exceedingly eager to hear what we will ask him (Isaiah 65:24; see also Daniel 10:12-13). Not just anyone can present supplications before the Almighty God, though—only those in Christ can “come unto the Father” (see John 14:6). We have a great privilege in prayer as our instant access to the “throne of grace” to “find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16; see also Romans 5:2).
Matthew 7:7-8: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
2) Prayer is a commandment
In many places of the Bible, God commands us to pray (e.g., Matthew 26:41; Mark 13:33; Ephesians 6:18). Jesus says, “when ye pray” (Matthew 6:7), not “if ye pray.” Both the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8) and the Parable of the Friend at Night (Luke 11:5-8) illustrate that we should have a continual prayer life. Jacob wrestled with Jesus all night, and would not let him go until he blessed him (Genesis 32:24-26), an allegory that we should pursue an issue until it is resolved by continual prayer. Jesus is our example in all things, and he frequently prayed to God the Father (e.g., Luke 6:12; John 11:42).
I Thessalonians 5:17: Pray without ceasing.
3) Prayer is effective
“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). God has answered many prayers of his children all throughout the Bible (see Psalm 34:4), from the effectual request of Hezekiah for divine help against Sennacherib’s host (II Kings 18:17-19:37, esp. 19:15-20) to the fervent pleas of the early church at Jerusalem for Peter’s prison-release (Acts 12:3-17, esp. v. 5). A big reason many Christians do not get things they desire is because they just don’t ask (James 4:2). Another reason is that their prayers are only made to fulfill their sinful, carnal desires (James 4:3), praying covetous, greedy, or double-hearted prayers. As long as a Christian prays according to the will of God, and is in right standing before God, their prayers to God have significant power (see also I John 3:22). By praying, we obey God’s injunction to “take hold of my strength” (Isaiah 27:5).
I John 5:14: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
John 15:7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
The Method of Prayer
Where to pray. There is no physical place where God expects Christians to pray; God is concerned with the spirit of our prayers (John 4:20-24), not their location. However, we should make the majority of our prayers alone. Jesus often “departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35; see also Matthew 14:23; Luke 5:16). When we do pray with others, our prayers should be short and humble, and not long and haughty (Matthew 23:14; see also Luke 18:9-14)—prayer is not a show for others, nor is it a time to display our knowledge.
Matthew 6:5-6: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
When to pray. While the time of day or time of duration that we pray is variable, we should make time each day for prayer. The prophet Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10), Paul prayed at least twice a day (I Thessalonians 3:10), and the twelve apostles prayed many times throughout the day (Acts 3:1; 6:4; 10:9). The best prayer times are in the morning and evening (Isaiah 26:9)—especially the morning (Psalm 5:3; 88:13)—but we should also pray throughout every day many “silent prayers” as we go about our tasks (Nehemiah 2:4; see also I Samuel 1:13).
Psalm 55:17: Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
How to pray. In general, you should pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not wrong to pray to Jesus (see Acts 7:59), but the usual format should be to the Father (see John 16:23-24). To pray “in Jesus’ name” means to pray in his authority. We should make sure that our prayer is something that Jesus himself would want us to pray, something that he would approve of. Jesus daily makes intercession for us to the Father (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25), as does the Holy Spirit, even when we don’t know what we should pray for as we ought (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit can give us zeal and wisdom to pray as we ought as well, if we ask for his help (see Luke 11:13). This is what it means to pray “in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20), to pray under the guidance and power of the Spirit, not to ramble incoherent babblings (which they wrongly call “tongues”), like the Pentecostal unbelievers.
Your prayers should be spontaneous (from the heart), just like when you talk to your earthly father. You should not use vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7-8) or rehearsed statements. Do not pray to or through human beings (Matthew 4:10)—like “Mary”, “the saints”, etc.—and do not pray for or to dead people (Deuteronomy 18:11; 26:14; see also II Samuel 12:22-23).
One practice we can implement to give more focus and power to our prayers (“fastings and prayers,” Luke 2:37; Acts 13:3; 14:23; I Corinthians 7:5) in a time of great desire/need is to couple our prayer with fasting (see Judges 20:26; I Samuel 7:6; II Samuel 12:16, 22; II Chronicles 20:1-4; Ezra 8:21-23; Jonah 3:5). Though it is never commanded, Jesus does provide advice on how to do it (Matthew 6:16-18), and even expects it to be done (Matthew 9:15). To “fast” literally means to abstain for a certain period of time from food (see Matthew 15:32/Mark 8:3; Acts 27:3; II Corinthians 11:27). The time period is variable (e.g., 3 days, Esther 4:16; 40 days, Matthew 4:2). The main idea is that, in fasting, we let go of the physical for a short time so that we can more zealously cling onto the spiritual.
