13-PRAYER

Prayer is not a somber serious event that one does in formal clothing, but it is for me my communication with my father in heaven who is God. I do this both in known languages and in unknown tongues. It gets me access to and makes available to my life the very power that created heaven and earth.

“He will call upon me, and I will answer him… and show him my salvation” (Ps 91:15,16). The time we spend with the Lord in prayer can release the most dynamic, history-changing power this world has ever shown.

The Bible describes many different operations of prayer, but in this lesson we are going to look at prayer as an individual first. Our prayer as a Body together can only be as strong as our personal time with the Lord.

A. THE SECRET PLACE

“But when you pray, go into your most private room, and closing the door, pray to your Father who is secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you in the open” (Matt 6:6 amp).

We have been invited into intimate prayer by none other than the Lord Himself. This kind of “secret” prayer presupposes and ensures:

1. The Right Motives (Matt 6:5)
2. A Right Relationship With God As Father (Luke 11:11-13)
3. A Real Trust In The Lord (Ps 55:16,17)
4. A dispensing Of False Fronts (Mark 7:6,7)

As we express our feelings and burdens in conversation with God, it can be in the form of adoration (Ps 34:1-4), confession (1 Jn 1:9), request (Matt 7:7), or thanksgiving (Eph 5:4-20.

B. FIVE COMMANDS RELATED TO PRAYER

1. Watch And Pray Always

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (luke 21:36). See also Mark 13:35-37).

2. Pray Lest You Fall Into Temptation
   “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matt 26:41).
3. Pray for Workers
   “He told them. ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. As the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”‘ (Luke 10:2).
4. Pray For Those In authority
   ‘I urge, then, first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Tim 2:1,2).
5. Pray For Your Enemies
   “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28)

C. WHEN TO PRAY

The Bible gives many examples of people who prayed (1 Chr 4:10). Many of the heroes of faith can be observed to have had regular times of the day set aside specifically for prayer, often three set periods a day – at morning, noon and evening.

“As for me, I will call upon “God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning and noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Ps 55:16,17 kjv). See also Daniel 6:10.

The best example of a daily pattern of regular, whole-hearted prayer – prayer that avoided meaningless religious ritual – can be found in the Lord Jesus Himself:

1. Early In the Morning (Mark 1:35)
2. All Night (Luke 6:12)
3. Before Each Meal (Mark 6:41)

D. WHAT TO PRAY

1. For Ourselves
   “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain,’ And God granted his request” (1 Chr 4:10).
2. For One Another
   “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other …(Jas 5:16).
3. For The Ministries In The Body Of Christ
   “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured just as it was with you” (2 Ths 3:1).
4. For The Sick And Distraught
   “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray… is any one of you sick? He should call for the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up … pray for each other so that you may be healed…” (Jas 5:14-16).
5. For Those Ensnared By Sin
   “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life..” (1 Jn 5:16).

E. HELP IN PRAYER

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Rom 8:26).

Part of the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to teach us (Luke 12:12), guide us in prayer (Rom 8:27), and to help us in our faith (Eph 3:16, 17).

The Holy Spirit will sometimes anoint a believer’s prayer in a special way, and this is called “praying in the Holy spirit” (Jude 20; Eph 6:18).

To help us in prayer, the Holy spirit has also provided a special gift to the believer:

The Gift of Tongues – speaking in another language to the Lord in prayer. See 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

“… the prayer of the upright is his delight … He heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Prov 15:8,29 kjv).

F. YOKEFELLOW

Two joining together in prayer provides some very real advantages: “Again I say unto you. That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 18:19 kjv).

G. THE CHURCH PRAYING

If there is tremendous power when two people pray, what about the whole assembly of God’s people? See Acts 4:24.

Today God is calling His people to prayer! The Church’s mission is to change individual lives, families, communities, cities and nations through prayer!

MY COMMITMENT

Through this study I realize the wonderful opportunities of prayer – not only in my relationship with God, but also the supernatural results that follow. I commit myself to make prayer always a priority in my life.

Witness Ministries