Eight Keys to Personal Prayer

The following is an excerpt from Prayer Life by Winfield Bevins. Download the eBook here. --

We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible’s idea of prayer is that we may get to know God himself. - Oswald Chambers

Prayer is first and foremost a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Some people think of prayer like a business transaction or as something they have to do just like checking something off a to do list. But that isn’t really prayer at all. We should think of prayer in intimate terms like a conversation between close friends. What are some words that you think of when you think of an intimate friendship? You will probably think of words like loving, caring, warm, sincere, personal, and intimate. These are words that should be used to describe our prayer time with the Lord. Prayer should not be dry or stuffy; rather it should be warm and intimate. How can you develop a personal prayer life?

Before You Pray

Before praying, there are four things that we should take into consideration. First, schedule a regular prayer time. Find a time everyday to spend in prayer. The important thing is that we should be consistent. The psalmist said that he prayed seven times a day. Second, choose a private place to pray. A prayer closet could be anywhere as long as it is private. You can use your garage, pantry, front porch, or any other creative place where you can get alone with God. Some people pray while driving in their car and others pray while working-out or running. Third, try to limit distractions. Don’t pray in the same room that you may watch television or be tempted by other activities. Lastly, have a prayer list to guide your prayers that includes family, friends, church, etc. This will ensure that you don’t forget important things to pray for.

Keys to Personal Prayer

Every believer can have a dynamic personal prayer life. The Bible gives us the keys that we need to develop a powerful prayer life. The Scriptures are full of examples of men and women who walked with God and used prayer to impact their world and you can do the same thing through prayer. The following are Scriptural ways you can develop a deeper more fulfilling personal prayer life.

1. Pray In Jesus Name.

Real prayer is Christological and focuses on the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are numerous New Testament references that talk about the importance of praying in the name of Jesus. Jesus Himself said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you” (John 16:23). When we pray in the name of Jesus, God the Father hears us. He responds to the prayer that is offered in the name of His Son Jesus because our relationship with God is through the Son.

2. Pray According to God’s Will.

God is not a Santa Claus in the sky; He does not give us anything we ask for. But in 1 John 5:14 it says, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” This means that when we pray in accordance with His will we can expect an answer. This is why the Lord’s Prayer says, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

3. Scriptural Prayer.

One the best ways to pray is to pray according to the Scriptures. John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My word abides in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” If God’s word is in us then His desires become our desires and we can have the assurance that He will answer our prayers. Make sure that your prayers are in line with Scripture. The Lord always honors His Word. A great example is the Lord’s Prayer.

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4. Keep Commandments.

God honors those who honor His Commandments. Jesus said, “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 John 3:22). If you keep His Commandments and do what is pleasing, then you can be assured that He will hear your prayers.

5. Believe.

The Lord wants us to have faith that He will hear our prayers. Jesus said, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22). In the great faith chapter of the Bible, we are told that, “without faith it is impossible to please im, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). The Lord promises to respond to our prayer of faith.

6. Pray in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer. Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit. Romans 8:26 reads, “Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” We don’t always know how to pray and we don’t always feel like praying. Therefore we need the Spirit’s power to help us pray.

7. Be Persistent.

Don’t give up if you haven’t received an answer to your prayers. Throughout the Bible there are stories of men and women who persevered in prayer. In Luke 18:1-8 there was a little old widow who did not lose heart. James tells us that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

8. Humble Yourself.

Lastly, we are to humble ourselves in prayer. James 4:10 tells us to humble ourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt us. One of my favorite parables about prayer is in Luke 18:9-14, where the Pharisee and tax collector come before God. The Pharisee was proud and boastful, while the tax collector was humble and asked for God’s mercy. We are told that God hears the prayer of the humble. If we humble ourselves in the sight of God he will lift us up.

Closing Prayer

Lord, teach us to pray. We ask that you would make us humble, help us be persistent, and give Your Holy Spirit to help us pray. We ask that you would cleanse our hearts, meet our needs, heal our hurts, and give us strength to call on Your name and to give You glory. In the name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.

