Effective Communication With God – Prayer

Lesson 4

The objective of this study is to emphasize the necessity of prayer in sustaining our relation to God.  In the Scriptures, God speaks to us.  In prayer, we talk to Him.  To learn how to pray is important for every Christian.  It is not something you just automatically know how to do (Luke 11:1).  The disciples, themselves men of prayer, recognized something peculiar about Jesus’ prayers when compared with their own.  The teaching of Jesus as well as the multitude of fervent prayers by faithful men and women recorded in the Bible will help us to know how to pray as we ought.

I.    Some General Thoughts On Prayer.

A.  Communication With God Is Designed For Us To Make Our Needs And Desires Known.

1.   While God knows our every thought and need better than we do ourselves, His desire is for us to communicate our needs to Him anyway.  Some benefit for us must be present when we express our innermost thoughts to God.  An expression of faith is always beneficial to the Christian.

2.   We have both physical and spiritual needs about which we should make requests to God, Matthew 7:7-11; Philippians 4:6,19.

3.   Only through prayer are the sins of a Christian forgiven, Acts 8:22; 1 John 2:1.

B.  The Frequency Of Our Prayers – How Often Should I Pray?

1.   The following passages suggest habitual communication with God:  Ephesians 6:18; Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

2.   Prayer needs to be a regular part of my life.  Despite busy schedules, we must relegate less important matters below prayer.  A day without prayer is a day of trouble for the Christian.

C.  Some Conditions Of Prayer – The Requirements Of Effectual Praying.

1.  Petitions must be asked in faith, James 1:5-8.

2.  Prayer must be coupled with humility, Luke 18:9-14.

3.  The spirit of obedience and submission must accompany our prayers, 1 John 5:13-15; James 4:3.

4.  A willingness to forgive others must also be present, Matthew 6:12-15.

5.   A certain physical posture is not important.  While bowing our heads and closing our eyes is most often done today, God has not prescribed any specific physical posture for prayer.

6.   Eloquence is not a requirement.  God has not limited prayer only to those who can speak well.

II.       The Content Of Effective Prayer.

A.  Prayer Must Be Addressed To God.

1.   Whether mentally or verbally, when prayer is offered it is to be directed toward God, Matthew 6:9.  Only He can completely provide for the welfare of our souls.

2.   While not a necessity, many Bible prayers began with an expression of praise,
1 Chronicles 29:11.

B.  My Prayer Must Express The Desires Of My Heart.

1.   In Romans 10:1, Paul spoke of his “heart’s desire” in relation to prayer.

2.   God wants us to unload the cares of our hearts in prayer, 1 Peter 5:7.  Whatever burden or concern we might have for anything is a reason to lift our eyes toward heaven,
1 Peter 3:10-13; Psalm 34:12-16.

C.  Types Of Praying.

1.   Supplication – earnestly making request of God to supply our needs.  Christians should find it necessary to petition God for strength, courage and wisdom in the daily affairs of life, John 14:14; 15:7

2.   Thanksgiving – expressing gratitude for the blessings we have from God,
1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Timothy 1:12.

3.   Intercession – prayer on behalf of others, 1 Timothy 2:1-4.  In John 17:6-10, Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples.

4.   Confession – acknowledging our sin, Psalm 51; Daniel 9:8; Ezra 9; Nehemiah 9;
Luke 18:13.

5.   Any given prayer may contain one or all of these types of prayer.  Prayer is not designed to follow a certain formula, but to simply aid us in maintaining a right relationship with God.

D.  Prayer In Jesus’ Name.

1.   Jesus authorized disciples to pray in His name, John 14:13-14; Colossians 3:17.

2.   We pray in His name because He is our intercessor, advocate or mediator, 1 John 2:1; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25.

3.   This does not mean that every part must contain the phrase “in Jesus’ name” to be an effective prayer.  Praying in His name is done by praying according to His will or instruction, not whether we verbalize this phrase.

E.  Saying “Amen” When Concluding A Prayer.

1.   “Amen” was the common closing of Bible prayers.  In Hebrew, “Amen” meant truth.  It served as a strong affirmation that what was being spoken was true.  Often, it is said to mean, “so be it.”

2.   While it is not a requirement for effective prayer, it is helpful in public prayer to use this common closing.  Our saying of “Amen” during prayers and teaching should be understood as an agreement with something truthful that was stated.

III.     Prayer – A Spiritual Blessing We Enjoy As God’s Children In Christ

A.  The prayers of those who have not been baptized into christ are of no effect in providing forgiveness of sins, John 9:31; James 5:16.

B.  Only those who have been born into god’s family are able to address god as “father,”
John 8:44; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 1:3.

Conclusion:  Living in a faithful relationship to Christ, we know God always hears and heeds our prayers.  While we may not understand why we must pray or how prayer works, God has assured us that our prayers are for our benefit and they are pleasing to Him, James 5:16; 1 John 3:22.

Questions:

1.   What does it mean to pray according to the Lord’s will?

2.   What are some specific times and places where prayer would be most appropriate?

3.   What might be the benefits of confessing our sins to God even though He already knows what they are before we ever confess them?

TRUE or FALSE

         1.   Prayers should only be prayed when we find ourselves in trouble or difficulty.

         2.   Saying, “in Jesus’ name, Amen” is not necessary in order for God to hear our prayers.

         3.   If you know you have committed a sin, you can only receive forgiveness when someone else prays for you, especially if it is a sin that was committed publicly.

         4.   We should not thank God for material prosperity since money is the root of all evil.

         5.   The physical posture we are in as we pray is not nearly as important as our mental posture.

 

Page last revised January 19, 2008 by Bob Sarrett.