* PRAYING GOD’S WILL
* HINDRANCES TO PRAYER
* PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
* PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
* JESUS IS PRAYING FOR US
* SIMPLY TALK TO GOD
Prayer is communication with the triune God—Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. It is based on a relationship with Him. We get that relationship by believing in or having faith in Jesus.
Belief in Jesus needs to be emphasized because most people pray, but their prayers mean nothing (unless it is a crying out to God to know Him) because they do not know Jesus: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6
If we have faith in Jesus, we will walk in obedience to Him. In order to walk in obedience to Him, we need to be able to hear His voice. Although He speaks to us in everything (Psalm 19:1-4 Proverbs 1:20-33; 8) the best way to know His voice is to study His Word the Bible and pray. Prayer is the privilege of talking to the God who created the universe and of whom everything is possible: “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 Again and again Jesus promises to answer our prayers.
God has said that He will give us anything we ask for if it is His will: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 We are required to know that he hears us: If we know Him and believe that He hears us and know that we are praying His will, we can be confident we will receive what we have asked for from Him.
Usually God’s will is easy to discern, especially if it stated clearly and often in the Bible. However, sometimes His will is hard to fathom: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Romans 11:33
Much of prayer is changing our hearts so that we can pray God’s perfect will. Continuing on in Romans will tell us how to find His perfect will “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 If we completely surrender our lives to God, we will be able to know and pray His perfect will. He promises to answer whatever is His will.
Paul’s prayers are excellent examples praying God’s will. For instance, we know we are praying God’s perfect will when we pray Ephesians 3:14-21.
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:21-23
A requirement for answered prayer is “…if our hearts do not condemn us…” 1 John 3:21 If we know there is something we are doing wrong, that sin will separate us from God, and we will not be able to pray His perfect will. We do not see clearly to pray specifically so He can answer in a specific way.
If we “obey his command and do what please him” we will have power in prayer.
As has already been stated we need to “believe in the names of his Son, Jesus Christ…” Otherwise we are not God’s child and cannot expect Him to hear us. Another implication in this verse is that we need “…to love one another…” in order to be praying God’s will. We may in the right concerning our dealings with another person, but it is necessary to have love as the motive. We need to love God and to love other people in order to have our prayers answered.
One hindrance to prayer is a poor relationship with others: “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you in the gracious gift of live, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” 1 Peter 3:7 If we do not treat others with love and respect, our prayers can be hindered. One of His commands required in knowing that He answers our prayers is “…to love one another…” 1 John 3:22
Offering our gift at the altar can be a symbol of prayer: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 We need to be reconciled to an offended brother or make plans to do whatever is in our control to be reconciled before we will see clearly to pray God’s will.
If we are continuing in a sin, God may not answer our prayers: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…” Psalm 66:18
Sins separate us from God: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 We cannot hear His voice, and He will not hear ours. Perhaps we ask for something, but we cannot receive it because of a sin or sins on our part.
When Israel fought Jericho God told Joshua that everything was to be destroyed. After defeating Jericho the city of Ai was to be their next conquest. It was decided that only a small number was needed to defeat Ai. They were confident they would win with God’s help. They lost. Joshua and the elders tore their clothes and fell before God is supplication. God said the reason they had lost the battle was because Achan had stolen and hid some of the plunder taken from Jericho. When that matter was dealt with, Ai was defeated. Later the Israelites remembered the consequences of rebellion: “When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’ " Joshua 22:20 God refused to answer prayer because of sin.
We can ask that if there is any sin on our part that is hindering our prayers in a certain area, that God would clearly reveal it to us. It would be His will to reveal the sins that affect our relationship with Him. Perhaps that may take some time if the sin is so ingrained that it requires a major change, but He will reveal our sin in His time.
All that is necessary if there is sin in our lives is for us to confess our sin and repent or turn from that sin: “Then I acknowledge my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18 Praying in the Spirit means knowing that God hears us.
Praying in the Spirit can also mean praying in a heavenly language where our spirit talks directly to the Holy Spirit. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is very important for a depth to prayer. This is because sometimes we do not know how to pray, but praying in the Spirit lets our spirit be in such connection with the Holy Spirit that we can pray for things we might not otherwise consider: “And in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 “The relationship between the Holy Spirit and God the Father is so close that the Holy Spirit’s prayers need not be audible. God knows his every thought.” NIV Study Bible
We are to pray without ceasing: “pray continually;” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 One way to do this is to “…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 Are we thinking about a situation that way that Christ would have us think? If we know Him, we can know what He is thinking, although an immature believer can deceive himself: “But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 Are we asking His direction and obeying what we know He wants? The benefit includes “perfect peace”: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 This can be one of the gauges to know that we are praying continually.
God wants us to continue to pray. He wants us to pray until we have a victory in each situation—that we have achieved His will: "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5
A passage about courage and perseverance could be applied to prayer: “The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!" or, "I will be murdered in the streets !"” Proverbs 22:13 The importance of this passage makes it worth repeating in the Bible: “The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"” Proverbs 26:13
I had a paper route that I was considering quitting because of dogs that might bite me. After reading this passage I realized I was afraid of DOGS that MIGHT bite me, and a SLUGGARD was one who was afraid of a LION or that he might be MURDERED. I didn’t want to be called a sluggard, especially by God. I continued my paper route and praying for protection. He never failed me.
Remember that we are fighting powerful forces, and sometimes it will take great perseverance: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
Jesus also prays for us: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31 What a comforting thought—that Jesus is praying for us!
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25
“ My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1
Prayer is simply talking to God. It is most effective when there is nothing to separate our communion with Him. Then we need only to pray His will and know that our request is granted: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7