Continue reading Prayer Life by Winfield Bevins

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Dr. Winfield Bevins serves as lead pastor of Church of the Outer Banks, which he founded in 2005.  His life’s passion in ministry is discipleship and helping start new churches. He lives in the beautiful beach community of the Outer Banks with his wife Kay and two daughters where he loves to surf and spend time at the beach with his family and friends. Twitter: @winfieldbevins

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Praying For Bad Things to Happen To Bad People

When was the last time you were mad at someone? I mean really mad? Mad enough to pray that God would do something terrible to them? As I read my news feeder this morning articles about the trial of an abortionist in Philadelphia occupied the bandwidth of my iPad. From exposure, to trial details, to commentary on the issues at hand the Gosnell murder trial was front and center. As I read the details of the trial a very sinister and unsanitized thought entered my head. "Maybe they will find him guilty and snip his spine at the base of his neck like he did to all those babies... or worse!" As soon as it was tracking through my frontal lobe though, I felt guilt. How awful that I would think some sort of thought like that towards this man. My Christian upbringing has taught me to reject thoughts like that as vengeful, angry, and wrong. I deserve wrath just as much as Gosnell does. I deserve death for my sin just as deeply as he does. Thinking like that has no place in the mind of a Christian. Or does it? Psalm 137 has long been an intriguing and difficult passage for me to handle. What place does a song that ends with "dash their babies heads against the rocks" have in the Bible? It sounds so vengeful, so vitriol, so wrong. How did a song that elevates the death and vengeance of another people come to be in the Bible, be considered "Christian," or even inspired Scripture? Maybe the problem isn't with the Bible. Maybe the problem is with our view of justice and the place of praying prayers that ask for God to pummel our enemies into dust.

The Imprecatory Category

Within the Psalms themselves we find more than just one example of expressions like Psalm 137. Some have categorized these unique Psalms into a category of prayer labeled "imprecatory Psalms." As C.S. Lewis states in, Reflections on the Psalms: "In some of the Psalms the spirit of hatred which strikes us in the face is like the heat from a furnace mouth." These Psalms are ones in which an appeal to God is made to curse, destroy, or remove an enemy of the writer. They are pleas for vengeance, justice, and equity for the downtrodden.

The problem with this category of Psalm is that it doesn't seem to fit with the other parts of Scripture. How can we pray things like Psalm 109 prays?

 Let his years be few; let someone else take his position. May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow. May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes. May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned. Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children. - Psalm 109:8-12, NLT.

If we’re humble to the Scriptures then, functionally we have to put this category of imprecatory prayers within our Christian lives. If we are going to submit ourselves to the Scripture in every part and believe what the Bible says, then we have to figure out how this kind of prayer fits our lives. The Psalms themselves were collected and used as a worship songbook for the nation of Israel. Psalm 137, as one of the songs of Ascents, was probably recited as the Jews went up to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. Jesus himself most likely recited this Psalm on his way to Jerusalem for one of the Passover Feasts he observed. But can you even imagine the words "Blessed be the one who dashes their babies heads against the rocks" coming out of Jesus' mouth?

A Tolerant Unimprecatory World

It may sound trite to say that our world has stripped the Biblical notions of justice, vengeance and righteous anger from just about anywhere. To look at a person who has deeply sinned against us and pray to God "Let no one be kind to him" is categorically mean. Our tolerance of people who would even pray like this even further diminished. Didn't Jesus himself say, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)? Praying that they have a very difficult time of things in life however doesn't seem to equate with loving your enemy.

Let's face it, the only people our world allows us to be intolerant with are intolerant people. It doesn't fit with the cultural Zeitgeist of our times. Even at its core praying that God strikes down people opposed to us doesn't feel loving. It doesn't feel Christian. Functionally many Christians have just removed these sorts of passages from their Bibles altogether. Worse yet is that we have ignored and forgotten this sort of thing is even in the Bible. The question is are we listening to culture more than we are listening to our Bibles on this issue? Is there room for prayers and songs such as these?

One of the reasons we struggle to pray things like this is because we struggle, culturally, with the concept of justice. More specifically, we have lost the categories of right and wrong. And yet, we all know it is there. The families of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting categorically understand “right” and “wrong”. The recent Boston Marathon bombing and aftermath spoke to us, collectively, as a “wrong” event. Immediately after the capture of the suspected bomber the Boston police department tweeted “justice has won.” Yet without a category of right and wrong, good and evil, the concept of justice falls down everywhere. Justice in its essence means good for the righteous and evil for the wicked. If there is no real rights and no real wrongs in this world, and everything is left as a cultural preference in our society, then justice itself is a construct we can also do away with. Hitler, Stalin, Gosnell, bin Laden, and every rapist, murderer, pedophile, and terrorist should go free and be left alone to their own devices.

