Prayer

Principles Concerning Prayer

When I first made the decision to allow my prayer times to be led by the Holy Spirit, I was wary because I did not know for sure where the boundaries were, and I did not want to fall into error. Therefore, I studied the biblical principles concerning prayer to give me an understanding of the kinds of prayer we can pray, the areas we are to pray in, the principles which are part of effective prayer, etc. I am listing these below along with Scripture verses supporting each. In the weeks that follow, I suggest you look up these verses, write them out, and meditate and journal about them, asking God what He wants to say to you concerning the application of each one to your life.

        1. Forgive everything against everyone — Mark 11:25; John 15:9,12,13; 1 John 4:7,8,12,18-21; Matthew 6:12,14-15

Following is a simple exercise to help you forgive from your heart: a) Use vision, seeing the person at the point they hurt you; b) Invite Jesus into the scene and ask Him to show you what He was doing and saying. Tune to spontaneous thoughts and pictures and write down what is flowing within you; c) In prayer, forgive the offender in the name of Jesus Christ; d) Like Job, pray God’s blessing upon him (Job 42:10).

        2. Walk in holiness — Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1,2; Hebrews 5:7; 12:1; James 5:16

        3. Prayer must flow together with rhema (Rhema gives heart faith, reveals God’s will, and is to abide in you.) — Mark 11:22-24; Romans 10:10a,17; 1 John 5:14-15; John 15:7; Hebrews 11:1,6; James 1:6-7

        4. Pray fervently and earnestly with your whole heart — James 5:17-18; 1 Kings 18:43 and context; 2 Chronicles 15:15b

        5. Pray in Jesus’ name — John 14:13; Mark 16:17

        6. Speak to the mountain rather than simply praying to Jesus. Hold fast to your confession — Mark 11:23; Matthew 8:26; Hebrews 10:23

        7. See it done. Believe that what you say is going to happen. Letting God show you a vision of the completed action will cause your heart to believe — Mark 11:23,24

        8. Pray until you praise. A need is not prayed for until it has been overcome in prayer by the power and promises of God, and you have entered into peace — Philippians 4:6,7

        9. Pray persistently and exercise patience — Luke 11:8-10; 18:1,7; Hebrews 6:12

      10. Fortify prayer with fasting — Isaiah 58; Matthew 9:15; 17:21

      11. Pray with intensity, with compassion and a sense of burden, with a broken heart, with agony, groaning and travail — Matthew 20:34; Psalm 34:18; 62:8; Hebrews 5:7; Luke 22:44; Romans 8:26

      12. Pray when you need God’s strength. Do not hide yourself in shame at your weakness — Hebrews 4:16; Psalm 50:15

      13. Pray in secret — Matthew 6:6

      14. Pray specifically — Acts 4:29-31

      15. Resist satan’s attack by calling upon God. Do not fight satan yourself. You will lose — 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; James 4:6-8; Ephesians 6:10-13

      16. Sow bountifully, for in so doing, you will reap bountifully — 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Philippians 4:16-17,19

      17. Avoid vain repetition — Matthew 6:7; Luke 20:47

      18. Do not seek your own pleasure — James 4:3

Areas of Prayer

As we examine the Lord’s Prayer and other prayers in the Bible, we find that there are various areas of prayer in which we can engage. Seven of these areas are listed below. They will not all be found in every prayer session, nor will they follow a legalistic order or a rigid time slot. They are to flow as directed by the Holy Spirit. We are always to “pray in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18), meaning that all our prayers are to be inspired, guided, energized and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Through Logos, we find what these seven prayer areas can encompass; through rhema, we find daily direction for our prayers.

As you pray, cultivate a constant openness to seeing and sensing the spiritual realm. Through dream, vision and imagery, you are able to see with the eye of faith what God is doing just as Jesus did (John 5:19-21; 8:38). Through sensing peace, burdens and other movings in your spirit, you are able to feel those things which God is feeling and impressing. By so doing, your prayer life will ascend above dry rationalism into the beauty and power of spiritual experiences. For prayer to be meaningful, it must be more than simple rationalism. Write out and prayerfully ponder the verses below.

1. Confession of Sin — 1 John 1:7-10; Psalm 139:23,24

2. Praying with the Spirit — 1 Corinthians 14:2,4a,14a,15,18

3. Praise, Thanksgiving, Singing, Worship, Adoration — Psalm 100:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

4. Receiving: Waiting, Watching, Listening, Writing, Meditating — Psalm 46:10a; Ecclesiastes 5:1,2; Habakkuk 1:1; 2:2

5. Personal Petitions — Matthew 6:11; 7:7; Psalm 50:15

6. Intercession for Others — 1 Timothy 2:1-4

7. Speaking to the Mountain — Mark 11:23

Posted by Innocent Morris