The Importance of Prayer
One of the most important habits for a believer to develop is the practice of maintaining a consistent prayer life. Well, this may prompt the question, "What is prayer?". At its most basic level, prayer is simply communicating with God.
Like with any form of communication , the more time we spend with someone, the more familiar we become with them. Likewise, maintaining daily prayer allows a believer to become more familiar with God's will and His ways and invites God's participation in our life.
Scripture references: John 15:5-7, Luke 18:1,
How to Pray
There are many ways to pray, but simply put, prayer should be done with sincerety or truthfulness of heart and respect for God to whom we pray.
Does this mean that we never express anger or frustration with God? I would suggest not. On the contrary, I would suggest sharing these feelings with Him but to do so in a respectful way.
The prayer Jesus taught His disciples is a good model for prayer. Many religious leaders highlight aspects of this and other prayers through an acronymn - A.C.T.S. The details of this acronymn are as follows:
A - Adoration
Praise God for who He is and what He has done, perhaps for what He is doing or even will do.
C - Confess
Confess sins and ask the Lord's forgiveness
T - Thanks
Thank God for His kindness and involvement in your life.
S - Supplication
Make requests of God on behalf of yourself and others.
How often should I pray?
The Bible tells us to pray daily and continuously. Does this mean that we can't function normally in society as a result of being obedient to God? No. It does mean that prayer becomes a routine part of our existence.
For what should we pray?
It would be impossible to compile a list of every single issue for which we should pray, but examples mentioned in scripture include the following:
- Salvation for all men
- Healing/Sickness
- Challenging situations
- Government leaders
- The ability to resist temptation
- Wisdom
- Guidance/Direction
- Forgiveness of sin
- Unity with God
- Unity with other believers
- Any issue that might create anxiety or worry
- Spiritual growth and maturity
- Prosperity of believers
Hinderances to Prayer
Have you ever wondered why some prayers aren't answered? Well, the Bible notes several possibilities including the following:
Unforgiveness
We refuse to forgive someone of an offense, therefore God will not forgive our offenses and our prayers go unanswered.
Unconfessed sin
We fail to acknowledge sin in our life and continue to practice sin.
Conflict with Spouse
Unresolved conflict between spouses can also interfere with effective prayer
Wrong Motives
When intentions are not good or prayers are not in keeping with God's will for our lives, these may go unanswered. For example, I have heard of people who prayed that God would allow them to marry a certain person only to look back on the request years later and be glad that the prayer was not answered.
Results of Prayer
A daily prayer life can result in the ability to recognize God's voice and His involvement in our lives.
God speaks in a number of ways - through his Word, experiences, ministers, personally, through other people, dreams, etc. Constant communication with Him enables us to walk in His will and plans for our lives. It also helps us to avoid sin and live in ways pleasing to Him. Finally, it affords us access to God's mighty power. The Bible tells us that the prayer of a man or woman in right standing with God can bring about significant change.
Like with any form of communication , the more time we spend with someone, the more familiar we become with them. Likewise, maintaining daily prayer allows a believer to become more familiar with God's will and His ways and invites God's participation in our life.
Scripture references: John 15:5-7, Luke 18:1,
How to Pray
There are many ways to pray, but simply put, prayer should be done with sincerety or truthfulness of heart and respect for God to whom we pray.
Does this mean that we never express anger or frustration with God? I would suggest not. On the contrary, I would suggest sharing these feelings with Him but to do so in a respectful way.
The prayer Jesus taught His disciples is a good model for prayer. Many religious leaders highlight aspects of this and other prayers through an acronymn - A.C.T.S. The details of this acronymn are as follows:
A - Adoration
Praise God for who He is and what He has done, perhaps for what He is doing or even will do.
C - Confess
Confess sins and ask the Lord's forgiveness
T - Thanks
Thank God for His kindness and involvement in your life.
S - Supplication
Make requests of God on behalf of yourself and others.
How often should I pray?
The Bible tells us to pray daily and continuously. Does this mean that we can't function normally in society as a result of being obedient to God? No. It does mean that prayer becomes a routine part of our existence.
For what should we pray?
It would be impossible to compile a list of every single issue for which we should pray, but examples mentioned in scripture include the following:
- Salvation for all men
- Healing/Sickness
- Challenging situations
- Government leaders
- The ability to resist temptation
- Wisdom
- Guidance/Direction
- Forgiveness of sin
- Unity with God
- Unity with other believers
- Any issue that might create anxiety or worry
- Spiritual growth and maturity
- Prosperity of believers
Hinderances to Prayer
Have you ever wondered why some prayers aren't answered? Well, the Bible notes several possibilities including the following:
Unforgiveness
We refuse to forgive someone of an offense, therefore God will not forgive our offenses and our prayers go unanswered.
Unconfessed sin
We fail to acknowledge sin in our life and continue to practice sin.
Conflict with Spouse
Unresolved conflict between spouses can also interfere with effective prayer
Wrong Motives
When intentions are not good or prayers are not in keeping with God's will for our lives, these may go unanswered. For example, I have heard of people who prayed that God would allow them to marry a certain person only to look back on the request years later and be glad that the prayer was not answered.
Results of Prayer
A daily prayer life can result in the ability to recognize God's voice and His involvement in our lives.
God speaks in a number of ways - through his Word, experiences, ministers, personally, through other people, dreams, etc. Constant communication with Him enables us to walk in His will and plans for our lives. It also helps us to avoid sin and live in ways pleasing to Him. Finally, it affords us access to God's mighty power. The Bible tells us that the prayer of a man or woman in right standing with God can bring about significant change.