What is prayer and how to pray

What is prayer?

Prayer is the continuous open communication with God. It's getting close to God. It promotes our understanding about God's will and it has the transforming power. It's our privilege to be able to ask for God's provision, protection, and guidance through prayers.

How to pray?

· Matthew 6:5-14 teaches us what attitude we should have and what type of things we should pray for

· I Timothy 2:1-8 teaches us whom we are to pray for

· I Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Philippians 4:6-7 teach us when to pray and how to pray

· John 15:7 and I John 5:14-15 teach us some important conditions for answered prayers

· James 4:1-3, Psalm 66:16-20, and James 1:2-8 teach us some hindrances to answered prayers

· James 5:13-20 teaches us what to pray

The popular ACTS formula (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) for praying can be a starting point:

· Adoration – reflecting on God himself. Praise Him for who HE is and what HE does (Psalms)

· Confession – admitting your sins to God (James 5:16)

· Thanksgiving – telling God how grateful you are for everything (I Thessalonians 5:17)

· Supplication and Petition – making specific requests, both for others and for yourself (Matthew 6:11)

Things to pray for :

· Daily needs and care (Matthew 6:11)

· Forgiveness (Matthew 6:12; Acts 8:22)

· For help in temptations (Matthew 6:13; 26; 41; II Peter 2:9)

· For other people (the ruler, the sick, the workers, children, etc.)

· For wisdom and strength (James 1:5; Matthew 26:39; Hebrews 4:16)

· For spiritual maturity (Ephesians 1:16-20; 3:14-21; Phillipians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-14)

- Present anything and everything to God through prayer with thanksgiving

Answers to Prayer

There are no unanswered prayers. Sometimes Yes; sometimes NO; sometimes Later. He can't give us things that will hurt us. We must learn patience and learn to walk with Him. Persistent prayer changes us more than it changes things.

Conditions for answered prayer

· Forgiving (Matthew 6:15)

· Believe (Matthew 21:22)

· In Jesus' name (John 14:13, 14)

· Remain in Christ (John 15:7)

· Right motives (James 4:3)

· Righteousness (James 5:16)

· Obedience (I John 3:22)

· According to His Will (I John 5:14)

· Delight in the Lord (Psalm 17:4)

· Right relationship (I Peter 3:7)

· With persistence (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8)

· With humility (Luke 18: 9-14)

Hindrances to prayer

· Selfish purpose (James 4:3)

· Sins (Isaiah 59:1-2)

· Idols (anything that takes the place of God; Ezekiel 14:3)

· Stinginess (Proverbs 21-13; Luke 6:38)

· Unforgiving spirit (Mark 11:25)

· Wrong relationship with God and other people

· Unbelief (James 1:5-7)

The Importance of Prayer
(Ephesians 6:18)
* There is a devil. Prayer helps to seek guidance from Godly wisdom.
* Prayer is God's appointed way for obtaining things, and the great secret of all lack in our experience, in our life and in our work is neglect of prayer.
* Those men whom God set forth as a pattern of what He expected Christians to be - the apostles - regarded prayer as the most important business of their lives.
* Prayer is the means that God has appointed for our receiving mercy, and obtaining grace to help in time of need.
* Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ is the way Jesus Christ Himself has appointed for His disciples to obtain fullness of joy.
* Prayer, in every care and anxiety and need of life, with thanksgiving, is the means that God has appointed for our obtaining freedom from all anxiety, and the peace of God which passes all understanding.
* Because of what prayer accomplishes: it promotes our spiritual growth; it brings power and peace into our work; it avails for the conversion of others; it brings blessings to the church

Praying to God
(Acts 12:5)
God is bending over us and listening as we pray. Come into God's presence, meet him face to face in the place of prayer, seek the things that we desire from Him, then there is power.
Much of our modern prayer has no power in it because there is no heart in it. Pray without ceasing.
There is power in united prayer.

Obeying and praying
(John 3:22)
The one who expects God to do as he asks Him, must on his part do whatever God bids him. Give a listening ear to all God's commands to us and He will give a listening ear to all our petitions to Him.
We must be earnest students of His Word to find our what His will regarding us is and then having found it, do it.
We must be a true child of God, not content with merely doing those thins which the father specifically commands him to do. We must do those thing sthat are pleasing in His sight. If we think that there is anything that we can do that would please the father, we do it gladly. We must study to know the Gather's will in all things
Pray for something that is sincerely desired.

The Bible tells us to pray without doubting (James 1:6). When we come to God, knowing that we are asking according to His will, we don't have to be intimidated by our circumstances. We can have the confidence that when the time is right, God will answer. We need to act according to His promised answer, not according to our fearful uncertainties.
As you pray, don't look around you; look above you. Real answers to prayer don't come from the situations we find ourselves in. Real answers come from our Heavenly Father.
Pray according to faith, not circumstances.

Here are some examples of the prayers.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me
Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship
as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Amen.

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
Saint Francis of Assisi
This is probably the most popular prayers of all the time.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

A Prayer For The Business/Occupation
By William Carr Peel

Lord, We Affirm. .. You are the Lord of the work place as well as the worship place.
All work that meets legitimate needs is Your work to be done in Your way.
Prosperity that comes from our work is a gift from You to be used for Your glory, not our ease.
While You made all things for us to enjoy, true satisfaction comes only from You.
Lord, We Confess. .. We have at times been proud and arrogant about success, thinking it was because we were smarter, better, or worked harder than others.
We have sometimes placed success above integrity and power above people. This is sin in every instance.
We have often let our love of prosperity quench our courage and compassion.
We have kept You too often at a safe distance, mentally locked in the church building away from our daily affairs. How we could have used Your strength, guidance, and love at times if we had only known You are as real a part of our lives on Monday as You are on Sunday.
Lord, We Ask That. .. We, as businessmen, would live ethically distinctive lives, both publicly and privately.
We would assume the discipline of craftsmanship, working with all our heart as if You were our boss-because You are.
We would discover what we are each gifted to do, finding the delight and joy of doing what You created us for.
Others would see the reality of Your presence in our lives and be attracted to You.

