Prayer
Read this if you want to improve your prayer life
1. What's prayer all about?
Prayer = Spending quality TIME with our Creator:
We don’t say to our family: ‘I love you, but I’m not going to spend any time with you’.
It’s the same with God - we can’t say that we love Him, but not spend quality time communicating with Him.
It’s a wonderful privilege to be able to spend time in prayer with God!
2. Benefit of spending time with God
The more time we spend with someone --> The more we become like them:
In how we think, speak & behave.
So the more time we spend with God --> The more we’ll become like Him:
In how we think, speak & behave.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ Pray without ceasing.
--> In our everyday thought lives, we should always aim to be conscious of God, and therefore deepen our relationship with Him.
3. Joshua
Exodus 33:11 ~ And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
And he (= Moses) turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle.
Q - Whom did God choose to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land?
A - Joshua. (Deuteronomy 1:38)
Q - Why Joshua?
A - Because he CHOSE to spend a lot of time with God.
4. Modern examples
God greatly used the men below to extend His Kingdom on earth.
They’re not perfect & no doubt made mistakes - but we can still learn from their pattern of prayer:
John Wesley:
‘I resolve to devote an hour morning and evening to private prayer, no pretence or excuse whatsoever.’
His biographer (W H Fitchett) wrote: ‘All the other hours of the day took calmness, serenity and strength from those two sacred hours’.
David Wilkerson (The Cross & the Switchblade, Teen Challenge, Times Square church) followed his father’s advice:
‘God always makes way for a praying man’.
Angus Buchan
Prays for five hours / day (as recounted by his friend Malcom Hedding).
Benny Hinn:
Led large evangelistic healing meetings starting at 7pm.
From 2pm --> 7pm he would lock himself into a room to spend time with God.
No-one was allowed to disturb him during these five hours.
God would then move powerfully in the meetings.
Colin Urquhart:
Had a revival in the 1970’s, at the church he pastored in Luton (UK).
By lunchtime each day ‘had spent three hours with the Lord’.
Yonggi Cho:
Founding Pastor of one of the largest churches in the world (in South Korea).
Prayed for three hours each day --> Gave him peace for everything he needed to do that day.
When he started as a Pastor, he didn’t have much to do because his church was so small - so he prayed for five hours every day.
Q - Does prayer work?
A survey showed that:
Country Pastors pray / day % Believers
UK 15 mins 2%
S. Korea 90 mins 40%
If we want to see results like these - we need to spend significant amounts of time in prayer.
‘Much prayer' --> 'Much power’.
Anyone can do it - all that's stopping us is:
A lack of self-discipline.
When we give a higher priority to less important activities.
5. Why else should we pray? Three reasons
Reason #1 - JESUS dramatically demonstrated HOW IMPORTANT prayer is
Matthew 21:12-13
12And Jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple,
and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Jesus was angry because the people had neglected prayer.
They’d used the house of prayer for other activities.
--> If Jesus reacted like this - then prayer really is important!
Further reading
Isaiah 56:7
Mark 11:15-17 / Luke 19:45-46
Reason #2 - We can ALL pray
God gives some ministries (e.g. Pastor) to only a few people.
But we can all pray & make a difference - just like the prayers of ordinary people brought revival to the Outer Hebrides in 1949.
Reason #3 - Jesus wants to INVOLVE US in His plans
Luke 10:2 ~ Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few:
pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.
Q - Does God want people to be saved?
A - Yes, but He also wants us to pray for more Evangelists.
Q - Why?
A - Because God wants us to WORK WITH HIM to extend His Kingdom.
God can easily do anything He wants to.
But He designed His Kingdom to INVOLVE US.
Illustration
It’s like when teachers want their pupils to pass an examination:
The teacher could sit the exam in the pupil’s place and receive a 100% pass.
But then the pupils wouldn't need to learn anything themselves.
To learn - the pupils need to be involved and to do things for themselves.
In the same way - God wants US to be involved in His work, via prayer.
Otherwise we’ll never learn, nor grow spiritually.
Further reading
1 John 5:14
6. Prayer = Calling on the name of the Lord = Asking God to help us
The first mention of ‘Calling on the name of the Lord’ explains its meaning:
Genesis 4:26 ~ And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Enos in Hebrew = ‘Man: suggesting weakness & mortality’.
The corresponding Hebrew verb 'Anas' = 'To be weak'.
As 'weak humans' - we can’t do everything on our own.
But we CAN call on God - who can do anything!
It’s like we can’t lift a heavy load on our own.
So we have to call on others to help.
Elijah ‘Called on the name of the Lord’ on Mount Carmel:
1 Kings 18:24 ~ And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD:
and the God that answereth by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken (= what you say is good).
Elijah couldn’t make fire come from heaven.
So He called on the name of the Lord - and God responded! (1 Kings 18:36-39)
Q - Why do we pray: ‘In the name of Jesus’ ?
John 14:13-14
13And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.
A - We’re acknowledging that:
We’re weak.
But Jesus can do anything - so we’re calling on Him to help us.
(When the Authorised / King James Version of the Bible was published - the words ‘ask’ & ‘pray’ had the same meaning.)
Further reading
Genesis 13:4, 21:33, 26:25
Exodus 14:10 / Deuteronomy 26:7-8 / Joshua 24:7
1 Samuel 7:7-10
2 Samuel 22:4 & 7
2 Kings 5:11
1 Chronicles 4:10, 16:8
2 Chronicles 18:31
Psalms 4:1, 18:3 & 6, 20:7-9, 22:5 & 24, 34:6, 44:5, 50:15, 55:16-17, 56:9, 57:2-3, 80:18, 81:7
Psalms 86:3-7, 91:15, 99:6, 105:1, 107:6, 13, 19 & 28, 116:3-4, 13 & 17, 118:5, 120:1, 124:8
Isaiah 12:4, 64:7
Jeremiah 29:12, 33:3
Lamentations 3:55
Joel 2:32
Jonah 1:14-16
Zephaniah 3:9
Zechariah 13:9
Acts 2:21, 9:13-14
Romans 10:13
1 Corinthians 1:2
7. What should we pray about? Here are two patterns we can use
Pattern #1 - T.O.M.
T = THANK God
Daniel 6:10 ~ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house;
and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem,
he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed,
and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime (= previously).
--> Daniel thanked God three times a day.
Before we ask God for something NEW - we should THANK God for what He’s ALREADY DONE for us.
Otherwise we’re like ungrateful children asking for something else - without thanking their parents for what they've just been given.
Further reading
1 Chronicles 16:8, 34-35 & 41; 29:13
2 Chronicles 31:2
Nehemiah 11:17, 12:24, 27, 31, 40, 46
Psalms 18:49, 35:18, 50:14, 75:1, 79:13, 92:1, 95:2, 97:12, 100:4, 105:1
Psalms 106:1 & 47, 107:1, 118:1 & 29, 119:62, 122:3-4, 136:1-3 & 26, 140:13
Jeremiah 30:19
Daniel 2:23
Luke 17:12-18
Ephesians 1:15-16, 5:20
Philippians 4:6
Colossians 1:3 & 12, 2:7. 3:17, 4:2
1 Thessalonians 1:2, 5:17-18
2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2:13
1 Timothy 2:1
Philemon 4
Revelation 11:16-17
O = Pray for OTHER people
2 Thessalonians 1:11 ~ Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling,
and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power.
Further reading
Acts 12:5
Romans 1:9
2 Corinthians 1:11
Ephesians 1:15-16, 6:18
Philippians 1:4
Colossians 1:3 & 9, 4:12
1 Thessalonians 1:2
1 Timothy 2:1-2
2 Timothy 1:3
Philemon 4
M = Pray for MY needs (i.e. for your own needs)
Philippians 4:6 ~ Be careful for nothing (= do not be anxious about anything);
but in everything by prayer and supplication (= asking God for something)
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
RECAP:
T = Thank God
O = Pray for Others
M = Pray for My needs
Should we ASK other people to PRAY FOR US?
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
1Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
--> If PAUL asked people to pray for him - it makes sense for US to also ask!
Further reading
Ephesians 6:18-19
Colossians 4:2-3
1 Thessalonians 5:25
Hebrews 13:18-19
Pattern #2 - The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is structured like a sandwich:
Beginning about - God
Middle about - us
End about - God
Matthew 6:9-13
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed (= holy / sacred) be Thy name.
10Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
--> Verses 9-10 are about God.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts (= what we owe for doing wrong), as we forgive our debtors.
13aAnd lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
--> Verses 11-13a are about us.
13bFor Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
--> Verse 13b is about God.
Word-count for this prayer pattern which Jesus gave us:
28 words are about us.
37 words are about God.
--> There’s more about God than about us.
--> Compare this with how we usually pray!
8. Praying on our own
We MUST include a personal prayer time in our DAILY ROUTINE:
Pray every day - like we get dressed / clean our teeth etc. every day.
Otherwise our personal prayer time will be pushed out by other, less important activities.
Further reading
Acts 10:1-2
Sometimes we may need to be ‘anti-social’ to spend time alone with God.
Just like Jesus always made sure that He had time & space for His personal prayers - away from the crowds & busyness of the day:
Mark 1:35 ~ And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Mark 6:45-46
45And straightway He constrained (= made) His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people.
46And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray.
Luke 5:15-16
15But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Him (= the news about Him was spreading even further):
and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
Further reading
Matthew 14:23
Luke 6:12
9. Praying with others
A. It works
Acts 4:31 ~ And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Billy Graham said: “The secret of a successful crusade is prayer, prayer, prayer.”
I was in a ministry involved in evangelism, which was organised into local groups:
Most groups held monthly (or no) prayer meetings.
A few groups held weekly prayer meetings - these groups were much more successful in their evangelism.
Further reading
Matthew 18:19-20
Acts 12:5-12
B. We pray together to communicate WITH GOD - not with other people
Luke 20:46-47
46Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets,
and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms (= places) at feasts;
47Which devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
--> God doesn’t like it if we pray to show off to other people.
--> Nor do we have to pray the same way as others or in a ‘religious’ way:
God’s only interested in what we say from our hearts.
It's like when we receive a letter - it’s the contents which count, not the envelope.
Further reading
Matthew 6:5
C. If we’re LEADING a prayer meeting
Make sure that everyone who WANTS to pray, has the OPPORTUNITY to pray.
Otherwise they may not come to the next prayer meeting!
Here are four different ways to do this
Everyone prays at the same time.
Split a large group into smaller groups.
Take it in turns e.g. in a clockwise direction around the room.
Ask everyone to keep their prayers short, to give others time to pray.
As John Newton (author of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’) wrote:
‘It is better that the hearers should wish the prayer had been longer, than ... wishing it was over’.
Further reading
Ecclesiastes 5:2-3
Remind folks that it’s a prayer meeting - not a: discussion group / Bible study / preaching session.
We’re there to talk to God and to hear from Him!
10. How to increase the effectiveness of our prayer life
A. Pray FERVENTLY and with FAITH
James 5:16-17
16… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (= is powerful & effective).
17Elias (= Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are (= he was a man just like us),
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of (= for) three years and six months.
Illustration
My elderly mother needed to move:
Her house was on the market for nearly two years - unsold.
But all the other nearby, similar houses were selling quickly!
After I changed my ‘usual’ prayers for ‘fervent’ (= desperate!) prayers - her house sold within a few days.
Further reading
1 Samuel 1:9-20
2 Chronicles 32:20-22
Matthew 21:18-22
Luke 18:35-43, 22:44
Colossians 4:12
1 Thessalonians 3:10
B. Live lives which are PLEASING TO GOD
1 John 3:22 ~ And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
We’re not saved by living a good life.
