Prayer: A Lifeline to God
Introduction:
Prayer, a fundamental practice in the life of faith, is far more than a religious ritual. It is a vital communication line between humanity and God, a means of expressing our deepest needs, offering praise, seeking guidance, and experiencing His presence. This study will delve into the essence of prayer through selected biblical passages, exploring its origins, necessity, nature, and power.
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First Mentioned Prayer:
• Genesis 4:26: "At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord." While not a formal prayer as we might understand it, this verse marks a significant turning point in human history. It signifies the beginning of conscious communion with God, an acknowledgment of His existence and a reaching out to Him. This early invocation suggests a primal human need to connect with the divine.
Your Universal Need:
• Psalm 65:2: "You who answer prayer, to you all people will come." This psalm highlights the universal human need for prayer. It recognizes God as the one who hears and answers, drawing all people to Him in their times of need, praise, and seeking. Prayer is presented as a natural response to the awareness of God's power and willingness to engage with humanity.
• Isaiah 56:7: "these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." This prophecy emphasizes God's intention for His house to be a place of prayer for all nations, underscoring the universality of this spiritual practice. It transcends cultural and ethnic boundaries, inviting all to connect with Him through prayer.
• Luke 11:2: "He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.”’" Jesus himself instructs his disciples on how to pray, indicating its essential role in the life of a believer. The very act of Jesus teaching on prayer underscores its universal necessity for those who follow Him.
The Help of the Holy Spirit:
• Romans 8:26: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." This profound verse reveals the crucial role of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life. Recognizing our human limitations and inability to always articulate our needs perfectly, the Spirit Himself intercedes on our behalf.
• Romans 8:27: "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with God’s will." God, who knows our hearts, understands the Spirit's intercession, which is always in line with His perfect will. This assures us that even when our prayers feel inadequate, the Spirit bridges the gap.
Prayers of the Saints, Precious:
• Revelation 5:8: "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people." This symbolic imagery portrays the prayers of the saints as precious offerings, likened to fragrant incense. They are presented before the Lamb, signifying their value and acceptance by God.
• Revelation 8:3: "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar before the throne." This verse further emphasizes the significance of the saints' prayers, depicting them mingled with incense and offered before God's throne. Their prayers are not lost but are a vital part of the heavenly reality.
Ordered Prayer:
This section highlights the consistent call to prayer and various aspects of its practice.
• 1 Chronicles 16:11: "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." This exhortation emphasizes the continuous nature of seeking God, which includes prayer. It’s not a once-in-a-while activity but an ongoing orientation of the heart towards Him.
• Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing." This powerful command calls for a constant attitude of prayerfulness, an awareness of God's presence throughout our day. It doesn't necessarily mean being on our knees constantly, but rather maintaining a heart that is open and responsive to God.
• James 5:13: "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise." This verse highlights the appropriate response to various life circumstances: prayer in times of trouble and praise in times of joy. It underscores the relevance of prayer in all seasons of life.
• Matthew 14:23: "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone." Jesus's own practice of withdrawing to pray demonstrates the importance of dedicated time for communion with the Father.
• Matthew 7:7: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." This encouraging promise underscores the importance of persistent prayer. God invites us to ask, seek, and knock, assuring us of His responsiveness.
• Matthew 26:41: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Jesus emphasizes the need for prayer as a means of spiritual vigilance and strength in the face of temptation.
• Luke 18:1: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." This parable highlights the necessity of perseverance in prayer, even when answers seem delayed.
• Luke 21:36: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." This exhortation links prayer with spiritual preparedness for future events.
• John 16:24: "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Jesus encourages prayer offered in His name, promising that it leads to answered prayers and fullness of joy.
• Ephesians 6:18: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the Lord’s people." This verse calls for diverse and persistent prayer, guided by the Spirit and encompassing the needs of the entire Christian community.
• Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." This passage offers prayer as an antidote to anxiety, encouraging us to bring all our concerns to God with gratitude.
• Colossians 4:2: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." This exhortation emphasizes the need for consistent and attentive prayer, coupled with thankfulness.
• 1 Timothy 2:8: "Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing." This verse provides guidance on the attitude and posture of prayer.
Selected Readings:
The provided selected readings offer rich examples of different aspects of prayer:
• Genesis 18:23-32 (Abraham's Intercession): This passage illustrates bold and persistent intercessory prayer. Abraham pleads with God for the sake of Sodom, demonstrating a heart of compassion and a willingness to engage with God on behalf of others.
• Genesis 32:24-30 (Jacob's Wrestling): This unique encounter portrays prayer as a struggle, a fervent wrestling with God for a blessing. Jacob's persistence and determination highlight the intensity that prayer can sometimes involve.
• 2 Samuel 7:18-29 (David's Prayer of Thanksgiving and Commitment): David's prayer after God's covenant with him is a model of humility, gratitude, and commitment. He acknowledges God's grace and expresses his desire to live according to His will.
• 1 Kings 8:22-61 (Solomon's Prayer of Dedication): Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple is a powerful example of corporate prayer, seeking God's presence and blessing upon His people and their place of worship.
• Luke 11:1-13 (The Lord's Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Friend): Jesus teaches his disciples the model prayer and encourages persistence in prayer through the parable of the friend at midnight, emphasizing God's willingness to answer.
• Luke 18:1-8 (The Parable of the Persistent Widow): This parable further underscores the importance of unwavering persistence in prayer, assuring believers that God, the righteous judge, will ultimately bring justice.
