A Closer Walk With God
The Practice Of Prayer
In our previous lesson, we discussed some Principles Of Prayer, such as:
Characteristics of acceptable prayer.
Obstacles to prayer.
Answers to prayer.
With a desire to encourage disciples of Jesus to be more diligent in praying, this lesson will offer suggestions as to The Practice Of Prayer...
When should we pray? Having "set times" to pray can help create the habit of praying. For example, consider the practice of:
David, whom God described as "a man after My own heart" - Psa 55:17 "Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice."
Daniel, whom the angel of God described as "O man greatly beloved" - Dan 6:10 "When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously."
These great men of God made it a habit to pray at set times throughout the day; we would do well to imitate their example. At the very least find some time each day to be alone with God in prayer. Early morning may be best for some or others might find it easier to be alone late at night. Which ever time you choose make it a special time to be alone with your Heavenly Father!
On the other hand, prayers should not be limited to "set times". Special needs call for special times of praying. Consider the examples of:
Jesus , praying on important occasions - Lk 6:12 "In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God."
Paul, praying in trying circumstances - Ac 16:25 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,".
Nehemiah - praying on the spur of the moment - Neh 2:4-5 "Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it."'
The goal is to "pray without ceasing" - 1 Th 5:17 "pray without ceasing,". Having "set times" will help develop the experience in praying. Praying "spontaneously" as needs arise will develop the disposition to pray in every circumstance (in other words, "without ceasing").
With whom should we pray? Jesus exhorted us to pray "in secret" - Mt 6:5-6 '"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Private prayer should occupy the largest portion of our total life of prayer. Consider the value of "secret prayer":
It forms a close union, communion and fellowship with God (it is just you and Him!).
It is a true test of your sincerity and devotion. You certainly are not doing it to please men (they can't see you). You can't be trying to falsely impress God (He will see right through you).
Your Father will reward you "openly" - Mt 6:6 "And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." -- Therefore, "private prayer" should be a priority!
Jesus also spoke of praying with "two or three" - Mt 18:19-20 "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."' The early Christians prayed together often...
In times of trouble - Ac 4:23-24 "When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,".; 12:5 "So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.", 12 "When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying."; 16:25 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,".
In times of departure - Ac 20:36 "And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all."; 21:5 " When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed".
A sweetness of fellowship and sense of strength comes when God's people pray together. -- Therefore, "praying with others" should be done as often as possible.
How should we pray? Jesus taught how to pray in Luke 11:1-4. The "Lord's Prayer", as it is commonly called, is a model, a guide for learning how to pray. A careful examination of this prayer reveals that proper prayer includes:
To "whom" we should pray ("Our Father in heaven").
Praising God ("Hallowed be Your Name").
Supplication for God's purposes ("Your kingdom come. Your will be done..."), for our physical needs ("Give us this day our daily bread"), for our spiritual needs ("Forgive us our sins..."), and for spiritual needs of others ("For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us"). He also stressed the importance of simplicity in our prayers - Mt 6:7-8 '"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
A helpful acrostic in learning to pray is "A-C-T-S".
A = ADORATION In other words, praising God. A good example of this is found in 1 Chr 29:10-13 "Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name." Spending time in sincere praise of God's greatness will help put us in the proper spirit of
humility.
C = CONFESSION In other words, acknowledging our sins before God. When we understand how sin can break the fellowship we have with God, we naturally desire its quick remission. Fortunately, as Christians we can be cleansed by the blood of Jesus as we confess our sins - 1 Jn 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
T = THANKSGIVING An important part of prayer, even those in which we are making requests - Ph 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." The benefits of giving thanks are many. Thanksgiving causes us to acknowledge God's existence, love, and care, reminds us of His goodness and helps to shift our focus from what we don't have to what we do have. The kind of things to be thankful for are the things we can see in our lives... Such as our health, family and friends, God's guidance, and answers to previous prayers. We can express our thanks for things we may not be able to see... Such as our adoption as His children, the forgiveness of sins, the hope of eternal life, and the assurance of His continued presence. God's people have every reason to be thankful, and to be known for "abounding in
thanksgiving" - Co 1:12 "To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father."; 2:7 "rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."; 3:15 "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."; 4:2 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
S = SUPPLICATION In other words, making requests of God - Ph 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." If we are faithful in including the first three (adoration, confession, thanksgiving), this last will prevent prayer from being simply a spiritual "shopping list". When we broaden our requests to include others, we enter into one of the most noble realms of prayer: intercession. Something which God wants us to do - 1 Ti 2:1"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,". Some examples of whom we can pray for and what we should pray are given in the next section as we continue this lesson.
