Effective prayer - a Biblical review
Based on a study by Rev. Vincent Strigas

There are many books on the subject of prayer for those interested in a comprehensive study. For those who would like an overview of the principles of prayer, the following study should prove quite valuable.

 

The power of definite and determined prayer.

        No one can stand against the man who prays who also knows how to pray and who meets all the conditions of prevailing prayer.

        Is anyone among you sick (wearied)? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. and the prayer of faith will save the sick (weary, or demoralized), and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:14 -18). The word "availeth" means "to be strong," or "to exercise power." Definite and determined prayer exerts much power in its working.

        One requirement to become like Christ is to spend much time with Him.

        "They recognized that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13.

        Prayer and the study of the Word of God will promote our personal holiness and individual growth.

        "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:42. "...but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Acts 6:4.

        Prayer will save others.

        "If any man sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not unto death." I John 5:16. The word "life" refers to spiritual or eternal life, not physical life.

        Prayer can get results overnight.

        "So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church....Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, 'Gird yourself and tie on your sandals'; and so he did. And he said to him, 'Put on your garment and follow me.' " Acts 12: 4 - 8.

Who may pray with the expectation of being heard.

       God hears only the prayers of the righteous.

        "The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." Prov. 15:29. "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:12. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. Prov. 15:8. " The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Psalm 34: 15,16.

        God readily hears the righteous and answers when they are obedient.

        "And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." I John 3:22 . "If you abide in Me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you." John 15:9, God answers the prayers of those who keep His commandments. God demands that we shall listen to His Word before He listens to our prayers. We study His Word daily to find His will, and then do it when we find it.

God might not hear, or at least be slow to answer, the righteous who are disobedient.

        But, when we live a life apart from God...

        "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:1-2.

       When we cherish or hold onto specific sins.

        "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:18.

        When we have troubled relationships with:

                Our spouse.

                "Likewise, you husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." I Peter 3:7.

                Other believers.

                "You should get into the habit of admitting your sins to one another, and praying for one another, so that if sickness comes to you, you may be healed. James 5:16.

                The poor.

                "Whoso stopeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." Proverbs 21:13. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you deal out it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38.

The elements of prayer.

        Prayer that works.

                What's in it for God?

                When we construct our prayers around the concept of what is in it for God, we move our focus from a self-centered to a God-centered prayer. Prayer should move us into the will of God and His desires, to please Him, and to offer Him ways to show His power, character, and glory to the world. Will my actions please the Father? "Whatever you may do, do all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31. "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18. Are we asking for comfort and happiness rather than spiritual strengthening and growth - to get out of a stressful situation or painful condition, rather than be victorious in it?

                Living in His will.

                God answers the prayers of those who do the things that are pleasing in His sight. "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4. "But if you live your life in me, and my words live in your hearts, you can ask for whatever you like and it will come true for you." John 15:7. "We have such confidence in him that we are certain that he hears every request that is made in accord with his own plan. I John 5:14. "And whatsoever you (that believe on the Son) shall ask in My name that will I do." John 14:12. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. I John 3:22.

                Asking in His name.

                "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13-14. This is God's promise to a class of people who are united to Him by a living faith, and an obedient love. To pray in the name of Jesus is to ask God for things on the ground's of Jesus Christ's claims upon God.

                Praying with faith and wisdom.

                "But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants Gods help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God. James 1:6,7. "What thing so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you have them and you shall have them." Believe that you have received it. Mark 11:24. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." James 1:5--7. To pray the prayer of faith we study the Word of God, especially the promises of God, and find out what the will of God is and build our prayers on the written promises of God. We cannot believe by just trying to make ourselves believe. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17. Plead Gods promise before Him and rest on that. The Holy Spirit can do that also when there is no definite promise, Romans 8:26-27.

                Praying with others.

                Matthew 8:19-20 "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my father who is in heaven." God delights in answering united prayer. "Touching anything" refers to agreeing on the same burden of heart, not just an intellectual assent but a genuine heart agreement.

                Praying in the spirit.

