Believers are one in God (John 17:21), abide in Him (Jn 15:4-5) and Christ lives in us (Gal 2:20, Col 1:27), so why do we need to pray? One answer to this is that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16), completely one with God (Jn 17:21) and he still prayed. So long as we are righteous, and the prayer is “effectual fervent prayer”, according to James 5:16, it “avails much.” We believe in many different forms of prayer, different types of prayer are right for different times as God leads us. Let’s read our Bible without preconceived ideas, while listening to God and what Godly people said who really knew how to pray, and see what the Bible really says about this important activity.
There are many scriptures that demonstrate the authority we have in God so that we can command mountains to move (e.g. Mark 11:23), and there is no Scripture that tells us to ask God to move the mountains. If we believe when we pray, we will have the things that we desire (Mark 11:24). Jesus also said that prayer to be seen by men will be rewarded on earth but not in heaven (Mt 6:5), and we are not to use vain repetitions in prayer (Mt 6:7) or ask just for our own pleasure (James 4:3). Another condition to be met if we are to receive what we ask for in prayer is that we abide in Jesus and his words abide in us (John 15:7). Effective prayer is also about asking in faith (James 1:6) and according to his will (1 John 5:14).
We love soaking and the ecstasy of God, and this is one vital aspect of prayer (again we recommend the book, “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence). Some people play down or even ignore asking God for things in prayer, but the Bible tells us to do it. If we do not ask God for things, we may miss out from receiving things from God. Yes, He has already freely given us all things, but he still wants us to ask. He wants humility and total dependence on Him. As James 4:2 puts it so well, “ye have not, because ye ask not.” There are so many scriptures that tell us to ask God for things and petition Him:
- John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
- John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name:
- Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
- Mt 9:38, Lu 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
- 1Th 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
There are so many scriptures which instruct us to pray for things or people. Each of these verses uses the Greek word proseuchomai, which means to wish, speak out, utter aloud towards. It involves speaking to God. Even after the finished work of the cross we are still commanded to speak aloud to God.
- Notice in Ro 8:26, it is the Holy Spirit who intercedes when we don’t know what to pray for, through our groanings, that is with our mouth, this most probably means prayer in tongues. Let’s let God use us to intercede, and we may need to step out and start speaking, but we need to realise that it is the Holy Spirit who intercedes – there are no scriptures which say we intercede of ourselves.
- Mt 5:44 pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
- Mt 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: …..Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
- Lu 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
- Lu 11:2-4 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, ….Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
- 1Co 14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
- Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
- Col 1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
- Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
- Col 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
- 1Th 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.
- 2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
- 2Th 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
- Heb 13:18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
- Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
- Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
- 1Jo 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
As we have already said, even Jesus, who was totally one with the Father, prayed to God for things:
- Mt 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
- John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
- John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
- John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
- John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
So we are encouraged to pray by asking God for things to receive from Him and communicating with God. There are conditions for answered prayer, which include faith, abiding in Him and His word abiding in us, asking according to his will and not using vain repetitions.