PRAYER BASICS

God has given prayer as a means of grace, to help believers cultivate their relationship with Him. If the Bible is essential as spiritual nourishment, prayer is indispensable as breath. God talks to man through the Bible and man in turn talks to God through prayer. As those created in the image of God, people have the capacity to interact with Him. But because of fall, only those recreated in Christ Jesus have access through prayer.

Prayer is a spiritual exercise which requires a lot of discipline. It is both communing and communicating with God. The Holy Spirit is the enabling agent. Proper understanding of the Word of God is essential to pray effectively. The Bible teaches a lot about prayer and has many model prayers.

HOW NOT TO PRAY:

It is important to note that in Matthew 6:5-8, Christ teaches, how not to pray.  Prayer is not to be offered in order to receive men’s approval. Thoughtless words and repetitions are to be avoided. In the prayer that Jesus taught, He addresses God as Father. There is no repetition of Father, Lord, God or Master. No one posture is advocated.    

WHEN PRAYER IS INEFFECTIVE:

Sin in life: Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”  King Saul was full of jealousy, hatred and malice toward David. Yet he prayed to God but was not heard. (I Samuel 28:6)

Disobedience to God’s Word: Jeremiah 37:2 says, Zedekiah, his servants and the people did not obey the words of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah the prophet. Yet, in the next verse, Zedekiah asks Jeremiah, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.” Such prayer was absolutely useless.

Wrong motives: James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Absence of faith: Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

WHAT IS PRAYER?

Prayer is humble opening of one's whole being to God and communing with Him. Prayer is communicating in silence or through spoken words. Prayer is expression of love for God, praise for His glory/greatness, appreciation for His goodness/grace, thanksgiving for blessings received and presenting ones needs and the needs of others to God in faith.  

HOW SHOULD ONE PRAY?

Prayer should be offered in an attitude of humility, with God as the ultimate object of all focus and trust.

Prayer should be offered to God the Father, even as taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a privilege for those enjoy this grace relationship.   

Prayer should be offered through Christ the mediator. I Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Prayer should always include worship. “Through Him then, let us constantly offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.”  (Hebrews 13:15.) Praise and thanksgiving together form worship.

Prayer should include confession of known sins in life, as they hinder fellowship with God and effectiveness in praying. (Isaiah 59:2)

ANSWERS TO PRAYER:

God always answers prayers, in one of three ways. There are direct answers, denied answers and delayed answers. Prayer should be offered in full submission to God’s will. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed in the garden of Gethsemane in total submission. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup to pass from me, yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) God, the all knowing Father, knows what is best for His children. In great wisdom, He withholds what is not according to His will and so is not good for His own. His will only is desirable and His timing always perfect.  

There are promises such as, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done to you.” They need to be balanced with verses like, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” God delights in answering prayers which are offered in total submission to His will.   

GOAL OF PRAYER: 

The first three requests of the Lord’s Prayer should be the goal of every prayer. God’s name be hallowed. His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Any prayer should focus on God’s will, purpose and glory being accomplished.  

APPLICATION:

We need to be disciplined and grow in the spiritual exercise of prayer.

Humble trust and desire for God’s glory are most important.

Prayer should be offered in total submission to God will.

God’s Word should govern the content of prayer.

REJOICE OVER YOUR SALVATION

Joy is an essential virtue in believers’ life. God’s people in the Old Testament rejoiced, as they worshipped God. The Psalmist rejoiced greatly in God and His Word (Psalm 19:8; 36:4). Psalm 87:7b says, “All my springs of joy are in you.” In the New Testament, joy is a virtue, under the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22). Paul commands believers to rejoice always (Philippians 2:18; 3:1 4:4; I Thessalonians 5:16). Jesus points to the supreme cause for rejoicing.  

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ON JOY:

The Lord Jesus highlights the right reason for His disciples to rejoice. True joy is not to be based on health, wealth, achievements or ministry. Jesus says in Luke 10:20, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

The context is when the seventy men sent by the Lord Jesus to minister, returned and reported to Him. Luke 10:17 says, “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.” They were rejoicing because of their spectacular ministry.  Jesus told them, “….do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Jesus emphasized, their salvation should be the best reason for rejoicing.    

SALVATION IS SPECIAL BECAUSE:

1. Salvation is God initiated:

Luke 10:21 says, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed then to infants. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in your sight.” God chooses to hide the truth from the wise people, but reveals to the humble and grants them (as a gift), repentance that lead to life. (Acts 11:15)

     2.  Salvation is wholesome:

Bodily healing benefits people temporally. But, salvation is of the total person, spirit, soul and body. A spiritually saved person receives eternal life now and his body will be raised glorified at Christ’s return. This is complete redemption for which all wait. “And not only this, but also, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23)

3. Salvation will be perfected by God:

Earlier we saw God initiates salvation. God will also perfect His grace work. Paul says, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

4.  Salvation is purely by grace:

Salvation is unmerited and can be received only by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8, 9) Such saving faith is possible only for those appointed by God. (Acts 13:48)  Long before they are even born, names of those appointed are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 13:8)

5. Salvation is eternal and abundant:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) “I am come that they might have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Those who receive the gift of salvation will live forever. They will enjoy a quality life right now. In Christ, they are new creatures. (I Corinthians 5:17) They part take of divine nature. (II Peter 1:4)

6. Salvation is freedom from the tyranny of sin:

Salvation frees sinners from the penalty of sin immediately (Romans 4:25), the power of sin progressively (Romans 6:14; I John 3:8) and the presence of sin instantaneously in the future. (I John 3:2)

                                                                                       

7. Salvation is secure:

Salvation can not be lost. This security depends entirely on God’s power, authority and faithfulness. Jesus says, “I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28, 29) The indwelling Holy Spirit is the God given guarantee that believers are forever His inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13, 14)   

8. Salvation makes believers children of God:

“But to as many as received Him, to then He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” (I John 3:1) Knowing God as Father is the greatest grace privilege.

APPLICATION:

1. Repenting of your sins, believe in Christ the Savior and be sure of your salvation.
2. Rejoice over the gift of intimate grace relationship with God as Father.  
3. Repeat with the Psalmist, “All my springs of joy are in You.”