                "With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18. To pray in the Holy Spirit is to pray as the Holy Spirit guides us. Romans 8:26-27 "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmity; for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." The Holy Spirit enables us to really pray unto God, who gives the intense earnestness in prayer, who brings us into unity in prayer, and who shows us the definite things for which to pray.

                        Characteristics of praying as the Holy Spirit inspires:

1. Intense earnestness - Romans 8:26 and Acts 12:5. The earnestness that counts with God is not the earnestness that you work up; it is the earnestness the Holy Spirit creates in our hearts.
   
2. Intelligent praying - Romans 8:27, we have the mind of the Spirit.
   
3. Complete assurance that God has heard and answered our prayer. Mark 11:24.
   
4. Determination and persistence (Ephesians 6:18). We are to never give up praying. When we pray in God's will, we are not to be discouraged because He does not answer in the time frame we set.

                        How we pray in the Spirit.

                        Ephesians 2:18 "For through him we both have our access in one spirit unto the Father." The Holy Spirit takes us into the presence of the Father and makes God real to us as we pray. The word "access" means introduction or the Holy Spirit introduces us to the Father. We need God the Father to pray to; we need Jesus Christ the Son to pray through; and we need the Holy Spirit to pray in. It is the prayer that is to God the Father, through Jesus Christ the son, under the guidance and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that God the Father answers.

                        We must surrender our wills and ourselves absolutely and unreservedly to God. Acts:32 "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the "Holy Spirit" whom God has given to them that obey Him."

                        We must definitely ask God to guide us by His Holy Spirit as we pray.

                        We must count on God sending His Holy Spirit to teach us to pray.

                        We must continuously be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.

                        Likewise the Spirit also helps 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. Rom. 8:26

Prayer that does not work.

        When we ask for things selfishly.

        "You lust, and have not; you kill and covet, and cannot obtain; you fight and war; you have not because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it in your pleasures. James 4:2-3. The reasons for our lack of power is neglect of prayer. The word "amiss" means ask evilly, wrongly, or improperly.

        When we have the wrong motive.

        There is a selfish purpose. I Corinthians 10:31- Our supreme motive in prayer must be that God may be glorified by answering our prayer. John 14:13 . . . "that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Matthew 6:9 .. . "let Your name be hallowed." John 17:1 "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify you.

        When we have unconfessed sin in heart or life.

        This was discussed earlier under the heading #2.

        When we have idols in the heart.

        Ezekiel 14:1--3 "Ezekiel , do not pray for these men, they have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them?" An idol is anything, other person, or self that a person puts before God.

        When we have an unforgiving spirit.

        Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

        When we pray to be heard by others.

        If you pray that another believer would change in a certain way, and that believer is listening but did not ask for prayer on that issue, then you have not been talking to God but to the believer. Example: "Lord, I pray that Joe would see the light and ...." when Joe is sitting next to you. (Matt. 6:5) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

        When we tack on the phrase "in the name of Jesus."

        We are to pray "in the name of Jesus" or ask "in His name" but that does not mean we are to use the words like a magician uses Abra-Kadabra! Asking in His name means coming to God in the righteousness of Christ, not our own, and asking for the things we have been granted permission to ask for. We don't merely attach the phrase at the end of a prayer but approach God on the basis of Christ's claims.

        When we repeat a prayer over and over.

        There is some debate among Christians as to whether we should keep praying the same prayer over and over until God grants our petition. The position of this paper is that we should not. In Matt. 6:7, Jesus says: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." In Luke 11:1-13, Jesus tells of how a sinful man will rise to help a friend who is persistent in his pleading and compares that with God's readiness to answer prayer. He shows how persistent knocking will get a man to respond and then declares that our heavenly father is far more responsive than that.

        There is evidence that some prayers were repeated word for word as many as three times. It is interesting to note the tone of how scripture presents these. It seems to be presented in a manner to shock the reader (i.e. it was done three times!!!) as though this was something unusual, out of the ordinary or unexpected. (Matt. 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.) (2 Cor. 12: 8 For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.)

        There is other evidence that once is enough. In Daniel 10:12, the angel of the lord says to Daniel: "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." We are also told in John 5:14-15 that: "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." The assumption made here is that he hears us the first time.

