Prayer
Coming up in a few days, I will have the opportunity to take the rains of the Bible study that I am a part of and teach about prayer. I’ve spent some time looking and digging in the Word of God for some material that I can draw from, and have asked God for wisdom. After a time of doing this, the following is what I am left with: Prayer is a vital part of a Christian’s life, or rather, a vital part of a Christian. It is our soul means by which we communicate with God, our life line in this fallen world we live in. Without prayer, we have no interaction with God, and with no interaction with God, we are left with only the power of our own body and our own will to accomplish that which we are called to: glorifying God. Simple Christian theology says that we (humans, mortals, fallen man) can do nothing apart from God, which includes glorifying Him. So, from that we can conclude that we need to pray, it is the soul means by which we will be able to fulfill the purpose which we were created for. Prayer; we need it, but what is it and how and when do we do it, that’s the question.
First of all, let’s establish what prayer is. The Oxford Dictionary defines prayer as “A solemn request or thanksgiving to God or an object of worship” or “An entreaty to a person.” Some other words for prayer are intercession, petition, supplication, request, plea, and appeal. This definition pretty accurately describes what prayer is. Prayer is a means by which we can ask God for what we need, thank God for what we’ve been given, or intercede with God on another’s behalf. Furthermore, prayer is a very powerful tool that God has given us. James states this in James 5:16, therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. In Mark chapter 9 verses 14-29, Mark describes an incident of demon possession in which the disciples cannot drive out the demon, and Jesus comes and drive away the evil spirit and says in verse 29 And he said to them,
To answer this question, we need to turn to one of God’s lines of communication with us, His Word. The Bible has a few things to say about how to pray. 1 Timothy Chapter 2:1 says First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings, (all different kinds of prayer) be made for all people. From this we know that we should be praying for not just a select few people, or our favorite people, but all people. In Philippians 4:6 it says do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. From these verses we can extrapolate who we should pray for (ourselves and others), but we are still left with the question of how to pray. In Luke 11:2-4, Jesus tells his disciples how to pray: And he said to them,
“Heavenly father, in all this may your name be exalted above all and your glory be shown through this trial. Accomplish your will in this situation and give so-and-so wisdom to discern your will in all of this. Please provide or continue to provide for so-and-so what he/she needs. Forgive so-and-so, for we all are sinners and give so-and-so the grace to forgive those that he/she may have grievances with. Keep so-and-so’s heart focused on you and give him/her reprieve from the evil that surrounds him/her. In all this may your name be made known.”
The above prayer uses the Lord’s Prayer for a guide. Using the Lord’s Prayer as a matrix to lay your own prayer into gives a template to form an effective prayer for any situation, even the ones in which we don’t know how to pray, or what to pray for. A prayer, as was mentioned earlier, can also be a plea or a cry, meaning that the form of the Lord’s Prayer is not requisite of a prayer. In Matthew 26, we see Jesus in Gethsemane praying to God: Matthew 26:39 and going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying,
This question is a very simple question because it has a very simple answer. Let’s start by looking at the apostle Paul. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he begins with a reflection of how he himself prays when he says I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day in 2 Timothy 1:3. When does Paul pray? Both day and night. In Paul’s magnum-opus of theological revelation, his letter to the Romans, he talks about in chapter 12 verses 9-13, the marks of a true Christian. In verse 12 he lists Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. From this verse, we can conclude that a Christian is to pray when: Constantly. Paul brings this up in other letters as well. Ephesians 6:18: praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Colossians 4:2: Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. So, the answer to the question of when do we pray is constantly, continuously, without ceasing.
Prayer is the very life-force that should drive a Christian; therefore naturally, a Christian should have an insatiable hunger for prayer. Prayer should be to a Christian what water is to a fish. Prayer is very important, and if you find yourself at a point in which you do not desire prayer, I would urge you to step back and examine what you are trying to draw your life-force from if not from prayer. Prayer is what drives us, it’s what sustains us. It is prayer that lets us do Gods work, and it is prayer, that if left undone, will prevent us from living the life we were created to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment