PRAYER
Our Duty To Pray
Prayer is one of the two basic activities that every believer should do on a daily basis with the other being the reading or hearing or studying or meditating on Scripture.
Every believer, who is not in a coma, should pray several times a day. We are commanded to pray always (Eph 6.18; I Thes. 5.17) and we have the example of Paul (Col. 1.3; 2 Tim. 1.3) and Timothy (Col. 1.3). To pray always means we should be consciously aware that the Lord is not only watching everything we do -- He is dwelling inside of our bodies and He desires that we be in constant communication with Him. We should pray numerous times everyday from brief requests while we are on the go, to private sessions on our knees as the Lord and the Apostles did (Lk. 5.16; 6.12; 22.41; Acts 9.40; 20.36; 21.5).
We are to pray in the HOLY SPIRIT (Eph. 6.18; Jude 20) which means we are to pray according to the will of God (1 John 5.14,15). How do we know what the will of God is so we can pray in accordance to His will? We can know His will by studying Scripture. Remember, prayer is our way of speaking to God and He speaks to us by His Word. This is why we must hear, read, study, memorize and or meditate on His Word every day.
Three Types of Prayer
There are three basic types of prayer -- praise, intercession and personal requests.
These three types of prayer can be short prayers or lengthy ones. We are commanded to be devoted to prayer (Rom. 12.12; Col. 4.2; 1 Peter 4.7) which means we should spend time every day in private prayer on our knees and in prayer on the go. We should also pray with others (Acts 13.3; 16.25). You can mix these three types of prayer while you pray on the go and alone on your knees. King David mixed them in most of his prayers (The Psalms) and so did Daniel (Daniel 9).
Praise
We should praise and thank God every day for the myriad blessings He has and will pour out on us (Eph. 5.20; 1 Thes. 5.18; Heb. 13.15). Some of the things we should praise God for are -- His eternal love for us (John 3.16; Rom. 5.8; 1 John 4.19), His grace which saved us (Eph. 2.8), His mercy and comfort (2 Cor. 1.3), His strength (Eph. 3.16; Phil. 4.13), His riches (Eph. 3.16; Phil. 4.19), His guidance (Prov. 3.5,6) and His discipline (Prov. 3.11,12). These are only a few of the blessings that God pours out on us that we should thank Him for every day.
Intercession
We should make intercessory prayers for other believers (Eph. 6.18; Phil. 1.4) and for the unsaved every day (1 Tim. 2.1-3). We should make requests on behalf of believers that we know rather than make blanket requests for believers we do not know. Some of the things we can ask for is that God comfort, strengthen, perfect, confirm and establish them (2 Thes. 2.16,17; 1 Peter 5.10), increase their wisdom (James 1.5) and give them greater courage and boldness in sharing the Gospel (Phil. 1.19,20) and open doors to share the Gospel (Col. 4.3). We should also pray for the brethren who have special needs (Acts 12.5,12). Do not forget to pray for missionaries -- dov-dmissions.htm
We should pray for the salvation of unsaved people we know (Rom. 10.1). We can pray for family, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, employers and employees. We should also pray for everyone we know and know of, especially political leaders so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life (I Tim. 2.1-4). We should thank God for everyone we know.
Personal Requests
After we have praised the Lord for all He has done for us, have prayed for the brothers and sisters in the Lord and the lost we can make personal requests (Phil. 4.6). These requests must be made in accordance with the will of God (1 John 5.14) and God will grant them in His good time (1 John 5.15). We must wait on Him to grant them (Ps. 37.7; 40.1) and not demand that He grant them immediately. We should refrain from asking for worldly goods such as big houses, fancy cars, stylish clothing, jewelry and toys. Instead we should ask God to meet our needs -- food, shelter, clothing and work (Lk. 11.3), forgive us our sins, and keep and deliver us from evil (Matt. 6.12,13).
We should also ask the HOLY SPIRIT to teach us -- give us knowledge, understanding and wisdom (Prov. 1.1-7; 3.13) -- as we study Scripture (1 John 2.20,27). We should pray for boldness to share the Gospel with the lost (Phil. 1.19,20). If Paul asked for prayer for boldness we should.
These are only a few of the spiritual/physical blessings we can ask for. As you study the Bible you will find many more things you can ask for.
Group Prayer
We should pray with other believers as often as possible (Acts 13.3; 16.25).
Parents should pray with their children and the children should pray with each other on a daily basis.
We should pray together with each other in worship services in the church building or in homes. Home prayer meetings and Bible studies are vital activities in a healthy local church. Most churches have Wednesday night services which were started for the basic purpose of group prayer. Unfortunately, many churches have strayed away from prayer services on Wednesdays and use that time for preaching or teaching.
Start To Pray Now
If you have not been praying several times every day start today. Start your day off with a few minutes or more in prayer on your knees and then pray numerous times during the day while you go about your daily activities.
You do not have to close your eyes when you pray on the go or even alone on your knees. When Jesus prayed He lifted up His eyes (John 11.41; 17.1).