Prayer

MEMORY VERSES: Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; James 5:16; 1 John

3:20-22

 

Nothing in the Christian life is more important than prayer. There are more than 500 references to prayer in Bible.

 

Prayer changes things, and nothing is changed without prayer: no one saved, no sermon blessed, no marriage victorious, no child turn out right, no church stay in God’s will

 

We have to learn to pray (Luke 11:1).

 

Prayer is acknowledging our inability and casting ourselves upon God. It is obtaining mercy and finding grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

 

To be effective, prayer needs to have the following simple but essential elements:

 

1.  Prayer must be worshipful (Luke 11:1-2)

 

This was emphasized Jesus in His “model prayer.” This does not mean that it is always necessary to precede every prayer with a long period of worship, but the supplicant must always be aware that he is approach the Eternal Creator, the Majesty on High. Prayer should not be a flippant, half-hearted activity.

 

2.  Prayer must be confessional (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 3:20-22)

We come to God through confession of our sins. By this means we obtain mercy and can pray with a good conscience and our prayers can have free course with God.

 

3.   Prayer must be earnest (James 5:16; Colossians 4:12). Hasty, half-hearted, distracted praying is not very effective.

 

4.  Prayer must be regular (Romans 1:9). The believer needs to establish a daily prayer time during which he meets with the Lord and prays for himself and others. Intercessory prayer is praying for others.

 

5.  Prayer must be watchful (Ephesians 6:18). This refers to intercessory prayer. By prayer we can watch over the spiritual lives of others.

 

6.    Prayer must be persistent (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). This is one of the most important aspects of effectual prayer and is often emphasized in Scripture. Jesus taught two parables to emphasize the importance of persistence in prayer: The unjust judge (Luke 18:1-5), and the man who needed the loaves of bread (Luke 11:5-10).

 

7.   Prayer must flow from a sound husband-wife relationship (1 Peter 3:7). The husband that does not treat his wife right after a godly fashion will not have power with God in prayer.

 

8.   Prayer should be in association with others (Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 1:11; Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1). Paul constantly asked other believers to pray for him. If he saw the need for that, being an apostle and having seen the Lord face to face, how much more do we need it! In her conversations with me about prayer, my grandmother emphasized that having others pray with you about special needs is effectual.

9.  Prayer should be combined with fasting at times (Matthew 6:17-18; 17:21).

 

In the context of Matthew 17:21, Jesus was referring to the case of a demon-possessed boy. He said that the reason the disciples couldn’t cast out the demon was failure to fast. Prayer with fasting is particularly useful in spiritual warfare against demonic strongholds.

 

My maternal grandmother, Julia Pollock, was the first person that ever talked to me about fasting. Referring to Matthew 6:17-18, she told me that she had proven this promise several times in her life. On one occasion her husband, who was a deacon in a Baptist church and who had not taken a drink of liquor since before their marriage, got a job working on a roof with one of his old drinking buddies. He eventually allowed himself to be talked into having “just one drink.” The one drink turned into many and they got so rip-roaring drunk that they began singing loudly and throwing tools off the roof. The police were called in and they were hauled off to jail. Julia had to get Deacon Pollock out of the slammer! He was deeply remorseful and promised her that he would never do it again, and he stood before the church and apologized profusely and was forgiven by the congregation. She was deeply shocked by this event, though, and was afraid that he might fall again, remembering that both her father and her husband’s father were drunkards. So she determined to fast and pray until she was assured of his complete victory over this evil. I don’t think she told me how long she fasted but it was many days. She would cook her delicious meals and when it was time for breakfast, lunch, or supper Monroe would say to her, “Come on, Julia, let’s eat a mouthful,” and she would reply, “Don’t worry about me, Monroe.” Finally she had peace in her heart that God was going to give him the victory and she ended her fast, and he never touched a drop of liquor again in his life. None of her boys ever drank, either.

 

 

REVIEW QUESTIONS ON PRAYER

 

1.  What verse invites us to come boldly to God's throne?

 

2.  What are nine essential elements of effective prayer?

3.  Why should we approach God in prayer worshipfully?

 

4.  What verse says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me"?

 

5.  What verse says that the husband's prayers can be hindered if he doesn't treat his wife right?

 

6.  What verse says that prayer with fasting is necessary to overcome demonic strongholds?

 

7.  In what passage did Jesus promise that those who fast in secret God will reward openly?