And we can only be made righteous by accepting that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.
But it does appear that living a Godly life increases the effectiveness of our prayers.
Further reading
Genesis 35:1-5
Deuteronomy 23:9
2 Kings 20:1-6
Psalm 34:15 & 17
Proverbs 15:8 & 29, 28:9
Isaiah 16:6 then 12; 59:2
Jeremiah 11:9-14
Ezekiel 8:17-18
Micah 3:4
Zechariah 7:8-13
John 9:31, 15:7 & 16
James 5:16
1 Peter 3:12
11. How does God respond to our prayers?
Yes.
No.
No answer / nothing happens.
1. Yes
Abraham’s servant prayed to find the right wife for Isaac:
Genesis 24:14-15
14And let it come to pass, that the damsel (= girl) to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also:
let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
15And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out,
who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
Verses 16-20 then explain that Rebekah did exactly what Abraham's servant had prayed for.
Sometimes - as with Abraham’s servant - God answers our prayers INSTANTLY.
Like when we talk to someone - and the other person answers straight back.
For example - we may ask God to guide us & He immediately gives us a Bible verse or a picture showing us His answer.
Further reading
Numbers 11:2
Psalm 138:3
Daniel 2:23, 9:21-23
2. No
God's in charge.
We can’t twist His arm / force Him - He’s much stronger than us!
God said ‘No’ when Moses asked to enter the Promised Land:
Deuteronomy 3:25-27
25I (= Moses) pray Thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
26But the LORD was wroth (= angry) with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me,
Let it suffice thee (= that's enough); speak no more unto Me of this matter.
27Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward,
and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
--> God also told Moses to stop praying for this.
God also said ‘No’ to Paul:
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
7And lest I (= Paul) should be exalted above measure (= become haughty) through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice (= I pleaded with the Lord three times), that it might depart from me.
9And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
--> God knew what was best for Paul.
--> Even if Paul didn’t like it.
If God said ‘No’ to Moses & Paul - we shouldn’t get upset if He says ‘No’ to us!
It’s like when children want lots of chocolate - the parents say ‘No’ because they know what’s best for their kids.
Further reading
Matthew 26:36-46 / Mark 14:32-42 / Luke 22:39-46 (Jesus in Gethsemane)
3. No answer / nothing happens - what should we do then?
Luke 11:1 & 5-8
1And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples
.…
5And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (= his persistence) he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Q - Why did the man receive the loaves?
A - Because he was PERSISTENT.
Q - So what should we do if God doesn’t answer?
A - KEEP praying until He DOES answer.
Illustration
It’s like waiting a long time in a phone queue to a Call Centre:
We don’t know how long it will be before someone answers.
If we hang up - we may have been connected 5 seconds later!
So if God says ‘No’ - we should STOP praying for that, like:
Moses had to stop asking God: to enter the Promised Land.
Paul had to stop asking God: to remove the thorn in his flesh.
But if God DOESN'T say ‘No’ - we should KEEP praying.
Q - Why does God sometimes not answer our prayers straightaway?
A - He wants to see how determined we are.
Illustration
It's like a recruitment selection panel, assessing how much someone wants a job - by seeing how much effort they put into completing the application form & preparing for the interview.
Further reading
Isaiah 62:6-7
Luke 18:1-7
Acts 12:5
Ephesians 6:18
Colossians 4:2
12. Finally
Believing in prayer, but not praying - is like having electricity in our home, but never using it.
Psalm 91:15 ~ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
The hymn below - written by Joseph M. Scriven in 1855 to comfort his sick mother - is a great summary of prayer.
So let’s keep praying & see what God does!
What a friend we have in Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Are we weak and heavy-laden
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee
Thou wilt find a solace* there
* Solace = Comfort or consolation in a time of distress / disappointment / sadness.
Amen