There are a variety of postures you could assume while you pray (e.g., I Chronicles 17:16; Nehemiah 2:4; Mark 11:25), but when you have your daily time of prayer by yourself, it is a good practice—at least, at times—to pray on your knees. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psalm 95:6). Many godly men in the Bible prayed on their knees (I Kings 8:54; Daniel 6:10; Acts 9:40; Ephesians 3:13, cf. Acts 20:36).
What to Pray For
Pray FOR WISDOM. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). God wants to give us knowledge and wisdom (see Jeremiah 33:3). We should daily pray for wisdom from God in all areas of life (see Psalm 25:5). God once appeared to king Solomon and gave him the opportunity to ask for whatever he desired; Solomon simply asked for wisdom (I Kings 3:5-12).
Psalm 119:18: Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psalm 119:73: Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
Pray FOR FORGIVENESS AND WHEN TEMPTED. If a Christian is living in sin, their prayers will be hindered (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 28:9; I Peter 3:12). A believer cannot lose their salvation (John 10:28), so we don’t pray to be forgiven of our daily sins to go to heaven, but so that we can be in right relationship with God (Matthew 6:12; cf. Luke 11:4; I John 1:9). God will not answer the prayers of a disobedient Christian, just like parents will not answer the requests of their disobedient child. Temptation to sin can always be escaped (I Corinthians 10:13), so we should pray for God to deliver us from sin and temptation (Matthew 6:13; 26:41).
Isaiah 59:1-2: Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Pray FOR PHYSICAL NEEDS. Even though God promised to provide our physical needs when we seek him first (Matthew 6:25-33), Jesus taught us to daily pray for our needs (Matthew 6:11), which could range from the food we eat to an illness we have. Jacob called God “the God which fed me all my life long unto this day” (Genesis 48:15). We should always give thanks for our food (Matthew 26:26; Luke 24:30; John 6:23; Acts 27:35; I Timothy 4:4-5) and health (Psalm 103:3).
Psalm 37:25: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Pray WHEN EMOTIONALLY DISTRAUGHT. “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me” (Psalm 120:1). There will be many times in life where we will become anxious, worried, fearful, sorrowful, angered, or even depressed. You should spend time in prayer, “casting all your care upon him” (I Peter 5:7; see also Psalm 62:8), just like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-39).
Philippians 4:6-7: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Pray FOR OTHERS. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (I Timothy 2:1). Spend time praying for other people when you pray, not just yourself. You can pray for your friends/family, for your brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 6:18), for the unsaved, for the ministry of others (Matthew 9:38), etc.
Colossians 4:12: Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
I Samuel 12:23: Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you…
Pray ABOUT IMPORTANT DECISIONS. “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war” (Proverbs 20:18). Never make important decisions without first praying about the decision. Consulting God first resulted in many good decisions (e.g., I Samuel 23:7-13; Acts 1:15-26), and not doing so resulted in many bad decisions (Joshua 9:3-27). Jesus prayed all night before choosing the twelve apostles (Luke 6:12-13). God cannot direct our lives if we don’t pray about things (see Isaiah 30:1-2). Before you move there, matriculate here, take a job today, marry someone tomorrow, etc., you should pray about it. Don’t hasten to make foolish, unadvised decisions (see Proverbs 19:2). Sin in haste, repent in leisure.
Proverbs 5:23: He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Tips for Praying
- Have a prayer time. Set aside at least one regular time each day to pray. Be like David, who said, “I give myself unto prayer” (Psalm 109:4). Rejoice and thank God for all the things he has done for you recently, and then make requests. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2; cf. Daniel 6:10; Philippians 4:6).
- Construct a prayer list. Regularly make new lists of things and people to pray for so that you can remember what to pray for, and not forget.
- Offer effectual and fervent prayers. “…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). An “effectual” prayer is an effective/specific prayer. The more specific you can be—and the less vague/general—the more likely your prayers will be answered. A “fervent” prayer is a fervent/meaningful prayer. The more zealous and heart-felt you are as you pray, the more likely your prayers will be answered.
- Inform your prayers. Learning the Bible encourages and informs your prayer life. Men of God often quote the Bible in their prayers (Ezra 9:10-12; Daniel 9:13; Acts 4:25-26). You should also spend time praying through the Bible (e.g., the Psalms and Proverbs), reading a few verses and praying through whatever thoughts come to mind.