Are you aware that the Bible mentions prayer more than 870 times – more than baptism, the Holy Spirit, heaven, worship, the church, and the Lord’s Supper? There seems to be a pattern of prayer in the Bible that should get our attention regarding our relationship with the Father. We are to communicate often with Him by reading His Word and through prayer. Prayer is not “saying prayers” but rather prayer becomes as natural as breathing as we draw closer to God. Jesus said “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32 NIV)
Therefore “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…” (Heb. 10:22a NIV)
Did you know that your Bible chronicles some 650 prayers and records answers to 450 of them? The Bible also records 10 major lessons on prayer by Jesus himself during His ministry. His disciples considered prayer training a must; as we see in this passage of scripture: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1 NIV)
Scripture doesn’t record the disciples ever asking Jesus to teach them to preach or teach them to heal or even raise the dead but they did ask Jesus to teach them to pray. So how important is it to learn how to effectively pray? It could make the difference in how many we take to heaven with us.
The following is just a suggested prayer guide from the scripture.
1. Pray for your enemies. Matthew 5:43-44 Luke 6:27-28
(Matthew 5:43-44 NIV) "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' {44} But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
2. Pray in sincerity. Matthew 6:5-8
(Matthew 6:5-8 NIV) "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. {6} But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. {7} And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. {8} Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
3. The Model Prayer. Matthew 6:9-15 Luke 11:1-4
(Mat 6:9-15 NIV) ""This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, {10} your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. {11} Give us today our daily bread. {12} Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. {13} And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' {14} For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. {15} But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
4. Ask and it shall be given. Matthew 7:7-12 I John 5:13-15 Luke 11:5-13
(Mat 7:7-12 NIV) ""Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. {8} For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. {9} "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? {10} Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? {11} If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! {12} So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
(I John 5:13-15 NIV) “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. {14}This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. {15} And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.”
5. Ask for workers Matthew 9:35-38 Luke 10:1-2
(Mat 9:35-38 NIV) "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. {36} When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. {37} Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. {38} Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."”
6. Pray as a group in unity, it can make a difference in eternity. Matthew 18:18-20
(Mat 18:18-20 NIV) ""I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. {19} "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. {20} For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.""
7. Pray for all nations. Mark 11:15-17 Matthew 21:12-13 Luke 19:45-46
(Mark 11:15-17 NIV) "On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, {16} and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. {17} "And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"" (Mark 11:17 NIV)
8. Always pray and don’t give up Luke 18:1-8
(Luke 18:1-8 NIV) "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. {2} He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. {3} And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' {4} "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, {5} yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" {6} And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. {7} And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? {8} I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?""
9. Humble yourself before the Lord. Luke 18:9-14
(Luke 18:9-14 NIV) "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: {10} "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. {11} The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. {12} I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' {13} "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' {14} "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.""
10. Prayer must be a way of life in order to be effective. Mark 9:28-29
(Mark 9:28-29 NIV) "After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" {29} He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.""
(John 15:7 NIV) "If you What Prayer Guide would Jesus give us today?
11. Believe, don’t doubt and forgive. Mark 11:20-25 Matthew 21:18-22
(Mark 11:20-25 NIV) "In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. {21} Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" {22} "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. {23} "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. {24} Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. {25} And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.""
12. Live a moral life and pray to the point. Mark 12:38-40 Luke 20:47
(Mark 12:38-40 NIV) "As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, {39} and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. {40} They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.""
13. Pray in Jesus name, obey His commands. John 14:13-14; v 15; 15:7; 15:16; 16:23-27
(John 14:13-15 NIV) "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. {14} You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. {15} "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 16:23-27 NIV) "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. {24} Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. {25} "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. {26} In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. {27} No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."
14. Pray to overcome temptation. Luke 22:31
(Luke 22:31-32 NIV) ""Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. {32} But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.""
15. God is seeking true worshippers. Psalm 95:6 John 4:23
(Psalm 95:6) “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
(John 4:23) “…True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The above prayer guide is just a beginning of the kind of prayer guide that Jesus might give us today. According to the author of Hebrews, Jesus exhibited fervent praying; “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears.” (Hebrews 5:7)
How is the church doing today regarding fervent prayer? How are you doing in your personal prayer life? If you need more encouragement on how to pray or why pray see this website:
http://www.calhounchurch.org/ and click on The School of Prayer and/or The College of Prayer for more help on the subject of prayer.