Summation.

Put simply, prayer is talking to God, but therein lies the catch - just who is God. Some think that the only style of prayer is asking for something. They neglect the many prayers recorded in the bible of people who simply poured out their frustrations, anger, and fears before the Lord.

The way we talk to Him reveals much about us and our relationship to Him, our level of maturity, our response to authority, our knowledge of His word, His will, and His nature. Some speak to Him in ways they would never talk to any other person (e.g. "and Father this, and Father that, etc.) as though they were fearful they might lose His attention, or use King James English as if it were a more holy language. Others confuse coming boldly into His presence with coming presumptuously as though He was just another "good ole boy." Some treat prayer as though it had power in and of itself - something like "the force" in the Star Wars movies. It does not. Like faith, prayer has an object, which in both cases is the Father. Some pray as though God were a spiritual MasterCard, willing to grant anything to His children. Some pray as though they had something God wanted so badly that He will grant their request just to get what they are offering (e.g. God I will do _____ if you do _____).

Our model of a praying person is found in Jesus in John 17. He was centered in the Father's will. He harbored no sin. He knew the nature of the One to whom He spoke. He knew His word. Our model for the structure of prayer is found in Matthew.

1. It begins with an address to the Father in heaven, not Mary, a saint, an angel, or loved one that has passed on before us.
2. Then comes the first and most important petition, "May your name be hallowed." The whole prayer is aimed at bringing glory to God, not making us comfortable or happy.
3. Then the prayer asks that God's will be done, not ours. Not our fleshly desires, but the desires that come from living in accordance with His will are the ones He grants.
4. Then the prayer asks for us to have our basic needs met - in accordance with a promise He already made to us - so that the world can see His faithfulness in and to us. And by the way, our needs are not the three taught by the world. Paul set the record straight on that issue. He says they are food, clothing, and grace, and he even made it clear that we might not receive as much food or clothing as we think we need, but enough to survive.
5. Then the prayer asks for our forgiveness of sins, just as we forgive others. Now there is a scary condition. By forgiving, the Lord is further glorified by attention to His work on the cross.
6. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." God is not glorified when His children wallow in sin.
7. "For yours is the glory for ever and ever." Here the prayer acknowledges the whole purpose of prayer as presented in the beginning petition. God should be glorified in us because He is the only one worthy of glory - not us.
8. "Amen." The word translated means "so be it," a term a king would use to set a command or ruling into motion.

Before you pray, THINK!  Watch out for the following.

Am I going to pray DECISIVELY?

1. Am I about to ask God for something that I would not recognize His answer if it were staring me in the face?
2. Am I about to pray for an "unspoken need" that will likely get an "unspoken answer" that no one will be able to demonstrate was of God and thus give Him the glory?

Am I going to pray INTELLIGENTLY?

1. Am I about to ask God to make the results of a medical test negative - after the tests have been run? Do I really want them to be negative or do I want them to be accurate? Is it the tests I want God to change or is it my condition?
2. Am I about to ask God to make a decision for me that I ought to be making on my own using the wisdom he has already provided.

Am I going to pray SELFISHLY?

1. Am I about to ask God to sell my house for top dollar, or buy another one for a bargain price?
2. Am I about to ask God to make me an exception to the rules and give me special treatment.

Am I going to pray AVOIDANTLY?

1. Am I about to ask God to keep me from growing by not letting "anything happen to me?"
2. When I ask for "traveling mercies," just what is it that I am trying to avoid? Did Paul have traveling mercies when he was shipwrecked? Do I want to experience God's power and deliverance like Paul, or do I want to skate through life with the fewest times of testing possible?

Am I going to pray CIRCUMSTANTIALLY?

1. Is my prayer I am about to offer aimed at changing my circumstances rather than my character?
2. Is my prayer aimed at making a change in something or someone else so that life will be easier?

WHEN YOU PRAY, DO THIS.

Pray that God will use me in my present circumstances to demonstrate His power and character so that my testimony of Him will be enriched. Amen.