What is Prayer?
Exodus 3:4 (NKJV) – Read all of Exodus 3:1-22
4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Prayer is simply Communication with God. The Lord called to Moses from out of the burning bush and Moses responded. God and Moses then entered into a two-way dialogue where the Lord told Moses what His plans were and Moses, in response, tried to tell God why he was not able to do it. Eventually Moses heard the Lord and understood what he needed to do and because of that conversation with the Lord Moses found out that he would not be alone, that God would go with him. He also found out the plans that God had to rescue the people of Israel from their captivity. Moses left that time of prayer feeling more equipped and empowered to go forward.
Prayer is how we talk to the Lord. It is how we express our feelings, our thoughts, and our desires to Him. Prayer is how the Lord gives us answers to our situations, and what His plans are for every problem, challenge, and obstacle that may be in our lives. Prayer is how we get to know Who our Lord is. As we spend time in prayer, we learn how God answers, how He thinks, and how He directs us.
Who do we pray to?
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"
The only person we should be praying to is God Himself, Yeshua, and Holy Spirit. All three are One God in three forms. We should not be praying to idols, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. so-and-so, or any other saint. ONLY the LORD GOD can hear our prayers and answer them.
John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
All our prayers need to be to God the Father, and in the name of Yeshua.
What do we pray
1 John 5:14 (NKJV)
14 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
We need to pray the will of God. In order to do that we need to know what the will of God is. For that we need to read the Word of God. The Word of God, the Bible, is God's instructions and plans where He outlines His will for our lives, our families, our cities, and our nations.
Matthew 26:39 (NKJV)
39 "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'”
Our prayers need to align with the will of God for our lives. God desires the best for us and wants to bless us, however the best for us will always be in alignment with His Word. Many times we pray for things over and over and over, and never see anything change. Maybe that is because what we are praying for is not in the will of God for our lives.
James 4:3 (NKJV)
3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
Many times our prayers are not answered because we are praying with the wrong motivations. Maybe our heart is not truly set on the things of the Lord, but are focused on our own desires and wants. The faith of many people has been damaged because they have prayed, or someone else has prayed for them, for something specific and it did not come to pass. Often that is the result of prayers that are presented to the Lord out of our flesh and our emotions instead of being in aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father.
How do we pray?
James 5:15 (NKJV)
15 "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."
Once we know the will of God and His Word, then we need FAITH to pray. We need to know that God hears our prayers and that He will be faithful to answer our prayers.
Romans 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.
Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)
105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."
The Word of God will guide us and direct us in all our prayers. We need to seek the Lord for direction in all our prayers and allow the Word of God to be the foundation of every prayer. If we will do this one small thing we will see much more success in our prayers being answered.
John 15:16 (NKJV)
16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
"In His Name" - When we look at this phase in the Hebrew context with Hebrew roots, we discover that what is actually being said here is "in the nature (name) of Yeshua. Our prayers need to be in the NATURE of Yeshua. What does it mean to be in the nature of Yeshua? It means to be done according to how Yeshua would do it. It means to be in alignment with the will of God the Father. It means to be done with the revelation of the Hebrew roots of our faith. Many people today do not get their prayers answered because they are praying from a very religious and traditional mindset. They pray to the God of Heaven, yet hate the Jewish people, who are God's first love. As a church we have been sold a lie that Israel has been replaced with the church. That is a lie from hell. Romans 9 and 10 clearly states that we are grafted into the olive branch, and that we do not support the branch but the branch supports us. To pray in the nature of Yeshua means to pray for the things He prayed for and with His attitude.
Romans 8:26 (NKJV)
26 "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
God gives us, through Holy Spirit, the ability to pray in tongues that neither we nor anyone else may understand. There are times when we do not know what to pray, or how to pray for a specific situation, and Holy Spirit will pray for us and through us with words and expressions that we do not understand.
1 Corinthians 14:13-15 (NKJV)
13 "Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding."
We need to pray BOTH in our own natural language AND with the prayer language the Lord gives us. Both are necessary. Notice here that we can also SING in the Spirit, with our prayer language from Holy Spirit.
Where do we pray?
Matthew 6:6 (NKJV)
6 "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."
In our "secret place", or private place, alone with God. We need alone times with the Lord to pray and speak with Him.
Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV)
1 "Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away."
We are also called to pray in corporate settings; In the church. We need to come together with other believers and pray and seek the Lord together. That is why we regularly have prayer vigils and prayer meetings, not only with our own church family but with other pastors and leaders from our city.
Acts 10:9 (NKJV)
9 “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.”
In our homes - Here we see Peter going into his "secret place, but he was praying in a home. We need to fill our homes with prayer. The Lord will visit us in our homes. He will speak to us in our homes. We need to break the religion and tradition that says prayer is only for the church. NO! it is for you in your home as well. We agree prayer is needed in the church, as stated above, but prayer is also meant to be in your homes where families can pray together and seek the Lord together.
Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)
18 "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints"
In the Spirit - the last place we need to be praying is IN THE SPIRIT. Our prayers need to be from a place where we are in communion with Holy Spirit.
What are the benefits of Prayer?
1. For Spiritual Growth:
John 14:26 (NKJV)
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
When we pray we develop a relationship with God through His Holy Spirit and He teaches us. The Lord teaches us His Word. He teaches us how to live right according to His Word. He teaches us how to treat others.
2. To deepen our relationship with the Lord:
Exodus 33:11 (NKJV)
11 “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.”
Moses would spend time with the Lord, praying in the Tabernacle of Meeting, and as a result he developed a friendship with the Lord. Moses had a very special relationship with God. We see how Joshua saw that relationship and he obviously wanted that same kind of relationship with God. It worked for Joshua. As he spent more and more time in the presence of the Lord we see how the Lord taught him and trained him and gave him a similar relationship with Him because Joshua was the one whom God called to lead the people of Israel into the Promises Land after Moses passed away.
3. To seek revelation from God:
Daniel 10:12 (NKJV)
12 "Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words."
Daniel was seeking answers from the Lord as to why the people of Israel were in the situation they were in. He was also seeking answers to concerning the coming days for the people of Israel. He entered a time of prayer and the Lord sent a messenger, Gabriel, to bring revelation to Daniel. As we spend time with the Lord in prayer, He will bring the answers we need to situations we may be facing. The Lord will bring forth revelation of who He is, what His plans are, and how we fit into those plans.
Types of Prayer
A. Prayers of Adoration and Worship
Matthew 6:9-10 (NKJV)
9 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
1 Chronicles 16:29 (NKJV)
29 ”Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”
We need to give worship and praise to the LORD when we pray. The Psalms are great to pray as most of them speak of God's goodness, faithfulness, and love for His people. We need to pray for Who God is, just like Yeshua did in Matthew 6:9-10 as He started out exclaiming Who the Father is.
B. Prayers of Thanksgiving
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"
Colossians 4:2 (NKJV)
2 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”
Psalm 95:2 (NKJV)
2 “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”
Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
4 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”
We need to give thanks to the Lord for who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing
C. Prayers of Confession and repentance
Psalm 32:5-7 (NKJV)
5 "I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah"
D. Prayers of Supplication and Requests
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"
These are prayers where we ask for our ourselves; our own needs
E. Prayers of Intercession
1 Timothy 2:1 (NKJV)
1 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,”
These are prayers for the others and for their needs
F. Prayers of Consecration / Dedication
1 Samuel 1:27-28 (NKJV)
27 “’For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.’ So they worshiped the Lord there.”
There are specific prayers to dedicate our children to the Lord. There are specific prayers to dedicate ourselves to the Lord and for His service. We can pray and dedicate our homes, our church buildings, etc. We can pray a prayer of dedication for anything we want to dedicate to the Lord
G. Warfare Prayers / Spiritual warfare
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)
3 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ"
Mark 3:27 (NKJV)
27 "No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."
Matthew 18:18 (NKJV)
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
We are fighting against a very strong adversary called Satan. He has powers, principalities, and host of wickedness in the spiritual realm that are constantly trying to come against us. The Lord God has given us the power and authority in Yeshua through Holy Spirit to do warfare against those powers and principalities. The Lord gives us spiritual weapons, our prayers, to tear cast down those forces of wickedness. The Lord gives us the authority to bind things in the heavens and loose things in heaven
H. Spiritual Prayers / Prayers in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)
18 "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints"
Equipping yourself for prayer
Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
How are we to prepare for prayer? By asking the Lord to help us and teach us. He wants to develop a relationship with each of us. He wants to share time with us, telling us His secrets for our lives, our families and our cities. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray; how to pray according to His Word and in alignment with His will.
Acts 8:15-17 (NKJV)
15 "who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 8:26 (NKJV)
26 "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
Pray and ask the Lord to baptize you with His Holy Spirit. Have others pray for you and ask them to pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord for your prayer language. It is a gift for you and is a gift for everyone, not just a few.
Romans 8:27 (NKJV)
27 "Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
Ask Holy Spirit to help you pray the will of your Father in heaven.
John 16:13 (NKJV)
13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
Ask Holy Spirit to teach you the Truth of God. Ask Holy Spirit to speak to you. This verse tells us that He will come to you and He will speak to you.
Luke 12:11-12 (NKJV)
11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Ask Holy Spirit to give you the right words to pray in difficult situations. Holy Spirit is there to help you and guide you whenever, wherever you need Him. Our greatest asset in prayer is Holy Spirit. Without Him we cannot properly pray, but with him, we can do all things and pray at all times in all situations and for all things.
Shalom