Our hearts, internally, don’t leave us with that option. In our hearts, regardless of how relative and tolerant we are, we desire justice. We want right to be right, and the wrong to be wrong. Especially if we are wronged. We want justice.

For this very reason God’s justice comes to us as a welcome relief. God’s justice tells us that he will do the right thing, for the right people, in the right way, at the right time. Justice for God speaks of all his perfections coming to bear on his creation in beautiful exactness. The Scriptures so clearly affirm that God is just, and will always be just. As Abraham attempted to negotiate with God for the safety of the city of Sodom on behalf of the righteous inhabitants there he called forth God’s justice and stated, “Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25, NLT). The tension for us is that we often wonder where God’s justice is. We want justice now. We want blood today. We want punishment and vengeance to fall upon the guilty against us at this very moment. Wrong must be punished; right must be honored.

Entrusting The Means To God

One of the reasons that I appreciate the imprecatory Psalms so much is that they give me a legitimate means by which to express frustration with God about the injustice of this world. They give me a category and an outlet to help me deal with both persons and circumstances of injustice, immorality. They put me in my place and give God the rightful place he has as Lord over all.

When we look at the Imprecatory Psalms we see that the Psalmist isn't just praying ill will on others, and then going out and carrying that ill will out himself. The Psalmist is expressing himself to God in need. He is saying, "God things are so bad here right now because of this, will you enact vengeance upon them because of their wickedness." There is an air of release in praying these things. In appealing to God to act in this way the Psalmist is giving themselves and the outcome over to God. They are entrusting themselves to a faithful Creator. This doesn't mean God, at that moment will do as the person has prayed. It means that the responsibility of setting things straight is put into the hands of the rightful authority.

For many the idea of praying about vengeance and justice is a foreign notion, because we don't want to be mean about it to others. However, God gives us that means as a matter of faith. When I pray about the difficult situations or people in my sphere of life, or the world at large, I am asking God to take control. I am relinquishing my right to stand as judge, jury and executioner and giving that mantle to God.

Vengeance Is Mine, Says the Lord

Often times I think I don't allow myself to pray in these ways because I doubt God will deal with it. I doubt that he will actually act justly, and so I hope that someone else will do it. As soon as I had my thought about Kermit Gosnell I despaired. In my mind I played out the thoughts that the judge would go lenient on him, that he'd get off on a technicality, and that he'd walk free, even lauded, in our society. My despair was brought on by the fact that I had forgotten about the justice of God. I was hoping that someone, somewhere would give this "monster" his due.

Only God can do that rightly. Only God can bring vengeance down upon us because of our sins. With the imprecatory category I can now pray "let his years be few" and stop worrying about whether God will do it full justice. He is fully just. His action will be right and adequate. The end of the Scripture story is very clear, God will bring full, precise, wise justice upon all those who oppose God and his ways. The angels sing “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” (Revelation 16:5–6, ESV). God will give to everyone what they deserve. Justice will be served.

However, for some this justice has already been served. This makes our prayer for justice a tension filled one. For in praying these sorts of things it might so happen in a different manner. The vengeance that God might pour out against wickedness might have already been secured. On the cross Jesus bore the full weight of God's justice and wrath for those who believe. In Jesus violent murder, an unjust and evil act in itself, the righteous justice of God was performed. Jesus as our substitute stood in our place and took our penalty, God’s wrath, for our sins. As I pray for vengeance upon my enemies and wicked people God’s answer might result in the person hearing and receiving the gospel news and believing fully in Jesus. In that case justice has been served. Christ has stood in their place, he has taken their penalty, he has absorbed the full weight of the wrath of God and the vengeance of God has been applied. The offending sinner has been given a clean slate. The question is am I okay with God's mercy and justice in this situation? Will I entrust myself to him to do what he deems best with each and every individual?

Maybe the real problem with our prayers for justice is that we are afraid of God being just, and answering with mercy towards the sinner. It is in the case that we need to repent of our arrogance and self-righteousness. Were we not the ones that were rebellious and wicked and offensive to God as well? Did we not deserve death for our sins? Did not Christ take our punishment himself? Maybe we don’t understand God’s justice.

Pray Boldly

Maybe our faith and prayers are too weak. We don't pray boldly enough for both the justice and mercy of God. Maybe we are missing a means of gospel transformation in our own lives by not taking up the Psalms and praying those words to God. This includes the feelgood "The Lord is my shepherd" (Psalm 23) type Psalms as well as the "may they perish at the rebuke of your face" (Psalm 80) imprecatory prayers.

