Note: All Scripture quotations found in this article are from the text of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.
Prayer is simply when we as Christians talk to the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer should consist of at least four parts.
1. Adoration, which is worshipping and praising God.
Psalms 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."
2. Confession: Repentance and confession of sins.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
3. Thanksgiving: Being thankful and thanking God for all things.
Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
4. Supplication: Requests, wants, desires and needs expressed to the Father.
1 Timothy 2:1 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;"
Prayer should always be directed to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Notice how all the members of the Trinity are used during prayer.
Acts 12:5 "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."
John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
The Bible tells us to always pray.
Luke 18:1 "..men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."
We can pray anywhere at anytime. We should have a private prayer time that is alone with God, we should have family prayer in the home and public prayer at our local church. There are no limitations on where you can pray.
1 Timothy 2:8 "I will therefore that men pray every where.."
We should be like David in our prayer lives. He prayed at morning, noon and evening. He prayed every day and even at night time.
Psalms 5:3 "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."
Psalms 55:17 "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice."
Psalms 88:1 "O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:"
Daniel is another good example of a prayer warrior. Even though he was a very busy man that was president over 120 provinces, he took time to pray three times a day.
Daniel 6:10 "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."
Not only should we pray, but we should all have prayer lists. We should keep a record of where God answered prayers, so that we can praise Him for answering them.
There are many things that we ought to pray for. One of the main things that we should pray for as Christians is the Second Coming of Christ. The last prayer in the Bible is for Jesus to come back.
Revelation 22:20 "..Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Other things we should pray about include praying for our daily bread, forgiveness of sins, people, safety, clothing, trips, shelter, victory over temptation and sins, guidance and etc.
Like Solomon in 1 Kings 3:9, we should pray for godly wisdom and understanding.
James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Christians should pray for their enemies, the sick, the government, Pastors, other Christians and for the lost to get saved.
Romans 12:14 "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."
James 5:14 "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him.."
1 Timothy 2:1 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
Now let us cover how to pray. One of the most important things is to be guided by the Bible in our prayer. Anything that is not according to the word of God is not the work of the Holy Spirit. We are to pray with faith in the existence of God, believe that He rewards faithful intercession and be persistent in our prayers (Luke 18:1-8, 11:1-13).
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Always pray with humility, even though we can come boldly to the throne of grace by the merits of Jesus Christ.
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray.."
Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
It is vital to not have any unconfessed sin in our lives, so we should always confess and judge our sins. We need to do this because unconfessed sins hurt our fellowship with God and can hinder our prayers. Remember that 1 John 1:9 does not deal with salvation, rather our walk with God. It is such a blessing to know that Jesus will forgive us if we confess our sins to Him.
1 Corinthians 11:31 "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
We are always to pray in the will of God and we can understand the will of God by reading the word of God. The will of God is only hard to find if one does not read their Bible faithfully.
Luke 22:42 "..not my will, but thine, be done."
For God to hear and answer our prayers, we must forgive others that do wrong against us. Do not let any person, including yourself hurt your prayer life.
Mark 11:25 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
When we pray, we should pray in faith and believe that God hears us.
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
James 1:6 "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."
For God to hear and answer our prayers we must keep His commandments and do things that are pleasing in His sight. If we are displeasing God instead of pleasing Him then our prayer life will be destroyed.
1 John 3:22 "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
Here are some prayer promises in the Bible: Mark 11:24, 1 John 5:14-15, John 15:7, Eph. 3:12-20, Phil. 4:13,19, Matt. 7:7-8, Luke 11:9-13 and Heb. 4:16.
As Christians, we sometimes pray and receive no answer from God. Knowing what can hinder prayer is very important. Usually it is some sort of sin that hinders our prayers.
Isaiah 59:1 "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
Selfishness can hinder prayer. If you pray for health, do you pray for health because you want to use your body to glorify God? If you pray for money, do you pray for money so that you can use it the way God would want you to spend it, such as giving to church and missions?
James 4:3 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
Being double-minded can hinder prayers. Do not be a person that only prays when someone is sick or dying. Pray when life is good too.
James 1:7 "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
As I have said before, an unforgiving spirit and holding grudges can hinder our prayers. Always forgive one another.
James 5:9 "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."
Bitterness towards people and especially our spouses can hinder our prayers. If you want God to hear you then you better have a good relationship with your spouse. Love and respect each other as God commands.
Colossians 3:19 "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."
1 Peter 3:7 "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Prayer and Bible reading are the two biggest things for a Christian to do to stay close to God. We are to trust God with everything in our lives and give thanks to Him continually. Pray, pray and keep on praying!
Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
