We have looked at prayer in the context of our daily quiet time with God but there is a need to expand our prayers to pray specifically for special needs or circumstances. There were times when Jesus withdrew from others and spent time in prayer, and there will be times for you too when you should pray for special needs of your own and of others.

There are also times when you may be prompted to fast. (Matthew 6:16-18, Acts 13:2-3). Ask a mature believer about this. Our every need should be brought to God in prayer. The prayer of faith is one of the most powerful keys God has given us. It is so powerful that it opens and closes things in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 16:19). Elijah is an example of prayer. (James. 5:17-18).

KEYS TO PRAYING – THE LORD’S PRAYER

Praying is a key in a believer’s life: praying alone and with others, praying in the Spirit, praying in trouble, praying for protection, praying for guidance, praying for provision, praying for the nation – there is nothing we cannot pray for.

There is a lovely old hymn about prayer:

“What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear,

What a privilege to carry,

Everything to him in prayer,

Oh what peace we often forfeit,

Oh what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry,

Everything to him in prayer”. 

The Lord Jesus gave instructions on how to pray and outlined a model for prayer with its most important aspects. (Matthew 6:7-15). I don’t believe that he meant this prayer to be said by rote but if one prays its content, with faith and conviction, it is very meaningful.

The opening part of this prayer is to establish to whom we are praying; it is to “our heavenly Father”. We have already considered the necessity of knowing God as our Father through Jesus Christ. It is in his name that we approach God. His name is holy, to be venerated and consecrated and greatly revered. It is not a flippant thing to call God our Heavenly Father and to use the name of the Most High God in prayer.

The next thing he said is, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done”. This infers that we should have some knowledge of what God’s will is. We do not have the prerogative to pray our own will. This is a great principle in prayer: we are praying for his will, not our own. (Mark 14:36).

Before we can ask for something, we must have a conviction that it is God’s will. This requires diligence on our part to discover what the will of God is from scripture, in counsel with others, or by waiting on the Lord. Once we have a conviction about what to pray, we can ask in full assurance and faith, confidently knowing that what we ask for, we will receive.

Next, our prayers include our daily needs: our “daily bread”. I would discourage people from coming to God with a long “shopping list” of what they want, but there are times when we all have needs. George Muller pioneered children’s homes in Britain and there were times when he did not know from where the next mouthful of food was coming. He prayed and the Lord always miraculously provided.

God is able to provide our daily needs but people can be confused sometimes as to what is needed and what is merely wanted.

The next part is crucial in all our prayers, “forgive us our trespasses, even as we forgive those that sin against us”. We have already looked at the process of forgiveness and it should be done daily if necessary. We cannot come to God in prayer and think he will answer if we are holding on to unforgiveness.

Next, we pray for being led “out of temptation, (testing and trial) and for deliverance from evil”. We all have trials and temptations, and God is willing and able to deliver us from them. We should also pray for and live in his protection. We should be mindful all the time of this, for we live in a wicked age and need to stay in God’s protection. We must learn to listen to the Spirit of God and hear when he warns us about danger. Many scriptures speak of keeping close to the Lord and of hiding in the secret place of the Most High God. (Psalm 27:11-12, 32:7, 46:1, 91).

The prayer ends with, “For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory”. This is praise, affirmation and worship of God.

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

Praise and thanksgiving is a key to a life of faith. They should be regular expressions in our prayers. Praise is a vital part of achieving victory in a test.

In the Old Testament we read how God’s people prevailed in difficult circumstances when they praised him. (2 Chronicles 20:15-23). Many of the Psalms are songs of praise. (Psalm 67, 148, 150).

When Paul and Silas had been beaten badly and thrown in prison, instead of complaining they sang praises and the Lord delivered them with a mighty earthquake. (Acts 16:25-26).

Praise is called the “sacrifice of praise” and sometimes it might be hard to do, but it pleases God and is worth the “effort”, for it brings joy and gives victory. Praise is a key principle for every believer. Psalm 100:4 says we are to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”.

As you develop praise and thanksgiving, you will find it easy to come into his Presence, for it breaks the invisible fetters that often bind us. Praise and thanksgiving empower our prayers.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

Praying in the Spirit is a vital key for life in the Spirit. Prayer is not meant to be repetitive or done in rote but spontaneous and prompted by the Holy Spirit.

In your prayers you can be led by God in praying and singing in the Spirit. The apostle Paul also spoke of the ability to speak in unknown “tongues”. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15). This is a gift that the Lord gives believers for their personal edification to help them pray more effectively. (1 Corinthians 14:2-5).

It is when the Holy Spirit takes over and prays through us, expressing the perfect mind of God in a language unknown to us. (Romans 8:26-27).

Praying in the Spirit is not limited to praying in “tongues” but is when the Holy Spirit creates, directs and empowers our prayers. It is a dimension of prayer in which he is in complete control. When one prays in the Spirit, it is powerful, edifying, and uplifting.

Jude 1:20 – “beloved, building yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit”.

Prayer is not confined to a church building but can be done anywhere, at any time, and in any situation.

In your private prayers, you can pray out aloud and should do so regularly. You can also pray silently when no words cross you lips but are in your heart. You can pray anywhere, even in public silently.

There will be times when you can only sigh, groan, or weep when you pray. (Romans 8:26-27). Corporate prayer is when believers pray together and is very powerful if done in agreement and in one accord. (Acts 1:14, 4:24, 12:5, 12, Matthew 18:19-20).

Join me as we continue on our journey through “A Life of Faith.”

Keys to Growing in Christ:

Episode 4: The Gifts for Spiritual Growth

Episode 5: The Peace of God is the Key to Every Situation