Prayer Principles
Prayer is simply communicating with God. This can be through spoken words, written words, tongues, meditation, or song.
God desires us to talk to Him and prayer is one way of doing so. Prayer is not for us to selfishly ask God for things, but to honor and glorify God by spending time with Him.
Prayer is a command of God and is to be practiced both in public and in private. Such a command brings those that have the spirit of prayer into great intimacy with God. Prayer will ensure great things from God, both for the person that prayed and for those who are prayed for.
Many people think of prayer as being a one way communication. Yet prayer can and should be both ways, with us also listening to what God has to say. God can speak to us through the Bible, through others, through circumstances, but especially through His Holy Spirit. God can place specific words and thoughts in our minds and at times speaks to us in an audible voice.
Through prayer we actually experience a relationship with God. The quality of our prayer life determines the quality of our relationship with God.
Prayer is talking with God. Prayer is listening to God. Prayer is enjoying the presence of God.
Prayer can take many forms such as worship, confession, thanksgiving, praising, asking for things, waiting silently and listening. Prayer is not simply saying words. It is not repeating formulas. God is looking for a heartfelt relationship.
We pray because we love God. We spend time with God in prayer and communion because we love Him. Just as a man and woman in love desire to be together and communicate, so we desire to be with Him and to fellowship with Him in proportion to our love for Him.
We pray because we depend on God. God is our source. Through prayer we receive the comfort, the strength, and all the other resources that we need in life both naturally and spiritually. We need to pray because God commands us to pray.
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” – Colossians 4:2
Jesus prayed constantly and was always in perfect communion with the Father. He always knew what the Father wanted, what the Father was saying, and what the Father was doing.
The Call To Prayer
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
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God’s people have a responsibility to acknowledge their sins and repent. If we want to be reconciled to God we need to be in right standing with Him.
In the above context, God is speaking only to His people. That places an enormous responsibility on believers because they carry the seed of healing for their entire nation.
When unbelievers see disasters come upon them they can cry out and they will want God to hear them. But unlike true believers they have no assurance that God will hear them. Clearly this promise does not belong to them.
Promises are the backbone of the believer and shape the whole character of the church. God's promises reveal the way He has promised to work with His people. Through Jesus Christ we now know on what basis God can forgive His people their sins.
This promise applies to all believers today and if we follow these instructions we can release a spiritual revival in the church and in our nation.
The prerequisites are:
• We need to be a people called by His name
• We need to humble ourselves
• We need to pray
• We need to seek His face
• We need to turn from our wicked ways
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All these steps are necessary and can only happen in this order.
Be bold
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16
This passage of Scripture is a priestly expression used in the Old Testament for priests in their approach to God. Only certain people had this privilege. But now we who are in Christ can all draw near to God in worship and prayer.
All believers have the priestly privilege of access to God. This can be done boldly without fear or rejection. We have freedom to approach God without hesitation or inhibition because of the blood of Jesus.
Have a secure place to pray
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:6
Make sure you have a place to go where you can pray in private without any hindrances or interruptions. Christians who do not have a prayer room usually do not pray. I once moved from a large house to a very tiny one. The result was that I had no private place to go for my prayer time and my prayer life suffered. This caused me to grow lukewarm towards God and as a result my finances began to suffer.
Also make sure there are no distractions like cell phones, etc. Having worship music playing in the background sets a very good atmosphere for prayer. Also make sure that you do not go into your prayer room without your Bible because it is the living seed of God.
Build a structured prayer life
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” – Matthew 6:7
It is important to take a prayer book with you when you pray. This is suggested for the following reasons:
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• To ensure that you avoid vain repetitions when praying
• To ensure that you include everyone and everything when you pray
• To ensure that your prayer time is consistent and effective
• To keep a record of prayer requests
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Include a prayer structure with all the relevant passages of Scriptures in a prayer book. Write down your prayer requests in your book and make sure you write in the dates as well. Have a column where you can record the date that your prayer was answered.
I also have all my prophecies written down in my prayer book which reminds me of God’s promises, plans, and purposes for my life. I also include all the written petitions which I have made to the Lord.
