A Life of Prayer
John
15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.
James 5:13-18 The Prayer of
Faith
13 Is
anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing
songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the
elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in
the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will
make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned,
they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each
other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah
was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not
rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.18 Again
he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
There are many different purposes and ways of prayer, however this book confine to learning how to pray effectively for others.
The Bible lists at least
nine main types of prayer: prayer of faith (James 5:15),
prayer of agreement (also known as corporate prayer) (Acts
2:42), prayer of request (also known as petition or
supplication) (Philippians 4:6), prayer of thanksgiving (Psalm
95:2-3), prayer of worship (Acts 13:2-3), prayer of consecration (also
known as dedication) (Matthew 26:39), prayer of intercession (1
Timothy 2:1), prayer of imprecation (Psalms 69), and praying
in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).
Matthew 6:6 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.
Misunderstood about prayer; why pray if we have a closed universe and God knows everything already? Changing God's will?
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Prayer is communicating with God, practice, exercise our prayer muscle. Start from praying for small things.
God wants to have a
relationship with us. We are given several different types of prayer in the
Bible. What is important is that we have the relationship with the Lord through
prayer in the way He desires. Spend time studying God’s Word
He hears our prayers and He answers them with wisdom, empathy, and compassion. Sometimes those answers come in very direct, concrete ways, but other times they come more subtly, through impressions, promptings, or feelings of peace. We can go to our Father with desperate questions, with humble confessions, or with gratitude; we can pray to better understand Him and His plan for us.
Quiet our heart and
tuning to God (hear, know, obey) surrounded with faith.
Pray with
opening with a phrase
like “Dear Heavenly Father” and closing with words such as “In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.” We can show reverence by praying with bowed heads, folded
arms, and closed eyes.
Prayer is among the most valuable gifts we
receive as spirit children of a loving Heavenly Father.
Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup
from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
One of the most critical aspects in learning to pray for others is to get in contact with God so that his life and power can flow through us into others.
1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Success in the small corners of life gives us authority in the larger matters. Not faith but compassion.
If the idea is accompanied with a sense of dread, then probably you should set it aside. God will lead someone else to pray for the matter.
But Jesus taught us to come like children to a father. Openness, honesty, and trust mark the communication of children with their father.
As with meditation, the imagination is a powerful tool in the work of prayer. Imagination often opens the door to faith.
Example 1; pray once a day for thirty days for this marriage. (Pray with imagination, faith, and compassion) (1 Thessalonians 5:17
Example 2; pray with a little boy for his baby sister's
sickness. (Pray like a child)
Example 3; pray for our own children. (Blessed is the
child who is blessed by adults who know how to bless!)
Example 4; flash
prayers / swishing prayers, the coincidences occur much
more frequently when he prays. (We must never wait until we feel like praying before we pray for
others.)
Pastor pray while our
serving at rehabilitation center.
Peace of mind is one of
the answers of prayer.
“I want a life of greater, deeper, truer prayer.”