We ought to pray the entire Psalter, both highs and lows and in so doing let the actions of justice, grace, vengeance, mercy and hope be given over to God, who is faithful and true. Let's pray boldly and let's entrust ourselves to God who pours out his perfect justice at the cross, and will do so again at the Final Judgement. It will make us more compassionate, more bold, and better equipped to deal with hard statements in the Scriptures.

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Jeremy Writebol is the Executive Director of GCD. He is the husband of Stephanie and father of Allison and Ethan. He serves as the lead campus pastor of Woodside Bible Church in Plymouth, MI. He is also an author and contributor to several GCD Books including everPresent and Make, Mature, Multiply. He writes personally at jwritebol.net. You can read all of Jeremy’s articles for GCD here.

The Story of Good Friday

In observance of Good Friday, our resident novelist, Ben Roberts, wrote a reading and response to the narrative of Jesus' sacrificial death. We pray it blesses you as you remember the gospel today.

The Last Supper

The sun sank over the olive groves in the west, and across Jerusalem the doorways were smeared with sacrificial blood. This was Passover, the culmination of high holy week, and though the city was ruled by Rome—occupied by soldiers under the command of procurator Pontius Pilate—families gathered to remember how Jehovah had liberated their ancestors.

When the table had been set and all of His followers had assembled, Jesus—who had been their Rabbi, their Lord—took a towel and a basin of water and washed the feet of his followers. They questioned this: it was a chore for a servant.

But, Jesus continued the task, saying, “You are right to call me Rabbi and Lord, but I tell you a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.”

Then the group took their places at the table, and as they passed the matzo, the unleavened bread, Jesus said, “One of you will betray me.”

His followers were horrified. It confirmed their fears. Hadn’t they heard rumors in Jerusalem? Weren’t the religious leaders conspiring in the temple? But, betrayal by a follower?—this was unthinkable.

Each questioned him, saying, “Not me, Rabbi. Tell me it’s not me.” Jesus looked at Judas, who had already received his blood money from the conspirators. He said, “Go. Buy what we need for the feast.” And, Judas went out into the night.

Then Jesus took the matzo and blessed it and broke it and gave it to each of his followers, saying, “This is my body, broken for you. Take it and eat.”

He took the Passover cup of new wine and gave thanks to Jehovah God and offered it to his followers, saying, “This is my blood—the blood of the covenant, which is shed in atonement for many, for the forgiveness of sins.”

His followers did as he instructed, and Jesus said, “I will not eat or drink with you again until we meet in my Father’s house. After I’m gone, you will have each other. Continue to offer this bread and this wine in remembrance of me. You must love one another just as I have loved you. By this simple act, the whole world will know you are my followers.”

Prayer

Jesus, unite us in fellowship. As we remember you, unite us in communion.By the power of your Holy Spirit. Jesus, blessed is your name on high. Your love for us is infinite. Jesus, let us love one another As we know you love us. To know this love, Jesus, To know the love of your Father, To know your Holy Spirit here among us now. This is eternal life. Hallelujah. Amen.

The Trial

Later that night, Jesus walked with his followers through the olive groves of the Kidron Valley. Many of them were worried, and Peter approached him to say, “Rabbi, I will stay with you through any difficulty.”

But, Jesus told him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you’ll deny me three times.”

They rested in a garden outside the temple walls. Jesus often came to this spot to pray, and this was where Judas led the mob. They found Jesus, surrounded by a group of drowsy followers who all fled when they saw the swords and clubs of the crowd. Only Jesus remained.

Judas approached him, saying, “Rabbi,” and kissed Jesus on the cheek.

Then the mob seized him and brought Jesus to the religious conspirators. They proceeded to accuse him without due process of the law. Jesus listened to the accusations but said nothing.

Caiaphas, the High Priest, asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?”

Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Caiaphas tore his garments and screamed, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy.”

At the first light of day, they hauled him to the Roman court. Pilate questioned Jesus and found him blameless, but the crowd chanted, “Crucify him. Crucify him.”

To avoid a riot, Pilate washed his hands of the business and sentenced Jesus to death.

Jesus’ trial is troubling from a legal stand point. Jewish law prohibited the opening of a trial at night. Jesus was assigned no defender. The allegation of blasphemy was not a capital offense, and trials for capital offenses required at least two days. From the standpoint of Roman law, Jesus was found innocent, and yet he was sentenced with the most extreme penalty of the law simply to keep the peace. In other words, these proceedings were not merely unjust—the trial was illegal. Worse still, Jesus was abandoned by his closest followers. Even Peter denied him three times, cursing and insisting that he didn’t know beloved teacher.

