To God, prayer is the channel through which God accomplishes His work on the earth. To a Christian, it is the means by which he contacts and absorbs God.
The purpose of this lesson is to help you to become a person of prayer.
1. PRAYER IS THE CHARACTERISTIC
OF THE CHURCH LIFE
“And they were continuing steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42
After the early believers received the gospel and were baptized, they began to practice a life of prayer.
2. PRAYER IS THE CHARACTERISTIC
AND INNATE ABILITY OF THE LIFE
OF A CHRISTIAN
The life of a Christian bears a characteristic that it wants to pray and is able to pray. Prayer is the natural function of this life, just as breathing and speaking are natural functions of the human life.
3. PRAYER IS THE MEANS BY WHICH MAN CONTACTS GOD AND ABSORBS GOD
“God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and reality.” John 4:24
If the meaning of prayer is to contact God, breathe in God, and obtain God, and if God Himself is Spirit, then our prayer should not be in the mind, emotion, or will; rather, it should be in the spirit.
“But you, beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 20
We can learn to pray all the time in our spirit for the church, for our friends and relatives, and for our community and our nation.
The whole world is drifting away from God, and we are living in the midst of it. The only thing that will join us continually to God is prayer. Only this will make us those who stand against the tide of this perverted world.
1. THE TIME OF PRAYER
The practical way to pray is to set aside a definite time (morning, afternoon, or evening) for prayer. After you have made this decision, you should keep that time every day, and each time should last at least ten minutes.
2. THE VOICE IN PRAYER
Private prayer should always be audible; you should be able to hear your own prayer. Silent prayers will not last long; your mind will tend to drift away.
3. THE POSTURE IN PRAYER
Should you be standing, sitting, or kneeling? Should your eyes be open or closed? Should you lift up your head or bow down your head? Should your hands be folded together or otherwise? There is no set posture for prayer. The main thing is to be concentrated, sincere, and with the proper exercise of the spirit.
4. FAITH IN PRAYER
The most important thing with respect to faith is that one must be simple. Do not analyze; rather, believe the Word of God in a simple way, and believe that God hears our prayers and accepts them.
“Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing to Him; for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him out.” Hebrews 11:6
5. HELP FOR PRAYER
“And receive...the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition.” Ephesians 6:17-18a
To take a verse or two and pray over them will help us very much to return to our spirit and will uplift our spirit of prayer. At the same time, when our prayers are based upon the Word of God and we pray with the Word of God, we will have full assurance concerning the will of God and will have the confidence that God hears our prayers.
Hymns contain many delicate spiritual feelings. They can help us very much to turn to our spirit and to touch the feeling of the Lord. They will develop our burden for prayer, and will deliver us from the entanglement of the thoughts.
6. PARTNERS IN PRAYER
“If two of you agree on earth concerning anything, whatever they may ask, it shall come to them from My Father who is in the heavens.” Matthew 18:19
To have a prayer partner not only will help us to pray better, but also will sustain our prayer life.