A Practical Understanding of Prayer

Have you ever been told you should pray every morning? Or perhaps for a certain amount of time before bed each night? Or maybe you need to be in a particular position when you pray (on your knees, hands folded, etc.)? Maybe you've even been told to be in a particular place when you pray such as a church, a prayer closet, or a quiet room. I've certainly heard all of those things in my lifetime. But are there really so many rules to follow? Do you have to pray just right for God to hear you?

What is Prayer For

Prayer is basically our way of talking to God, and it's important to understand what prayer actually is. Prayer is not for telling God what we need. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says “...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (ESV) So if prayer isn’t a method for us to tell God what we need, what is it then?

Prayer builds faith and trust. Yep, that’s right. It’s for us, not for God. Prayer also shows that we believe in God’s other attributes as well, such as His love, wisdom, goodness, faithfulness, justice, and power.

I love this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"If you believe in prayer at all, expect God to hear you. If you do not expect, you will not have. God will not hear you unless you believe He will hear you; but if you believe He will, He will be as good as your faith."

...and this quote from Joyce Meyer:

"Prayer is simply talking to God like a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day."

God wants us to communicate with Him just like you long to talk with your closest friends. That's where prayer comes in!

How Do We Pray

So how do we pray? Well, there really isn’t one correct way to do it. You don’t have to be in a certain position such as kneeling, holding your hands in a particular way, head bowed, or anything like that. If those help you focus, they are perfectly acceptable, but they certainly aren’t required anywhere in Scripture. The Bible only ever gives us guidance on what to say, not how to position ourselves so we can say it.

As far as what we pray for, let’s take a look at John 14:13-14:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (ESV)

In ancient times, a person’s name represented all that they were - their entire character and reputation. That means, when Jesus tells us to ask for things in His name, what He is telling us is that we should ask for things that are consistent with His character, that is, consistent with the teachings of Scripture on how we are to act, think, and worship God.

So, can you ask God for a million dollars? That depends. If your true motivation is to bring Him glory by taking that money and using it for His kingdom? Then, sure, go for it. But if your true motivation is to just be wealthy and have influence, then no. Remember, your prayers should be in line with Jesus’ teachings.

Praying in a Wrong Way

What if we do it wrong? Well, you don't need to worry about that. In Romans 8:26-27 Paul says:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)

So yeah, we’re all doing it a bit wrong. But the Spirit fixes it for us. If you are genuinely, faithfully, trustingly praying to God, He will take care of it from there, even if you sound wrong to yourself. Remember, God loves you and only wants what He knows is best for you.

Frequency of Prayer

How often should you pray? Well, as often as you want. It can be long, short, quick, or deep and heartfelt. A quick few word prayer before a tough meeting is just as valid as a 30-minute prayer for your family. Just pray. Also, remember Paul's parting advice in 1st Thessalonians 5:17:

"pray without ceasing," (ESV)

It Takes Belief

Here is another quote from Wayne Grudem:

If we were really convinced that prayer changes the way God acts, and that God does bring about remarkable changes in the world in response to prayer, as Scripture repeatedly teaches that he does, then we would pray much more than we do. If we pray little, it is probably because we do not really believe that prayer accomplishes much at all. (Systematic Theology (C) 1994)

Answered Prayer

One word of caution - just because you pray doesn't mean God will answer that prayer the way you want him to. The Bible never teaches that God will give us anything we ask if we have enough faith. The Bible does teach that God's ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55) and we cannot understand them. That means we don't know his ultimate plan or why he may or may not answer a particular prayer in a specific way. But that's a topic for another post...

SP