Prayer

Jesus, you were a laughing stock to people who did not know you. Jesus, you were outlawed from human company. You were accused like thief and murderer. Jesus, we have betrayed you to mockery, injustice, and disbelief. Jesus, we have belittled you. We have made much of ourselves. We cry out to you, Lord Jesus. You understand our suffering and sorrow. Give us strength to remain in you, even in our own final dreadful trial. Amen.

The Execution

Following Pilate’s orders, the Roman troops took Jesus into the praetorium, stripped him naked, and forced a crown of thorns onto his head. They beat him with a barbed whip, flaying the skin off his back. As he stood there bleeding and trembling in shock, the soldiers laughed, bowing and calling him your majesty.

Once they were bored with this sport, the soldiers forced Jesus to march through the city, dragging the cross on which they would execute him. He was weakened by the beating. So the soldiers forced a passerby to carry the cross. In this way, they went to a rock quarry east of the city, a place called Golgotha because it looked like a human skull. There the soldiers tied Jesus’ arms to the cross and drove long metal spikes between the two bones of his forearms. His feet they pinned together with a single metal spike through bones of his ankles. Then they lifted the cross into the air, dropping the base into a hole, and left him there to die.

Death by crucifixion is slow. The body gradually asphyxiates. In order to draw breath, Jesus had to lift himself by the nails piercing his arms and legs.

A crowd gathered to mock him, shouting, “You’re the Son of God. Come down off that cross.” The carrion birds circled overhead. Dogs waited beneath.

After several hours of agony, Jesus said, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and gave up his Spirit. The soldiers thrust a spear through his abdomen into his heart and lungs, and he was officially declared dead.

Prayer

Jesus, you are the image of the invisible God, The firstborn over all creation. For you, Jesus, all things were created, Things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, All things have been created through you and for you.

Jesus, you are before all things, And in you all things hold together. You are the head of the body, the church. You are the beginning, The firstborn from among the dead.

Jesus, God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in you. Through you we are reconciled. You made peace through your blood, shed on the cross. Jesus, in our sin, we were once your enemies. In your grace, we are now your brothers and sisters.

By your atonement alone we are holy in God’s sight. In you alone, we are without blemish, free from accusation. Lord let us continue in faith, established and firm, Lord Jesus, give us strength to remain forever In the hope of the gospel. Hallelujah. Amen.

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Ben Roberts (@Benstolemyname) is a follower of Christ & an editor at both Gospel Centered Discipleship & the speculative literary journal, Unstuck. A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers, he lives in Austin with his wife, Jessica and son, Solomon. They fellowship and worship at Austin City Life.

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Other free Easter resources from GCD: Journey to the Cross by Will Walker and Raised? by Jonathan Dodson. 

Biblical Prayer

Editor's Note: This is a repost of On Prayer. It appears at GCD with the writer's permission. ---

Prayer is the great privilege and joy of the believer in Christ, but it can also be a source of frustration and mystery as we seek God. In one sense prayer is quite simple to define – it is coming before God to speak with him and interact in relationship with him. On the other hand, it is hard to carve out time to pray and to understand how prayer functions. In this essay, we will look briefly at the vast subject of prayer in Scripture and in our lives. For those who want to read more, I highly suggest Paul E. Miller’s new work, A Praying Life.

For our brief purposes here, we will take the following path together. First, we will look at some pagan understandings of prayer and how believers in Jesus can at times treat prayer in the same manner. Second, we will look at a few ways in which prayer is described in Scripture. Then we'll close with some guiding principles and practical suggestions relating to living a life of prayer.

Pagan Prayer

In many religions and philosophies of the world, prayer is used to either please or appease some deity. Those who believe in multiple gods have always believed in prayer.  If you prayed the right way, at the right times, with the right trinkets you could get a god on your side. Not a bad gig save one problem: There is one God who is sovereign ruler of the world, and he does not exist to obey our commands or be manipulated by our “prayers” and rituals. There are several ways prayer becomes pagan, even in the mouth of believers in Jesus. We’ll just look at three.

