What prayer is?

The next discipline in the series Spiritual Discipline that I started last month is the discipline of prayer (You can read about the other articles here, here and here). One of the greatest privileges a Christian has is the ability to communicate with God. Prayer is a direct line to him. But in order to benefit from prayer, one needs to understand some of its fundamental characteristics. It is not an attitude or a meditative state but an act. Something we do. This conversation with God needs to be according to God’s will. To be engaged in prayer we need to know what God’s will is. We need to be changed so that we desire that which God desires. Prayer is the greatest privilege believers have but it is also, sadly, our greatest failure. Therefore, we need to know more about what prayer is and how to be more involved in it.

Why do we pray?

It is biblical

The Bible teaches us to pray. Paul writes that we should be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18). Here we read that prayer is to be an important part of our lives Some other relevant verses are Matt 7:7 and Heb. 4:16.

We are expected to pray. Jesus made this clear throughout his ministry. In fact, he, himself, was a praying man. For example, in Matthew chapter 6 we can see that Jesus assumes prayer in the life of his followers: “and when you pray,” (vs 5), “but when you pray,” (vs 6, 7), and “in this manner therefore pray” (vs 9).

In the epistles, also we find prayer to be a reoccurring theme. Colossians 4:2, “Continue steadfastly in prayer.” First Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” So, one of the reasons why we should pray is because it is a biblical mandate.

To avoid temptation

In Matt 26:41 Jesus warns, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We are weak and in need of constant provision from God in our Christian walk. Prayer seeks help but it also keeps our mind focused on holy things, thus decreases the chance to fall into temptation.

To work together with God

Paul writes in 1 Cor. 3:9, “we are God’s fellow workers.” Even though God can do it all without us, He chooses to allow us to be part of his work. This is another reason why we pray, so that we can be used by him.

For spiritual development

The believer is able to grow through prayer. Not just by experiencing God’s answer to prayer but even when the prayer is not answered, one can learn either how to persevere in prayer or to search his heart for anything that might have hindered God’s answer.

To express dependency on God

In John 15:5 Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Apart from God, we can do nothing. It is this realization that keeps bringing us to him.

Once we understand the grounds for prayer, the next question we need to tackle is how prayer can and should be expressed.

Types of prayer

Prayer is of different kinds. 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.” So, let’s briefly identify some of the most common types of prayer.

Corporate prayer

Several times we read in the book of Acts how in the early church “all joined together constantly in prayer” (1:14). Praying together fosters unity but it also displays to God an increased eagerness on various issues. Therefore, it is good for believers to pray together.

Petitionary prayer

This is the most common type of prayer. In the petitionary prayer we bring our requests to God. Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phi 4:6). We tell him about our needs while we recognize that only he can provide. Furthermore, we should accept that God knows better what we need, meaning he might say no or given us something else instead.

Intercessory prayer

This is prayer for others. In 1 Tim 2:1 we read that we are to “pray for all men.” Assuming we are not completely self-centered, we will include others in our prayers. This includes family members, friends, colleagues and even enemies, those who are not good to us. Some are in poor health, others are going through some rough time, while others need to accept Jesus as savior. We are not to limit our prayers to our needs only. We need to include others as well.

Thanksgiving prayer

We see another type of prayer in Philippians 4:6, namely thanksgiving, “With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Why should we be giving thanks? Because, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (Jam 1:17). We find many examples of thanksgiving prayers in the Psalms that inspire us to give thanks to God for all the things he provides.

So, we see the reasons for the discipline of prayer as well the different ways to express it. But even though it is rather clear just what a privilege prayer is, it is often neglected. We tend to struggle in this area. How can we achieve consistency and depth when it comes to prayer? What are some factors that facilitate this discipline?

Payer is learned

It is important to realize that prayer is something that is learned. This is why the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. He not only gave them a model for how to pray but taught them to pray always. So, if you want to improve your prayer life, here are some activities that will help you.

Practice it regularly

Like many other things, doing it regularly will not only make you committed to prayer but you will also experience improvement.

Meditate on God’s Word

Discovering riches in Scripture will lead to prayer of some sort.

Pray with others

Prayer is not so much taught but caught.

Read about prayers

Read about praying people and about principles in praying. There are a number of good books on this topic.

My hope is that you capitalize on this amazing privilege, that you will pray at all times. But remember, it is not about bending God’s will to your desires but about learning to ask him the right things, the things that he wants to give, things that are good for you.

Photo by Samuel Rios on Unsplash