The
Bible talks about prayer frequently. Occurs in about 152 verses in the
New Testament and about 245 times in the Old Testament. The
frequency of a word does not inherently make it important but it is
when it is so often commanded, utilized by faithful people and looked
upon with favor by God. So it must be integral to pleasing God. Some people find
prayer to be mysterious or difficult. After all, how is it that Jesus
could pray all night?
Let’s take a look at several examples of prayer to see what they consist of. First, a prayer of David after God told him that his family will be blessed and his throne would be established forever in II Samuel 7.
2Sam 7:18-29 Then King David went in and sat before Jehovah. And he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah? And what is my house, that You have brought me here? (19) And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God. But You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God? (20) And what can David say more to You? For You, O Lord Jehovah, know Your servant. (21) For Your Word's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things to make Your servant know. (22) Therefore You are great, O Jehovah God. For there is none like You, neither is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (23) And what one nation in the earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for You great things and terrible, for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed to You from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? (24) For You have confirmed to Yourself Your people Israel to be a people to You forever. And You, Jehovah, have become their God. (25) And now, O Jehovah God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house: establish it forever, and do as You have said. (26) And let Your name be magnified forever, saying, The Jehovah of Hosts is the God over Israel. And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. (27) For You, O Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to Your servant, saying, I will build you a house. Therefore Your servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to You. (28) And now, O Lord Jehovah, You are that God, and Your Words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. (29) Therefore, now, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, to be forever before You. For You, O Lord Jehovah, have spoken. And with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.
What did David do in his prayer?
Let’s take a look at several examples of prayer to see what they consist of. First, a prayer of David after God told him that his family will be blessed and his throne would be established forever in II Samuel 7.
2Sam 7:18-29 Then King David went in and sat before Jehovah. And he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah? And what is my house, that You have brought me here? (19) And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God. But You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God? (20) And what can David say more to You? For You, O Lord Jehovah, know Your servant. (21) For Your Word's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things to make Your servant know. (22) Therefore You are great, O Jehovah God. For there is none like You, neither is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (23) And what one nation in the earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for You great things and terrible, for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed to You from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? (24) For You have confirmed to Yourself Your people Israel to be a people to You forever. And You, Jehovah, have become their God. (25) And now, O Jehovah God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house: establish it forever, and do as You have said. (26) And let Your name be magnified forever, saying, The Jehovah of Hosts is the God over Israel. And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. (27) For You, O Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to Your servant, saying, I will build you a house. Therefore Your servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to You. (28) And now, O Lord Jehovah, You are that God, and Your Words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. (29) Therefore, now, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, to be forever before You. For You, O Lord Jehovah, have spoken. And with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.
What did David do in his prayer?
1. He gratefully acknowledged God’s kindness and blessings
2. He humbled himself before God
3. He reverently acknowledge God as Lord and omniscient
4. Although he was king, David called himself God’s servant
5. He praised God and exclaimed the wonders of what God had done and His power
6. He was genuinely grateful toward God for taking care of His people
7. He openly submitted to God’s will and asked that it be done
8. He spoke of the nature of God
9. He asked for the blessing of God
This is an excellent model to look at in our own prayer life. There are many other examples of prayer throughout scripture, but let’s take a look at the most famous model of prayer that Jesus used to instruct with.
The model prayer
2. He humbled himself before God
3. He reverently acknowledge God as Lord and omniscient
4. Although he was king, David called himself God’s servant
5. He praised God and exclaimed the wonders of what God had done and His power
6. He was genuinely grateful toward God for taking care of His people
7. He openly submitted to God’s will and asked that it be done
8. He spoke of the nature of God
9. He asked for the blessing of God
This is an excellent model to look at in our own prayer life. There are many other examples of prayer throughout scripture, but let’s take a look at the most famous model of prayer that Jesus used to instruct with.
The model prayer
Mat
6:9-13 "Therefore pray in this way: Our Father, who is in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. (10) Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on
earth as it is
in Heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread; (12) and forgive
us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. (13) And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil. For Yours is the kingdom, and
the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." Jesus' model was very simple and efficient.
1. Glorify God
2. Accept and acknowledge God’s will
3. Ask for necessities
4. Forgiveness
5. Strength
6. Honor God
The Bible also offers much more instruction on how to pray than we might realize. Not necessarily in direct commands, but also through the examples of Godly people who’s prayers were found pleasing to God.