Prayer at the work place

My heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I bring Your presence with me. I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order into this office.

I acknowledge Your power over all that all be spoken, thought, decided and done within these walls. Lord, thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with.

I commit to using them responsibly in Your honor. Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Anoint my projects, ideas, and energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.

Lord, when I am confused, guide me.
When I am weary, energize me.
When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.

May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy and a smile to all that I come into contact with today.

And O Lord, when I leave this place, give me traveling mercy. Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord I thank You for everything You've done, everything You're doing and everything You're going to do.
In the name of Jesus I pray with much love and thanksgiving.

Amen!

A Prayer For Healing attr. Timothy Dailey
Dear God,

Help my unbelief.

When I'm in pain, help me to remember that you care about me.
help me to remember that you have helped me through my trials.
help me to remember that you hold me in your arms to keep me safe.

help me to remember that you are feeling my pain with me.

help me to remember that you love me,
help me to remember that I am important to you.
Show me your presence - let me feel your enveloping love.

Heal my hurting soul.

Thank you for staying with me even in my unbelief.
Amen

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do great things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,

I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for-but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Cadet's Prayer

O God, our Father, Thou Searcher of men's hearts, help us to draw near to thee Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be content with half a truth when a whole can be won. Endow us with courage that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy Kindle our hearts in fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance, and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer Help us, in our work and in our play, to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, that we may realize our ideals and our duty Keep us, O God, from pettiness; let us be large in thought, in word, in deed. Let us be done with faultfinding and leave off self-seeking. May we put away all pretenses and meet each other, face to face, without self-pity and without prejudice. May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous. Let us take time for all things; make us to grow calm, serene, gentle. Teach us to put in action our better impulses-straightforward and unafraid. Grant that we may realize it is the little things of life that create difficulties; that in the big things of life we are as one. Oh, Lord, let us not forget to be kind. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of men. Amen.

O God, help us
to be generous in our opinions of others,
to be considerate of all we meet,

to be patient with those with whom we work,

to be faithful to every trust,
to be courageous in the face of danger,
to be humble in all our living,

to be prayerful every hour of the day,

to be joyous in all life's experience,
and to be dependent upon Thee
for strength in facing life's uncertainties.

A PrayerBy Ward Patterson
Our Father, I thank you
for the grace and peace you alone can give.

I thank you for the forgiveness,
renewal,
unmerited love,
patience,
loving kindness,
and mercy
that you bestow without measure.

I thank you for reconciling me to you
and quieting the turmoil within me.

I thank you for your assurances,
Your providence,
Your provision.
Help me to trust your will for my life.
Help me to respond faithfully to your call.

I praise you for the comfort you bring
to the distresses of my life.

You are the Father of compassion,
comfort,
salvation,
endurance,
hope,
resurrection,
deliverance,
help,
gracious favor,
and answered prayer.

You lift me up when I am down,
strengthen me when I am weak,
and console me when I am depressed.

You heal my hurts.
You are generous with your comfort.
Whatever is wrong, you make right.

You produce patient endurance in my life, day by day,
by the things I am called upon to endure.
With the shared experience of suffering
comes the shared experience of triumph.

My hope in you never falters.
You are ever near.
You are with me in every circumstance.

When hardships come,
I learn to rely more firmly on you.

When pressure bears down on me
and I feel as if sentenced to death,
I learn that I need you to sustain me.

Help me not to rely on myself but to rely on you.
All power is yours.
Nothing is beyond your strength,
not even death.

You have delivered me from death
and from every other thing that would threaten me.
There is nothing to come that need cause me alarm.
You are my help and my hope.

Deliver me from evil.
Listen to my prayers.
Accept my thanksgiving.
Grant me your favor.
Give heed to the intercessions of your people.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.
Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.

This is my prayer.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

A Prayer for Close of DayBy Rev. Nancy Freier
Author of "Heaven Help Me! A Celestial Guide to Healing"

As I let go of this day, and as nighttime falls,
let my heart keep the Light it saw,
to know that I was able to extend peace and love
to those I met and to let only that become a part of my memory.

Let me take this time right now to erase
all that is less than who I really am.
Let me not take into tomorrow
that which is not a part of me or my goals.

Take from me my pain, my worries, my petty grievances,
and allow me to be big enough to bless them
into nothingness now.

Let me awaken with a joyful heart and mind,
totally willing to see only good blessing my life tomorrow
should I forget and wander from this goal.

Remind me to end the day with prayer and joyful reflection.
Let me see that I was willing to make changes,
and I was able to let go of what hurts me.

Bless my life with Love,
and let me know it is God's Love
guiding me through the gateways into the night.

Dear God, at the close of day, as I close my eyes,
I see the deep blue night falling around me,
and across the planet,
quieting my mind of any troubles I thought I saw today.

As I prepare to sleep, I know I have been blessed,
my troubles are erased.

I release any shadow thoughts into the nighttime sky
where they disappear,
and when I open my eyes in the morning Light,
I will see that only a blessing remains.

Amen

Just repeat this phrase and see how God moves!!

Lord I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.