• John 17 (Jesus' High Priestly Prayer): This profound prayer reveals Jesus' intimate relationship with the Father and his deep concern for his disciples and all future believers. It encompasses themes of glorification, unity, protection, and sanctification.
Answered Prayers: Testimonies of God's Faithfulness
The Bible is replete with accounts of answered prayers, serving as powerful testimonies to God's attentiveness, compassion, and power. These examples encourage us in our own prayer lives, demonstrating that God hears and responds to the cries of His people. Let's examine some notable instances:
Moses:
• Exodus 15:24: "So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’" Faced with the people's desperate thirst in the wilderness, Moses turned to God in prayer.
• Exodus 15:25: "Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink." God miraculously provided a solution to their need in direct response to Moses's prayer.
Gideon:
• Judges 6:39: "Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let the fleece be dry and the ground covered with dew.’" Gideon sought confirmation of God's will through specific signs.
• Judges 6:40: "That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew." God graciously answered Gideon's repeated requests, providing the assurance he needed to lead Israel.
• Judges 13:9: "God heard Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared to his wife again while she was sitting in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her." Manoah prayed for the angel to reappear and instruct them further, and God answered his prayer.
Hannah (Mother of Samuel):
• 1 Samuel 1:27: "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." Hannah's fervent and persistent prayer for a son was answered by God, who blessed her with Samuel.
Samuel:
• 1 Samuel 7:9: "Then Samuel took a young lamb and offered it whole as a burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him." As the Philistines attacked, Samuel prayed for Israel, offering a sacrifice.
• 1 Samuel 7:10: "While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines that day and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites." God intervened miraculously in response to Samuel's prayer, delivering Israel from their enemies.
Solomon:
• 1 Kings 9:3: "The Lord said to him: ‘I have heard the prayer and petition you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.’" God directly acknowledged and answered Solomon's prayer of dedication for the temple, promising His presence.
Elijah:
• 1 Kings 18:37: "Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." On Mount Carmel, Elijah prayed for God to demonstrate His power.
• 1 Kings 18:38: "Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench." God answered spectacularly with fire from heaven, confirming His deity and answering Elijah's prayer.
• 2 Kings 6:18: "As the Arameans came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, ‘Strike this army with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked." Elisha's prayer for protection against the Aramean army was answered with a miraculous blindness falling upon them.
Hezekiah:
• 2 Kings 19:19: "Now, Lord our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God." Facing Sennacherib's threat, Hezekiah prayed for deliverance and for God's name to be glorified.
• 2 Kings 19:20: "Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.’" God responded to Hezekiah's prayer through the prophet Isaiah, assuring him of deliverance.
• 2 Chronicles 32:21: "And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men, commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he returned to his own land in disgrace." God's intervention in answer to Hezekiah's prayer was decisive and miraculous.
Jehoshaphat:
• 2 Chronicles 18:31: "When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they cried out, ‘This is the king of Israel!’ Then they surrounded him to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him." Jehoshaphat's cry for help in the midst of battle was heard, and God intervened to protect him.
Ezra:
• Ezra 8:23: "So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer." Before embarking on a dangerous journey, Ezra and his companions prayed and fasted for God's protection, and their prayer was answered.
Zacharias:
• Luke 1:13: "But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.’" After years of barrenness, Zacharias's prayer for a child was answered by the miraculous announcement of John the Baptist's birth.
Early Church:
• Acts 4:31: "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." The early believers prayed for boldness to speak God's word, and God answered with a tangible manifestation of His power and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Promised Answers:
These verses offer assurances of God's willingness to hear and answer prayer:
• Psalm 91:15: "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him."
• Isaiah 41:17: "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them."
• Isaiah 58:9: "Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."
• Isaiah 65:24: "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."
• Jeremiah 33:3: "‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’"
• Zechariah 13:9: "This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’"
• Luke 11:9: "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
• John 14:14: "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
• John 15:7: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
• 1 John 3:22: "and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him."
Causes of Failure in Prayer
- Disobedience, Dt 1:45 ; 1Sm 14:37; 28:6.
- Hidden sins, Ps 66:18 .
- Indifference, Pr 1:28 .
- Neglect of mercy, Pr 21:13 .
- Contempt for the Law, Prov 28:9
- Bloodguilt, Isa 1:15 .
- Iniquity, Isa 59:2 ; Mic 3: 4 .
- Stubbornness, Zech 7:13.
- Instability, James 1:6,7.
- Intemperance, James 4:3.
Conditions for success in prayer
- Contrition 2Chr 7:14 Isa 58:9
- Sincerity Jr 29:13
- Faith Mark 11:24
- Justice James 5:16
- Obedience 1 John 3:22 1 John 5:14
Examples of Sentences
- Abraham, by Sodom, Gen 18:23.
- Jacob, at Peniel, Gen 32:24.
- David, when he was denied the privilege of building the Temple, 2 Sam 7:18.
- Solomon, at Gibeon, 1Ki 3:6.
- Solomon, at the dedication of the Temple, 1Ki 8:22.
- Hezekiah, in the invasion of Sennacherib: 2Ki 19:15; 1Chr 17:16 .
- Ezra, for the sins of the people, Ezra 9:6.
- Daniel, for the Jewish captives, Dan 9:4.
- Habakkuk, Habakkuk 3:1 .
- The Lord's Prayer, Mt 6:9.
- Christ's intercessory prayer, John 17:1.
- Paul, to the Ephesians, Eph 3:14