How to Pray:
1. Alone, shut the door, quiet place (Matt 6:5-6)
2. Not with empty words (Matt 6:7)
3. Reverently, kneeling or face down (Matt 26:39)
4. Constantly (I Thess 5:17)
5. Without wrath or doubting (I Tim 2:8)
1. Glorify God
2. Accept and acknowledge God’s will
3. Ask for necessities
4. Forgiveness
5. Strength
6. Honor God
The Bible also offers much more instruction on how to pray than we might realize. Not necessarily in direct commands, but also through the examples of Godly people who’s prayers were found pleasing to God.
How to Pray:
1. Alone, shut the door, quiet place (Matt 6:5-6)
2. Not with empty words (Matt 6:7)
3. Reverently, kneeling or face down (Matt 26:39)
4. Constantly (I Thess 5:17)
5. Without wrath or doubting (I Tim 2:8)
6. With thanksgiving (Col 4:2)
7. With mind and spirit (1 Cor 14:15)
8. Sometimes with fasting (I Cor 7:5)
9. Fervently (Hebrews 5:7)
10. God hears the righteous (3 John 1:2)
What to Pray For
We have a legitimate concern to avoid “vain repetition” in our prayer as Jesus commanded in Matthew 6. Even so, after looking at the subject matter of prayer in the Bible and examples of prayer we see that fervent, honest prayer is received by God and even recorded as Scripture that repeats the same themes. The consistent subject matter of prayer in the Old Testament that was looked upon favorably was:
1. Forgiveness
2. Strength
3. End Hardship
4. Praise God
5. Repentance and Salvation
6. Safety
7. Healing
That sounds lot like the content of our public prayers in worship today. The same themes found int the Old Testament are consistently repeated in the New Testament. And we find even more diverse themes in the New Testament that include:
1. For enemies (Luke 6:28)
2. For all people (I Tim 2:1)
3. For Salvation for self and others (2 Thes 1:11)
4. To do good (2 Cor 13:7)
5. For children (Matt 19:13)
6. For strength in temptation (Mark 14:38)
7. For authorities and for peaceable lives (I Tim 2:2)
8. For the Strength to preach (Eph 6:9)
9. For love toward others (Phil 1:9)
10. To do no evil (2 Cor 13:7)
11. To give thanks (Eph 1:16)
12. For opportunities to preach (Col 4:3)
7. With mind and spirit (1 Cor 14:15)
8. Sometimes with fasting (I Cor 7:5)
9. Fervently (Hebrews 5:7)
10. God hears the righteous (3 John 1:2)
What to Pray For
We have a legitimate concern to avoid “vain repetition” in our prayer as Jesus commanded in Matthew 6. Even so, after looking at the subject matter of prayer in the Bible and examples of prayer we see that fervent, honest prayer is received by God and even recorded as Scripture that repeats the same themes. The consistent subject matter of prayer in the Old Testament that was looked upon favorably was:
1. Forgiveness
2. Strength
3. End Hardship
4. Praise God
5. Repentance and Salvation
6. Safety
7. Healing
That sounds lot like the content of our public prayers in worship today. The same themes found int the Old Testament are consistently repeated in the New Testament. And we find even more diverse themes in the New Testament that include:
1. For enemies (Luke 6:28)
2. For all people (I Tim 2:1)
3. For Salvation for self and others (2 Thes 1:11)
4. To do good (2 Cor 13:7)
5. For children (Matt 19:13)
6. For strength in temptation (Mark 14:38)
7. For authorities and for peaceable lives (I Tim 2:2)
8. For the Strength to preach (Eph 6:9)
9. For love toward others (Phil 1:9)
10. To do no evil (2 Cor 13:7)
11. To give thanks (Eph 1:16)
12. For opportunities to preach (Col 4:3)
13. For health and prosperity (3 John 1:2)
There is no mystery to prayer. It’s pretty basic. The Bible bears out in its examples and commands that there is not much to it. Prayer is about our most fundamental needs as humans and as spirits and is about praise toward God. Through it we express not only needs, but joy, thankfulness, worship and selflessness. We can know all these things about prayer, what to pray for and how to pray just by searching God’s Word. For by His Word, God communicates with us and through prayer we communicate with God. And we have help in all this, “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.” Romans 8:26
There is no mystery to prayer. It’s pretty basic. The Bible bears out in its examples and commands that there is not much to it. Prayer is about our most fundamental needs as humans and as spirits and is about praise toward God. Through it we express not only needs, but joy, thankfulness, worship and selflessness. We can know all these things about prayer, what to pray for and how to pray just by searching God’s Word. For by His Word, God communicates with us and through prayer we communicate with God. And we have help in all this, “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.” Romans 8:26
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