Why and How do I pray?

Why and How do I pray?

Since he respects our freedom of choice and free will, prayer enables him to step into our lives. God has limited his powers in our lives to the importance that we place on prayer. Prayer gives God the permission to do what he has been longing to do all the time. Even when we do not see anything significant occurring, God is still at work solving the problem. When there are apparently no answers, God is still is waiting for the proper time to give us the solution. (http://robertwells.tripod.com/howtopray.html)

1.   What is Christian Prayer?

 Read : Matthew 6: 5-13

God cares deeply about each and every one of our problems and is just waiting for us to come to him with all our problems. The Bible tells us over and over to constantly bring our problems to our Heavenly Father. Prayer is not to inform God of something which He may not be aware of or to try to convince Him to love us more. He already knows our needs and He has certainly shown his love. Prayer's purpose is to assist us in building our relationship with God

Prayer is the most important activity of our lives

Through prayer we have access to the Father

“but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you’re Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”

Matthew 6: 6,9

Through the Son

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  Ephesians 2: 18

By the Holy Spirit.

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 Romans 8: 26

2.   Why pray?

                             i.        Model of Jesus

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1: 25)

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (Luke 6:12)

Once when Jesus was praying in private… (Luke 9:18)

About eight days after Jesus said this; he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28)

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

                           ii.        Developing a relationship with God

God cares deeply about each and every one of our problems and is just waiting for us to come to him with all our problems. The Bible tells us over and over to constantly bring our problems to our Heavenly Father. Prayer is not to inform God of something which He may not be aware of or to try to convince Him to love us more. He already knows our needs and He has certainly shown his love. Prayer's purpose is to assist us in building our relationship with God (http://robertwells.tripod.com/howtopray.html)

                          iii.        Rewards of prayer

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 16:24)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4: 6,7)

                          iv.        Results of Prayer

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who sees finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will you give a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? (Matthew 7:7-11)

3.   Does God always answer prayer?

Yes, but we don’t always get what we want. God cannot act against his nature.

Barriers to unanswered prayers:

a)   Unconfessed Sin

But your sin has separated you from you God, your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2)

b)   Unforgiveness

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14,15)

c)   Disobedience

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21,22)

d)   Wrong Motives

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2, 3)

e)   Misapprehension of the will of God

‘Good Gifts’

God will answer ‘No’ if the things we ask for ‘are either not good in themselves, or not good for us or for others, directly or indirectly, immediately or ultimately.’ – John Stott

4. How do we pray?

·       A – ADORATION

·       C – CONFESSION

·       T – THANKSGIVING

·       S – SUPPLICATION

Model of the Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6: 9:13

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
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 trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

There are four basic steps involved in the proper way to pray.

1--Bring the problem to God's attention immediately. But always keep the problem God centered and not problem centered.
2--Supplication. The definition of supplication is---a very honest and clear confession that tells God that you need his help.
3--Then focus on God and not on the problem. Keep in mind that our prayers are always to be God centered.
4--Thanksgiving. You are thankful because you know the following about our great and mighty and glorious God.

• That you can come to the Father with your problems anytime
• That he is concerned about you
• That he loves you
• That he said that he would help you
• That he will see you through this problem
• That he has the power to solve this problem
• That you trust him 100%

(http://robertwells.tripod.com/howtopray.html)