Prayer: What is Prayer?

Question: "What is prayer?"

Answer: The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is not meditation or passive reflection; it is direct address to God. It is the communication of the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Prayer is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate his emotions and desires with God and to fellowship with God.

Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or informal. All prayer must be offered in faith (), in the name of the Lord Jesus (), and in the power of the Holy Spirit (). As the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia puts it, “Christian prayer in its full New Testament meaning is prayer addressed to God as Father, in the name of Christ as Mediator, and through the enabling grace of the indwelling Spirit” (“Prayer” by J. C. Lambert). The wicked have no desire to pray (), but the children of God have a natural desire to pray ().

Prayer is described in the Bible as seeking God’s favor (), pouring out one’s soul to the Lord (), crying out to heaven (), drawing near to God (, KJV), and kneeling before the Father ().

Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” ().

Command: Worry about nothing; pray about everything.

Everything? Yes, God wants us to talk with Him about everything. How often should we pray? The biblical answer is “pray without ceasing”

(ESV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We should keep a running conversation going with God all day long. We have been discussing and practicing the ACTS formula of prayer, but there is really no special formula for how to pray in the Bible. We should just do it. We can pray under any and all circumstances. Prayer develops our relationship with God and demonstrates our trust and utter dependence upon Him.

We should keep a running conversation going with God all day long. Some find the ACTS formula of prayer helpful, but there is really no special formula for how to prayin the Bible. We should just do it. We can pray under any and all circumstances. Prayer develops our relationship with God and demonstrates our trust and utter dependence upon Him.

Prayer is the Christian’s way of communicating with God. We pray to praise God and thank Him and tell Him how much we love Him. We pray to enjoy His presence and tell Him what is going on in our lives. We pray to make requests and seek guidance and ask for wisdom. God loves this exchange with His children, just as we love the exchange we have with our children. Fellowship with God is the heart of prayer. Too often we lose sight of how simple prayer is really supposed to be.

When we make petitions to God, we let God know exactly where we stand and what we would like to see happen. In our prayers, we must admit that God is greater than we are and ultimately knows what is best in any given situation (). God is good and asks us to trust Him. In prayer, we say, essentially, “Not my will, but your will be done.” The key to answered prayer is praying according to the will of God and in accordance with His Word. Prayer is not seeking our own will but seeking to align ourselves with the will of God more fully (; ).

But GOD does not answer my prayers?

1 John 5:14–15 ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

James 4:3 ESV

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

The Bible contains many examples of prayer and plenty of exhortations to pray (see ; ; and ). God’s house is to be a house of prayer (), and God’s people are to be people of prayer: “Dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love” ().

The Bible contains many examples of prayer and plenty of exhortations to pray (see ; ; and ). God’s house is to be a house of prayer (), and God’s people are to be people of prayer: “Dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love” ().

https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-prayer.html

(ESV)

The Lord’s Prayer

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

6 Petitions:

God’s name be hallowed (holy, sanctify, clean, pure)

Continual advance of God’s kingdom on earth.

God’s will be experienced on earth. (revealed will)

The daily bread - all our physical needs!

Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors! Our sins and those that have sinned against us!

Lead us not into temptation! God cannot tempt us to sin but the prayer being to keep us out of situations that may cause us to sin. To protect us.

BREAK OUT

Read:

Romans 12:12 ESV

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

We are told to:

Rejoice in hope

Be patient in tribulation

Be constant in prayer

What does it mean to “rejoice in hope”? Explain how?

What does it mean to be “patient in tribulation”? Explain how?

What does it mean to be “constant in prayer? ? Explain how?

A.C.T.S.

Today focus on Supplication (for ourselves). Pray together.