The
most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is not meditation
or passive reflection; it is direct address to God. It is the communication of
the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Prayer is the primary way
for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate his emotions and desires with
God and to fellowship with God.
Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or informal. All
prayer must be offered in faith (James 1:6), in the name of the Lord Jesus (John
16:23), and in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). As the International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia puts it, “Christian prayer in its full New
Testament meaning is prayer addressed to God as Father, in the name of Christ
as Mediator, and through the enabling grace of the indwelling Spirit” (“Prayer”
by J. C. Lambert). The wicked have no desire to pray (Psalm 10:4), but the
children of God have a natural desire to pray (Luke 11:1).
Prayer is described in the Bible as seeking God’s favor (Exodus 32:11), pouring
out one’s soul to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15), crying out to heaven (2 Chronicles
32:20), drawing near to God (Psalm 73:28, KJV), and kneeling before the Father
(Ephesians 3:14).
Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Worry about nothing; pray
about everything.
Everything? Yes, God wants us to talk with Him about everything. How often
should we pray? The biblical answer is “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians
5:17). We should keep a running conversation going with God all day long. Some
find the ACTS
formula of prayer helpful, but there is really no special formula
for how to pray in the Bible. We should just do it. We can pray under
any and all circumstances. Prayer develops our relationship with God and
demonstrates our trust and utter dependence upon Him.
Prayer is the Christian’s way of communicating with God. We pray to praise God
and thank Him and tell Him how much we love Him. We pray to enjoy His presence
and tell Him what is going on in our lives. We pray to make requests and
seek guidance and ask for wisdom. God loves this exchange with His children,
just as we love the exchange we have with our children. Fellowship with God is
the heart of prayer. Too often we lose sight of how simple prayer is really
supposed to be.
When we make petitions to God, we let God know exactly where we stand and what
we would like to see happen. In our prayers, we must admit that God is greater
than we are and ultimately knows what is best in any given situation (Romans
11:33–36). God is good and asks us to trust Him. In prayer, we say,
essentially, “Not my will, but your will be done.” The key to answered prayer
is praying according to the will of God and in accordance with His Word. Prayer
is not seeking our own will but seeking to align ourselves with the will of God
more fully (1 John 5:14–15; James 4:3).
The Bible contains many examples of prayer and plenty of exhortations to pray
(see Luke 18:1; Romans 12:12; and Ephesians 6:18). God’s house
is to be a house of prayer (Mark 11:17), and God’s people are to be people of
prayer: “Dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and
praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love” (Jude 1:20–21).
- Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"