What is Prayer?

What is prayer?

Can someone try answering this question.

Did you know that there are different types of prayers?

Prayers of Supplication

It may be the most commonly known form of prayer. This is where we pray for God to supply for our needs. That’s often broken out into two smaller categories.

Petition - Requests to God for ourselves

Intersessions - Requests to God on behalf of someone else.

Mark 11:24 ESV

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Example of both:

Exodus 2:23–25 ESV

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Here the Israelites were praying for themselves and for their neighbors to be set free from slavery.

Prayers of Worship/Adoration

This is Acknowledging who God is. This is to give Him glory and acknowledgment for his works and to praise His name.

Psalm 111:1–4 ESV

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

This is to show gratitude for what God has done in our lives. We appreciate His protection, Him providing, Him guiding, saving, redeeming and sanctifying us.

Psalm 103:1–4 ESV

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Prayers of Confession

Psalm 51:1–4 ESV

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

What Prayer is not

Prayer is not a long boring conversation with fancy words or phrases to work

Matthew 6:7–8 ESV

“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. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Prayer doesnt work/God doesnt hear your prayer if you sin

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I must stand a certain way to pray or put our hands together in order to pray

Jesus prayed to God while on the cross

David Prayed with his face down to the ground

Paul Prayed while chained in prison

I dont know how to pray so I wont

Lord teach me how to pray.

When you pray, by yourself or in a group. You are all or on your own with another being, that is God himself and He is unique because there is no one else like Him in the entire Universe.

Prayer is unique because it is a process that will create in your life something that nothing else can.

What I mean is that God gives us many different tools. Scripture is a tool with an intended purpose, faith is a specific tool with a purpose,

Prayer is specific and it provides a benefit that none of the other tools that God give us can accomplish.

If you neglect prayer you are missing out on the blessings that God has for you.

Prayer is also a practical demonstration of trusting God.