There are certain prayers and related passages of Scripture which I read out from my prayer book. This may sound very religious or formal, but our memory fails us and we need to bring all our needs to the Lord in prayer by making detailed declarations and petitions.
Have a purpose
Have a purpose in prayer. Know what you are going to pray for. It is difficult to pray fervently without knowing what you want or desire from God. We should have a clear cut well defined idea about what we are asking God for. If you do not have this, wait on God until He reveals His purpose for your prayer time.
Words are powerful
There is a contest in the heavenly realm for your words. Your mouth will employ either Satan and his power or God and His power. Your words will either employ the cycle of death or the cycle of life.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.” – Joshua 1:8
Read the book of Joshua and discover how successful he was.
“For I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain,” Be removed, and be cast into the sea" and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.” – Mark 11:23
Thanksgiving
It is advisable to begin your prayer with thanksgiving and praise.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” – Psalm 100:4
Thank God for answers to prayer and tell Him how great He is. Use the Word of God to praise Him. Thanking God will increase your faith. Praising God will also increase your faith because you will begin to fix your eyes on God and His faithfulness and not on your problem.
How is prayer answered?
The Bible reveals that prayer is answered:
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• Immediately at times: Isaiah 65:24; Daniel 9:21-23
• Delayed at times: Luke 18:7
• Different from our desires: 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
• Beyond our expectations: Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 3:20
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The names of God
When you structure your prayers, include the names of God as they manifest and declare His abilities to supply all your needs. Remember, Jesus is Jehovah and He revealed Himself as such in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament.
Jehovah Elohim Creator God
Jehovah El Shaddai Almighty God
Jehovah Jirah The Lord is my Provider
Jehovah Rapha The Lord is my Healer
Jehovah Nissi The Lord is my Champion
Jehovah Shalom The Lord is my Peace
Jehovah Rohi The Lord is my Shepherd
Jehovah Tsidkenu The Lord is my Righteousness
Jehovah Mkeddesh The Lord is my Sanctification
Jehovah Shammah The Lord my Ever Present God
Postures of prayer
Some Christians believe that all prayers in church should be offered on our knees. According to Scripture, prayers are presented to God by His people in different circumstances and physical postures.
1. Kneeling
There are many examples of people praying to the Lord on their knees, suggesting that this was a common practice. Daniel prayed on his knees three times a day. Peter knelt down before the corpse of Tabitha to pray for her before she came back to life.
Kneeling was a ritual expression of the willing surrender of the life of the worshipper to God.
2. Standing
Standing before the Lord in prayer was also a common practice, perhaps more common than kneeling. One of the most impressive cases is when Jehoshaphat invited the people to pray. He stood up in the assembly in the house of the Lord and prayed for liberation while the people stood before the Lord.
The Jews used to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to display their piety. Standing in prayer emphasizes the freedom we have to approach God.
3. Sitting down
The practice of praying while sitting down is rare in the Bible but not entirely absent. King David sat before the Lord and prayed.
This is the posture assumed by an individual seeking instruction from the Lord or through His prophet.
4. Lying down on the bed
We also find in the Bible cases in which people prayed during the night while lying on their beds and meditating on Him. This posture provides an opportunity to meditate on the goodness of the Lord while seeking His help.
5. Prostrate
In religious contexts this is a posture of worship. It is fundamentally an expression of homage and submission before a superior.
When prostrating, people place their full body horizontally on the ground with their face on the floor usually with outstretched arms. There are many cases in the Bible where people lay prostrate before God.
This brief review indicates that Biblically there was not a particular posture in which worshippers were required to pray. Postures are important only to the extent that they are the external expression of reverence, inner feelings, and commitments to the Lord. Any attempt to select one as superior and indispensable over the others lacks Biblical support.
Just a thought….
There is a price to pay for the manifest presence of God which can release miracles, signs, and wonders and which can transform our communities with the power of God. None of this can be a reality without praying and spending time with the Lord. We are living in a dying world and the church will only come to life again when it discovers the vital reality of radical sacrificial prayer.
