The Practice Of Prayer

  Since we have been going through a study of prayer, I thought it would be good to go over some foundational principles in how we go about praying more.  To do that we need to ask ourselves some questions concerning prayer....

When should I pray?
  First, having "set times" to pray can help create the actual habit of prayer.  Note that David, a man after God's own heart (Ps. 55:17), and Daniel, a man greatly beloved by God (Dan 6:10) were both men that made it a habit to pray at set times throughout the day.  Having a set time helps us get acclimated for the need of prayer on a daily basis.  For some the early morning is a good time (see Mk. 1:35) while others might find it easier to be alone late at night.  Make sure that you use mealtimes to thank God for what He has provided.  If you have children at home, make sure to have a daily devotional time together that includes Bible reading and prayer.  At the very least, make sure that you have a "quiet time" on a daily basis for private prayer (see Mt. 6:5-6).
  Even though we've discussed an actual "quiet time," make sure that you practice 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "pray without ceasing."  Nehemiah (Neh. 2:4-5), Paul (Acts 16:25), and even Jesus (Lk. 6:12-13) would at times drop everything and spend a great deal of time in prayer - special needs call for special times of prayer!
  Finally, we need to make time to pray with other Christians (see Mt. 18:19-20). The early Christians prayed together often in times of trouble (Acts 4:23-24;12:5,12;16:25), and in times of departure (Acts 20:36;21:5).  Fellowship does not get any sweeter and the sense of strength does not seem any stronger that when God's people pray together!  We need to pray together as often as we can!!!

How should I pray?
  Take a look at what is called the "Lord's Prayer" (it would be more accurate to call it the "Disciples Pattern for Prayer") in
Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:1-4. A careful examination of this prayer reveals that proper prayer includes: to "whom" we should pray ("Our Father in heaven"); praising God ("Hallowed be Your Name"); supplication (another word for an "earnest request") for God's purposes ("Your kingdom come. Your will be done..."), our physical needs ("Give us this day our daily bread"), our spiritual needs ("Forgive us our sins..."), and the spiritual needs of others ("For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us").  It's important that we rephrase these concepts in our own words because just mouthing the "Lord's Prayer" could surely qualify for vain repetition and misses the need of simplicity in our prayers (see Mt. 6:7-8).
  A helpful acrostic in learning to pray is "A-C-T-S"...
  A = ADORATION which is praising God.  A good example of this is found in David's adoration of God in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13.  Spending time in sincere praise of God's greatness will help put us in the proper spirit of humility.
  C = CONFESSION which is acknowledging our sins before God.  When we understand how sin can break the fellowship we have with God, we naturally desire its quick remission.  Fortunately, as Christians we can be cleansed by the blood
of Jesus as we confess our sins (1 Jn 1:9).
  T = THANKSGIVING which is giving thanks to God for what He has given to us, an important part of prayer (Phil. 4:6).  The benefits of giving thanks are many: it causes us to acknowledge God's existence, love, and care; it reminds us of His goodness; it helps to shift our focus from what we don't have to what we do have.  A short list of things to be thankful for would be:  things we can see in our lives such as health, family and friends, God's guidance, answers to previous prayers; things we may not be able to see such as our salvation, our hope in heaven, and the assurance of God's abiding presence.  God's people have every reason to be thankful, and to be known for "abounding in thanksgiving" (Col. 1:12;2:7; 3:15;4:2).
  S = SUPPLICATION which is making requests of God (see Phil. 4:6). If we are faithful in including the first three (adoration, confession, thanksgiving), this last will prevent prayer from being simply a spiritual "shopping list."  When we broaden our requests to include others, we enter into one of the most noble realms of prayer: intercession (praying for someone else, see 1 Tim. 2:1).  Examples of whom we can pray follow.

What do I need to pray for?
  God's word directs us to pray personally for our daily physical needs (Mt. 6:1) along with spiritual growth and devotion to God (Col. 1:9-12).  We also need to pray for family (spouse, children, parents, siblings, etc.) and their nurture and growth in the teaching of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).  The community that we live in needs to be part of our prayers as we pray for peace to prevail and for open doors to reach and teach (see Jer. 29:7). Prayers also need to be offered for the church: for love and unity to prevail (see Jn. 13:15; 17:20-21); for the spiritual growth of each member (Phil. 1:9-11); for it's outreach with the gospel (2 Thess. 3:1).  We also need to pray for our nation - for national repentance and revival (Ps. 33:12; Prov. 14:34) and for our leaders to rule wisely (1 Tim. 2:2).  Those that are not in Christ need salvation (Rom. 10:1) which involves the effort of those to reach and teach them (Eph. 6:18-20).  Least we forget the sick (for their restoration of health, spiritual strength, and peace of mind (James 5:14-16)), and the poor and the oppressed (Prov. 29:7).
  A good pattern to get into so that we don't forget to pray for all the things we need to pray for is to first keep a prayer journal where we keep a list of the things and the persons that we need to be praying for (by all means use the list in the bulletin for this along with the announcements over "Call-A-Member").  Next, have some type of "prayer strategy" where you set a pattern for praying for specific things on a given day of the week or at given times of the day.  Use the following as a possible guide:  on Monday - Family (pray for both immediate and extended family members and their physical and spiritual well-being); on Tuesday - Church (for members in the local congregation and Christians and congregations throughout the world); on Wednesday - Community (leaders and neighbors); on Thursday - Nation (for elected officials and efforts to bring peace and righteousness to our country); on Friday - World (for world peace, especially for nations that are "closed" to the gospel); on Saturday - Afflicted (for the poor, homeless, jobless, those in prison, those who are sick, widows, single mothers, and fatherless children). 
  These are simply suggestions, to help us see that there is much we can be praying for.  The important thing is to PRAY, and to do so: "always"; "in everything"; "earnestly"; "being vigilant"; "without ceasing."

Finally, some personal questions...
  Do you spend time each day in prayer to God?  Do you find prayer an easy or difficult activity?  Do you pray with other people at times other than before meals, in Bible classes, or in the assembly?  Do your prayers include the needs of others, or just your own concerns?

- Adapted from a sermon by Mark Copeland

Last update: 08-02-2010 16:35