This subject is designed for believers to learn and acquire the core values in the understanding of true Christian discipleship as taught by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures. These principles are expected to direct the believer’s life and heart towards God’s glory. The subject that will be discussed here is Prayer.

I. What is Prayer?

A. Prayer is not:

1. About Self-Glorification Luke 18:9-14 (KJV) ⁹ And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.¹¹  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.¹²  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.¹³  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.¹⁴  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

2. About Sounding Eloquent Matthew 6:5-8 (KJV) ⁵ “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.⁶  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.⁷  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.⁸  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

3. About Your Desires James 4:1-3 (KJV) ¹ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ² Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.A

B. Prayer is:

Prayer is communion with and our dependence on God expressed in various ways.

1. Aspects of Prayer

a. Worship and Praise of God This is rendering to God the honor, respect, glory, his holy Majesty because he is worthy.

b. Thanksgiving to God It is gratitude for God for His many benefits and wondrous works.

c. Confession of Sins Prof. Jim Ross cup states, “some see confession wrongly as a kind of glib rattling off of words by rote. God is a king of slot machine, forgiving in a mechanical, automatic way. This can be hollow, insincere, trivial, just going through the motions. It can misuse God and cheapen His forgiveness. It is no more serious than a casual transaction at a store as you pass by the cash register. It is traffic in High Park Rossi and manipulation.” Thus, confession acknowledges one’s violation of God’s rightful and righteous authority with the intention to further honor Him.

d. Petitions to God These are requests to honor God through unity with God’s spirit and other believers. Therefore, our request all to be God-centered not me-centered.

e. Intersession It is petitions on behalf of others.

f. Affirmations This involves making direct declarations or statements about God. It could be about his love, powerful, some exploit he has done in the process of time. He also can affirm and attribute of God, he has done, or the details of a personal circumstance.

2. Attitudes of Prayer This relates to one’s emotional disposition while praying. (this section will look at for such attitudes).

a. Listening This is a spirit of being devoted to paying attention to God’s leading. This prepares believers to pray in a more caring and pertinent way without various things.

b. Watching It is an attitude of readiness through discernment to be aware of matters to pray about.

c. Waiting This means showing faith by hoping confidently and expecting patiently for God to act. This attitude displays reliance on the Lord also reflects love for him that will keep on keeping on in trust because of holding Him in high, loving regard as the one who cares about our burdens.

d. Meditating This can be an aspect or attitude, or both consistently at the same time. It refers to focusing thought only God and on his Word. This could also include things of life as related to his will, people in need of our prayers and other faithful action. It is attentive reflection, letting the inter being contemplate on God and/or His will. It can be done when dwelling on his word or in memory stored up when thinking on the things of God, or things to which his will relates, in the whole sweep of life.

II. Biblical Lessons on Prayer

A. God Uses people Devoted to Prayer Scripture teaches us that God uses men and women whose life is devoted to prayer. This section will look at for such people.

1. Jesus Christ Mark 1:35 : And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 6:12
 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luke 9:18
And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, “Whom say the people that I am?”

Luke 11:1
 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2. The Apostle Paul

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (KJV)
⁷  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
⁸  For this thing I besought the Lord 3 times, that it might depart from me.⁹  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Philippians 1:9-11
⁹  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
¹⁰  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
¹¹  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

3. Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:1-11
¹  The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
²  That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
³  And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
⁴  And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
⁵  And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
⁶  Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
⁷  We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
⁸  Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
⁹  But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
¹⁰  Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
¹¹  O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

4. Hannah

1 Samuel 1:1-10
¹ Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: ² And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³ And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. ⁴ And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: ⁵ But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. ⁶ And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. ⁷ And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. ⁸ Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? ⁹ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. ¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

B. Prayer is Spiritual Warfare

1. The Word of God

John 15:7 (KJV)
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.”

Psalm 119:97-100
⁹⁷ O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. ⁹⁸ Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. ⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

2. Knowledge of God

1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)
¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

3. Submission to God

Psalm 139:23-24
²³  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

4. Faith

Matthew 21:22
²² “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Mark 11:24
²⁴  “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

C. Prayer Recognizes the Sovereignty of God This makes the Bible only source for the testament of God’s deeds.

III. The Essential Aspects of Prayer . A. The Holy Spirit Helps Our Prayer the Bible is clear that we are unable to pray as we ought to; because of our depravity. It is God the Holy Spirit working through us every time we pray.

Romans 8:26-27
²⁶  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
²⁷  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Ephesians 6:18
¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

B. Praying in the Name of Jesus The authority of Scripture means that all the words in the Bible are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word in Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.

1. To Whom the Promise is Made

a. It is made to those that believe in Christ

John 14:12
¹² “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

b. It is made to those that love and obey Christ

John 14:15
¹⁵ ” If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

2. What it Means to Pray in the Name of Jesus

For the promise to be fulfilled in John 14:13- 14 one must believe in Christ plus love and obey him, he or she also are required to pray in the name of Jesus. So, what does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? There are two elements to praying in the name of Jesus, which are: (1) praying based off the merits of Jesus and (2) praying for the sake of the glory of Christ.

a. Praying based off the Merits of Jesus

Hebrews 10:19-23
¹⁹ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹ And having an high priest over the house of God; ²² Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

b. Praying for the Sake of the Glory of Christ

1 Peter 4:11
¹¹  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

IV. Key Truths About Prayer

A. Prayer is Expected

B. Prayer is Learned

C. Prayer is Answered

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