1. Pinata Prayer. Humorously coined by Mark Driscoll, piñata prayer treats God as if he is a big piñata in the sky. If we whack him with the stick of prayer, lots of candy and goodies fall out. Prayer is not just trying to get goodies out of God, but many times we approach it this way.
2. Dancing Prayer. When I was a little kid we had a dog -- a short haired miniature schnauzer named Gretchen. My brother and I loved to make that dog dance in order to get a treat from us. We would make her jump on her hind legs, spin around and do back flips (well, maybe not). When she performed, we would give her a treat. Many times we think if we do the right things, say the right prayers and dance a little, that God will give us a reward for our performance.  This is an odd way to see God: If I pray 'correctly' then God will give me treats.
3. Trading Places. In the early 1980s, there was a movie where Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd “traded places” in life. Murphy was a homeless con man who became the rich tycoon and Aykroyd became the homeless guy. Sometimes, we think by praying we can “trade places” with God. We act as if we are God and can give orders to get what we want. Remember, we are his servants and we exist for his glory, not the other way around. I know it is silly to think of prayer as telling God what to do, but that doesn’t keep us from doing it. There are even preachers on TV that encourage this sort of thing.

If we do not want to pray in these ways, we must look at how Scripture presents a life of prayer. We’ll look at this issue by describing biblical prayer then close with some practical stuff.

Biblical Prayer

In Scripture we find descriptions of people praying, recorded prayers, as well as commands and instruction about prayer. Although this will be far from complete, there are several ways we see prayer described in the Bible.

1. Prayer is approaching God and desiring to be relationally in his presence. In Psalm 42:1-2, we read the following: "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" We see the same idea in the New Testament. We are encouraged to "approach the throne of God with confidence to find mercy and help in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). So prayer involves approaching God, through Jesus Christ, in the middle of the joys, pains, triumphs, and sufferings of every day life.
2. Prayer is seen as intercession and supplication -- coming to God with petitions and requests. Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us not to be anxious about anything, "but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." We must remember, we do not come into the presence of God to command him, but rather to find mercy and help in our lives. Yet prayer does include making requests of our Father.
3. Prayer is a time to share our hearts cry with the Father. The Psalms are full of both thanksgiving and lament (sadness expressed). In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are commanded to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances, whether good or bad. We can have confidence that nothing in our life is meaningless; even our suffering or the evil done to us by others can be redeemed by God. If we belong to Him, he will work it all out for his purposes in the end. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." We need to know this truth before times of suffering come, when we are disoriented in our pain. When our friends are mourning we are instructed to “mourn with them” and not treat others’ suffering with frivolity. Yet Romans 8:28 is no trite phrase in the Bible; it is our greatest hope and his great promise in a world full of madness and sin.
4. Prayer is confession, where we come before God to get honest about our sins and shortcomings. Confession is not telling God some secret that you are hiding from him. Believe me, God knows all things, even the mistakes we make and the sin we commit against him and others. The word confession is actually a compound of the Greek prefix homos, which means “same”; and logeo, which means “word.” Confession literally means, "to say the same word." To confess means to agree with God about something, to say the same thing about our sin that he does, and turn from our sin. It is to come clean and experience the grace and forgiveness of God purchased by Jesus. Confession restores closeness in relationship with God and keeps us from drifting away from him over time.
5. Finally, prayer is the fuel and language of relationship. Just as Paul begins Ephesians 1 in praise to God for his saving work, he follows it with praying for his friends that they would know God. Prayer is coming to God in hope, as he is our Father. We come near to him; he draws near to us. In the ups and downs of our lives, what we need more than anything is a close relationship with God.  He is the anchor in every story, the author of our journey and the one we trust to bring us safely home to his Kingdom in the end. Prayer is the expression of the human soul crying out for its creator. In Jesus Christ we have access to God as his kids and there is no other power who has greater control over our lives. As a brand new Christian, I found myself wanting to pray, wanting to talk with God, wanting to learn his ways. Yet I didn’t have a clue.

Prayer Principles

The following are just a few principles I have learned along the way that have helped me understand a life of prayer.

1. The first principle to keep in mind as we pray is that we are seeking the will of God for our lives, not just our own purposes. So many times we can hear “the will of God” and immediately jump to thinking about a detailed road map for our future. This is not what I mean by “seek the will of God.” What we ought to seek is how God desires our life to be lived in whatever circumstances as well as what sort of people he wants us to be. We find the will of God in his character and commands as revealed in Scripture. Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will to be "done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-13) and 1 John 5:14-15 promises that God hears and answers prayer that is according to his will. Here are some simple examples of prayers that would be according to the will of God: God, make me a good friend. God, help me be more patient and kind. God, help me to serve others. God, help me leave my selfishness. God, help me be a thankful person. God, help me rejoice in you, even when my life seems to suck. God, give me wisdom for the choices and decisions I face tomorrow. God, provide for my basic needs. God, open a door for your gospel with my friends. God, help me be a better wife/husband, mother/father, sister/brother, daughter or son. God, make me more like Jesus in my character and actions.
2. We need to come to God with the right motives. James 4:2-3 teaches us that we should not come to God with a selfish heart, simply asking God for stuff to fit our current passions. Oh God, if you don’t give me a boat, you must hate me! James teaches, "You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly."
3. When we pray, we must believe. We trust he is our good father who wants to hear from us and answer in the way he deems best for us.
4. Finally, we should not just come to God trying to get a spiritual buzz.  Sometimes there are deep spiritual experiences, other times there are not.  God’s presence is not your emotions. Paul E. Miller sums this up well in A Praying Life: "You don't experience God; you get to know him. You submit to him. You enjoy him. He is, after all, a person."

As we close, I want to just drop a few practical ways to help us to pray amidst our hurried lives.

Prayer in Practice

Did you know that Jesus’ friends actually asked him to teach them how to pray? His reply, found in Matthew 6:9-13, has been called “The Lord’s Prayer” or “Our Father.” Though many say this prayer from memory, Jesus' response is actually a pattern to follow. Looking at this pattern, we find several things we can include in our prayers:

• Hallowed be your name. We want to praise God in our prayers for who he is.  We want to love him, respect him and honor him. Tell God what you love about him as you get to know him better.
• Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
• Give us this day our daily bread. Thank God for life and provision.
• Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. We ask God to lead us in what is good, right, and true.

The acrostic ACTS has helped many to remember some basics about prayer that are seen in Jesus’ pattern. The acrostic stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication, and can be helpful in praying.

• Adoration—praising God for who he is, that he is our treasure and joy
• Confession—coming clean with our Father and receiving grace and forgiveness
• Thanksgiving—thanking him for good times and hard times
• Supplication—bringing your needs and the needs of others before the Father.

To close, I want to be honest with you. Prayer is hard. We are busy people who are surrounded by the hum of cars, trains, cell phones, IM, chats, and social media. Furthermore, human beings are so intent on living apart from God that we don't naturally want to pray. We pray when things go bad and ignore God when things are good. I am often amazed by my own self-centeredness and desire to do life on my own without the guidance and wisdom of God. Yet when I come to God in prayer, I find life, relationship, and hope for the day. I will leave you with an excellent quote from Miller about the effects of a prayerful life on the soul:

The quest for a contemplative life can actually be self absorbed, focused on my quiet and me. If we love people and have the power to help, then we are going to be busy. Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart. In the midst of outer busyness we can develop an inner quiet. Because we are less hectic on the inside, we have a greater capacity to love ...

When Paul began his letter to Ephesians, he reminded them of the great work that God had done in saving them. Then he prayed. He prayed that they would have the most important thing in life — depth in relationship with God and an understanding of every good thing we have in him. We ought to pray in the same way for one another — that all of us would deepen with God.

I am praying for you to that end and hoping that you seek your Father in prayer.

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Reid Monaghan is doing graduate work in Applied Apologetics at Southern Seminary. With a team of friends, he is currently planting Jacob’s Well, a theologically driven and culturally engaged church in Central New Jersey. He is also a speaker, addressing students and athletes on campuses throughout the United States. He thanks God for the gift of his wife Kasey (married 1996) and kiddos Kayla (circa 2001), Kylene (circa 2003), and Thomas Reid (circa 2006). Twitter: @reidSmonaghan

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To read more about prayer, check out Prayer Life, by Winfield Bevins.

Also see Bevins's free article, Spiritual Warfare Prayer.

Spiritual Warfare Prayer

Editor's Note: Two weeks ago GCD received a request from a believer in Ethiopia for biblical teaching on spiritual warfare. My first response was prayer. I ask our readers to join us in praying - as Paul does in Ephesians 3:14-21 - that we might all have the strength to be filled with the fullness of Christ's love, to feel the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Paul's prayer for strength (strength to know Christ's love!) fans the flames of spiritual revival, and this prayer for strength is all the more important when we come under attack from the forces of darkness that are arrayed against us. I've been praying for revival, and I'm doing it knowing what that means to the enemy. I'm praying for revival because we have a victory secure in Christ and because I long to see God's grace renew the lives of the people I love.

