‘Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart’ Luke 18:1
Have you ever wondered how to strengthen your prayer life and how to pray effective prayers? There are various ideologies and teachings about prayer. In this blog post, we will focus on what the scripture says about prayer, and how to pray according to the bible.
What is prayer
Prayer is communication with God. It is a two-way interaction; we speak to God and He speaks to us. Prayer is the live wire of our relationship with God, it is a vital part of our connection with Him. Like a fish gets its sustenance from the water and cannot function outside it, so also man was not made to function outside of communion with his Maker. Prayer is that connection between us and God.
Learning how to pray according to the Bible
How should we begin to pray? Are there steps we should take or things to consider when praying? Does it even matter how we pray? Jesus Himself gave us a blueprint in Matthew 6:9-13, popularly called the Lord’s prayer.
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.” (ESV)
The Blueprint of Prayer.
As we read the Lord’s prayer, we see a pattern that Jesus outlined for us to follow. You may consider these as the steps of prayer or the model of prayer. If we want to learn how to pray effective prayers, we will need to follow the prototype Jesus gave us.
‘Our Father in heaven’; Acknowledge God’s sovereignty
‘O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.’ Jeremiah 10:23
‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.’ Hebrews 11:6
God is our Creator and Father. When we come to Him, we must first acknowledge who He is. We must come with our whole hearts, acknowledging our need for Him as our Lord.
‘Hallowed be thy name’; Come with Praise and Worship
‘Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.’ Psalm 100:4
‘God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
God is looking for sincere people who will praise and worship Him with all their hearts. Start by thanking Him for who He is and for all He has done. If you are not sure how to do this, the Book of Psalms in the Bible is full of scriptures and examples on how to worship God. I explain more about the importance of praise in my blog post, “Leaning into God’s heart; What the bible says about praise”
‘Thy Kingdom come’; Seek first the Kingdom
‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’ Matthew 6:33
The Kingdom of God is God’s way of doing things and establishing his will and purposes on the earth. Ask the Lord to show you what His plan is for your life, for your family, for the church, and the people around you. Search the Bible for scriptures that speak about God’s Kingdom and ask the Holy Spirit to explain what it means to you. God wants you to know what He is doing on the earth. If only you would ask Him.
‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’; Pray that God’s will be done on earth
‘So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.’ Ezekiel 22:30
When God Has shown you His will, pray! Pray that His purposes and plans will be established on the earth. God is seeking people who will take His words to Him in prayer. He is seeking people who will pray not just for themselves but also for others. He is seeking people who will pray not only for their immediate environment but also for the nations. God is looking for you!
‘Give us this day our daily bread’- Make your requests
‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.’ Philippians 4:6
‘Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ 1 John 5:14-15
God hears us when we pray. So, ask Him for what you need. While we have established that this should not be the entire focus of our prayers, God wants us to ask! So, ask according to His will. Believe what He says in His word and He will answer.
And forgive us as we forgive others; A focus on relationships
‘Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.‘ Matthew 5:23-24
‘Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.‘ Matthew 18:21-22
The premise of our relationship with God is that when we were sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). This means that Jesus forgave us before we ever knew we needed forgiveness. Because of this, we can also forgive others even without them realising that they have wronged us. God wants us to live in peace with one another, and to let go of any grievances so that our hearts may be pure before Him. Bring that hurt before the Lord, and let it go.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; Praying through trials and temptations
‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.’ 1 Corinthians 10:13
Prayer strengthens us against the trials of life and enables us to fight temptations. Ask God for help with that situation that bothers you. Going through a test? Let the Lord give you wisdom to navigate it. Struggling with things that go against God’s ways? Give it to God. Be honest about what it is and ask for help to overcome it. God is near to those who call to Him with sincere hearts, and He will save and deliver.
Practical tips for effective prayer
Using the scriptures as a guide, here are some practical tips for praying effectively.
Specific time and place
‘But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.‘ Matthew 6:6-8
For prayer to be effective, it needs to be consistent. One of the ways to develop a prayer life is to have a specific time and place where you come to God daily in prayer.
Study the bible
To know God’s will and how He speaks, you need to know what He has already said in His written word, the bible. Spending time daily studying the scriptures will help you know what God’s will is and what you should pray about.
Pray from your heart
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.’ Matthew 6:7
When you pray, do not come with only your words when your mind is somewhere else. Come with your whole self before the Lord. The weight of prayer is not in the number of words you say, so do not try to impress God. Speak to God from your heart and the Lord who searches the heart will answer you.
Do not forget to listen
Remember that God speaks! So, take time to listen when you pray. One of the ways God speaks to us is through His word so pay attention to the scriptures that come to your heart when you pray and write them down. Meditate on the words God speaks to you, for in them you will find everything you need for life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.’ John 14:26
Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our Helper and He will teach us all Things. He will show us how to pray. So, ask Him. Simply say, Dear Holy Spirit, please teach me how to pray, help me to pray with my whole heart. In Jesus name. Amen.
Start today
God is calling us to seek Him in prayer. There are many things He wants to say to us which will be revealed to us when we wait on the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you as you start this journey, and He will be there to lead you.
‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3
If you do not know the Lord, if you have not yet met Jesus, this is your opportunity. He’s calling you today.
Say this prayer with me.
‘Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me the importance of prayer. Help me to seek you. I acknowledge that you are my Father and I declare you are my Lord. I surrender my life to you. Please teach me how to pray. In Jesus name. Amen.
How has this helped you? How will you be implementing this model in your personal prayer time? Let me know in the comments.
