Teaching about Prayer

Verses 5-15: Teaching about prayer:

This section included teaching about prayer and the Lord gives us the ‘Lord’s Prayer’

Prayer

1.      Should be to the:

a.       Father (Psalm 5:2; Mat 4:10; 6:6-9)

b.      Son (Luke 23:42, John 14:14;  1 Cor 1:2 [Comp Psalm 116:4]; Acts 7:59)

c.       Holy Spirit (2 Thess 3:5) [Please see the note below]

2.      Should be in Christ’s name (Eph 2:18)

3.      God will answer the prayer (Psalm 99:6, Isaiah 58:9; Jeremiah 33: 3)

4.      Ask in Christ’s name and it will be received (John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23)

5.      Prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16)

6.      We have to pray with:

a.       A sincere heart in full assurance of faith (Heb 10:22)

b.      Worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:22-24; 1 Cor 14:15)

c.       Not from deceitful lips (Psalm 17:1)

d.      With hope that prayer will be answered (Psalms 27:7; 102:2; 108:6; 143:1)

e.       In day and night (1 Titus 5:5)

f.        Continually (1 Thess 5:17)

g.       Everywhere and anywhere ( 1 Tim 2:8)

h.       Should be in everything (Philippians 4:6)

i.         Should do in secret with and without babbling (Mat 6:5,7)

j.        In repentance (Isaiah 36:7???; Isaiah 55:6-7)

k.      In humility (Genesis 18:27)

l.         With an attitude of deep love and respect for God (Ezra 8:21)

m.     With fasting (Nehemiah  1:4, Daniel 9:3, Acts 13; 3)

n.       Pray with thanksgiving  (Philippians 4:6; Colo 4:2)

o.      Share your sorrows and joys with God (James 5:13)

p.      For wisdom and discernment (James 1:5 [see also 1 Kings 3:5-14])

q.      For all your needs (Philip 4:6-7; Matt. 7:7; 1 Tim. 2: 1)

r.        Ask according to His will (1 John 5: 14)

7.      Family/group prayer is answered (Matthew 18:19; Jeremiah 10:25)

8.      Public prayers will be heard  (2 Chronicles 7:14,16) and blessed (Exodus 20:24; beseech each other [Hebrew 10:25])

9.      Prayer of intercession:

a.       For kings and rulers (1 Tim 2: 2)

b.      For servants of Christ Jesus (2 Cor 1:11, Phil. 1:19)

c.       For the church (Psalms 122:6; Isaiah 62:6,7)

d.      For all the saints (Eph 6:18)

e.       For all the people (1 Tim 5:14)

f.        For spiritual and physical healing of yourself and others (James 5:16)

g.       For sick people (James 5:14)

h.       For those who persecute you (Matt 5:44)

i.         Who desert us (2 Tim 4; 16)

j.        For your enemies ( Mat 5:44)

10.  Praying alone: Our Lord prayed alone and it is a model for us  (Mat 6:6; 14:23; 26:36; Mark 1:35; Luke 9:18, 29)

[Note: 2 Thessalonians 3:5:  “And may our Lord direct your hearts to the love of God”]   

The Holy Spirit is the Love of God, the Father, for the Son, and the Love of the Son for the Father, so the reference to the love of God could be a reference to the Holy Spirit.  Also, please see the other verses below. 

 Romans 15:30“I urge you (brothers), by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf …”

Ephesians 6:18 “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones …”

Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.

Jude 20 “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.”

The answer for Prayer:

1.      Sometimes quick (Isaiah 65:24; Daniel 9:21,23; 10:12)

2.      Sometimes slow (Luke 18:7)

3.      Sometimes against our wish (2 Cor 12:8,9)

4.      Sometimes more than we wish for (Eph. 3: 20)

Who is answered?

1.      To who seek God wholeheartedly (Psalm 34:4)

2.      For those who pray with belief (Mat 21:22; James 5:15; Heb. 11: 6; Matt. 17: 20)

3.      Who pray in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:13)

4.      For those who obey the commandments (1 John 3:22; 5:14)

5.      For those who live in Christ (John 15:7)

Who is not answered?

1.      Who pray wrong motives  (James 4:3)

2.      Who pray in doubt (James 1:6,7)

3.      Who has iniquity in his heart (Palm 66:18)

4.      Who live in sin (John 9:31; Psalm 66:18; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 59:2)

5.      Who is proud (Luke 18:11,12,14)

6.      Pray without concentration (Isaiah 26:20; 2 Kings 4:3). These verses literally say pray in seclusion; that to close the door to our heart and pray.

7.      If you babble like pagans. Many people think that one may get more out of a prayer if he repeats the same prayers thousands of times. Without concentration any prayer is babbling. Even the length of the prayer and repeating of same prayer – if the focus is on it, rather than concentration of the prayer then it is babbling.