As folks here at GCD talked about how best to disciple a new believer in spiritual warfare, Winfield mentioned that Prayer Life has a chapter dedicate to Spiritual Warfare Prayer. To that believer in Ethiopia and to our brothers and sisters around the world, we offer this excerpt. As you read and reflect on the power of prayer, please unite with us in praying that we might all comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love, for in this corporate prayer lies both the surety of our salvation and the power to dispel the forces of evil.

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“If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from Heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace.”  -Thomas A Kempis

One of the most important aspects of prayer is spiritual warfare. The Bible tells us that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and our advisory the devil is like a roaring lion seeking to destroy our lives. Paul says, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan and his forces of darkness are trying to destroy your life, and it is imperative that we learn to pray against these forces of darkness in order to gain victory in our lives. There are several things that the Bible tells us about spiritual warfare.

What the Bible Says About Spiritual Warfare

• We are in a real spiritual battle (2 Corinthians. 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18)
• We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9)
• We are to take authority over powers of darkness (Matthew 16:19)
• We are to cast out demons (Mark 16:17)
• We are to use spiritual weapons to overcome darkness (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Bible tells us about great individuals who were victorious in spiritual warfare, all of which are lessons for us today. The battle is either won or lost on the mountaintop in prayer. Throughout the Bible, the mountain is a symbol of prayer and a place to meet with God. Jesus regularly went to the mountains to pray, Elijah called down fire on the mountain, and Moses met with God on the mountaintop.

In Exodus chapter 17, Israel fought against the Amalekites in Rephidim. Moses went on top of the mountain to intercede for the people who were fighting the battle below. Whenever his hands were lifted up, Israel would prevail, but when his hands grew tired and fell down the Amalekites would prevail. It is the same way in our lives, whenever we lift our hands in prayer we will prevail, but when we stop praying we lose the victory. We need to follow Moses example of praying for victory over the forces of darkness on the mountaintop. Don’t grow weary in prayer, but allow the Lord to help you pray for victory in every area of your life.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat shows us how to prepare for spiritual warfare. When the great forces of Moab and Amon came to battle against Israel, Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast in the land. 2 Chronicles 20:4 says, “Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord.” The first thing you need to do when you are in spiritual warfare is to ask help from the Lord. The Lord reminded them, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15). God wants to fight our battles for us. All we have to do is go to Him in prayer and ask for His help.

Steps to Spiritual Warfare

1. Pray Always

Paul tells us to “pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:12). The first step to spiritual warfare is to pray always. This means that we must develop a lifestyle of prayer. Even when we aren’t praying out loud we can still be in a state of union and intimacy with the Lord.

2. Be Watchful

Paul goes on to say that we need to be watchful. This means that we must have an awareness of what is going on around us spiritually. It also means to be sleepless, or wakeful. God calls us to be watchmen and watchwomen who will guard against the devil. In the Bible, a watchman would stay awake at night to make sure that the enemy didn’t attack while everyone was sleeping. It is our responsibility to be watchful in prayer.

3. Have Perseverance

Our prayers should be made with all perseverance! God doesn’t like weak, powerless prayers; rather He desires for us to persevere in prayer. James tells us, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). The word fervent is energeo, which means energy. We need to be fervent and energetic in our prayer life. Don’t give up until your prayer is answered!

4. Pray in the Spirit 

The only way that our prayers will ever have power is if they are in the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us and reveals the will of God to us (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit gives fire to the incense of our prayer. Jude says that we should build ourselves in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit. (Jude 20). The Spirit will build us up, guide us in truth, and give us the strength to pray as we should pray. Let the Holy Spirit come and give you the power to pray today.

Reflection Questions

1. What are several of the things that the Bible tells us about spiritual warfare?
2. What can we learn from the stories of Moses and Jehoshaphat?
3. How do their stories apply to your current situation?
4. Take some time to discuss the steps of spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6:12.
5. What does it mean to pray at all times? Is this possible?
6. What does it mean to be watchful in prayer?
7. How do we pray in the Spirit? In what ways does the Spirit help us pray?

Concluding Prayer

Lord, teach us to how to use our prayer in spiritual warfare. Even though there is a battle raging between the forces of darkness and the forces of light, we know that You oh Lord are all mighty, all powerful, and all knowing. We acknowledge that you are in complete control over all things in our life. Strengthen our hearts to be strong and grow not weary in prayer. In your name we pray. Amen.