Certainly all believers realize we need to pray. Hopefully, we never take our opportunities for prayer for granted, or fail to realize the wonderful benefits of prayer. However, for many people, connecting with our Heavenly Father is often not viewed as the special privilege it really is.
Prayer Is God’s Idea
To Whom should we pray? Who actually hears our prayers? And, is there Anyone Who really cares if we pray? Does God care?
Of course God cares! God directs us to pray because He really, really cares. God wants a permanent connection with us. God is the One Who initiated communication with us. Prayer is God’s idea! Prayer is not one of man’s inventions.
God expects us to pray. After all, He is the One True God. And, the essential place to go to learn about what He expects from us when we pray is the BIBLE, THE BOOK GOD WROTE TO US AND PRESERVED FOR US.
Prayer Is for Our Benefit
The essentials of prayer are vitally important to every believer; to every true disciple of the One true God. We need to be in daily contact with God through prayer, and we need to learn how to pray more effectively. Also, we all need to expect that we will receive answers to our prayers. God wants us to pray so it becomes quite obvious to us Who it is Who wants to take care of us.
Even the 12 Apostles Learned to Pray
The original 12 Apostles of Jesus observed Jesus’ praying and realized they could benefit from some instructions. They asked Him to teach them to pray.
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Whatever it is that believers have already learned, or will come to understand in the future about effective prayer, we can be assured that God has addressed those issues regarding effective prayer, and those issues will always link directly to the TRUE GOD and to His WORD! He used many different men to write and preserve His Word to us, including instructions about effective prayer.
Some “Prayers” Have Been Misguided
It is common knowledge that most religions in the world teach their followers to pray. However, prayers differ greatly from religious culture to religious culture.
Many people across the world hold some very faulty ideas about what prayer is, and how to do it. For example, there are many very devout, sincere, religious people in the world who pray faithfully by spinning a prayer wheel, or who repetitiously chant the same words over and over.
There are multitudes of others who believe that they can pray to saints who have died and passed into the heavens that can, and will answer their prayers.
And, there are many others in this “enlightened “ 21st century who believe in the power of prayer, insisting that access to this power requires nothing more than a mere exercise in positive thinking. For them, God doesn’t even have to be involved. In fact, no one has to even be listening. Of course, the Bible indicates the futility and the error of such practices. Many of the verses in Matthew 6 address erroneous prayer practices.
A Few Easy, Valid Basics
Hopefully, we realize there is always room for improvement. There are many ways to make our prayers more effective.
Beginning with a basic overview of this subject may help set us up for improvement, especially in One Major area that we will address in this teaching. Hopefully, you will allow this teaching to reinforce your understanding of prayer and make your future prayers far more effective.
We begin the review with a simple definition of prayer. Prayer, from the context of the Bible, is appropriate communication with the One True God. And, the appropriate kind of communication with God involves many things.
A second crucial basic concept of prayer is that God expects all of His children to pray. Even Jesus prayed, and He told us to pray, also.
Many booklets, articles, and sermons are available that offer lists of the basics, special keys, and secrets to getting prayers answered. In general, they agree on many basic points.
- Asking in faith
- Seeking the will of God
- Forgiving others when we pray
- Maintaining a clean conscience
- Being persistent in prayer
- Praying in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ
- Being humble and thankful
- Having right motives
- Remaining persistent, unwavering, and patient
Every one of these basic principles of prayer is important and valid. We would agree with every one of them. Also, we would all agree that we need a right attitude, and a right approach in order for our prayers to be truly effective. These, of course, involve our understanding and accepting our place before God.
God Has Purpose for All He Creates
Hopefully, the act of praying itself causes us to recognize God’s incredible ability to answer our prayers because HE IS GOD! He is Sovereign and All Powerful. He is All Wise, and All Knowing. He exists, has always existed, and will continue to exist without end. And, as we know, He depends on no one, or no thing for His infinite existence! He, Himself, is the Source of all else. He is LIFE! He is our Great, Generous Creator!
Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
God has revealed to True Believers that in His infinite wisdom He has showered mankind with great blessings, starting with life itself. He has created us all, every person, every man, woman, and child of all races, for His divine purposes! Our current temporary existence is part of God’s wonderful Master Plan of salvation for mankind!
And, one of the greatest of God’s spiritual gifts is the understanding of our physical appearance! Through God’s revelation, we have learned that He made our physical image after His own image. We are in His image by His incredibly beautiful design!
Genesis 1:26a And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
God has also revealed that He has great plans for us, and He has shown us amazing, generous favor in this temporary existence, with potential for even greater favor in His future eternity!
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Realize Who Is Listening
Let us all stop for a short space here and really reflect for a moment on a crucial element of prayer. Are we abundantly aware of this understanding of WHO AND WHAT GOD IS when we pray? Are we sensitive to its many implications?
Do we carry with us the mindfulness that appropriate communication with God requires that we Know Him for WHO AND WHAT HE IS? Do we stand in awe of WHO AND WHAT HE IS?
The Bible refers to this approach to God as Fear of the LORD. And, it is imperative that we always, 24/7, possess it, and demonstrate it by our thoughts, feelings, and actions, especially when we pray!
God, Himself gets to direct us in the elements of prayer, because He is Sovereign, because He is our Creator, because He is All-wise, and for many other reasons.
A Major Aspect of Effective Prayer
One of the most important reasons God gets to direct our prayers is the fact that He has revealed Himself as our actual, spiritual Father. For those who answer God’s calling (John 6:44), who have repented and received His Holy Spirit, we are NOW the begotten children of our Heavenly Father.
In multiple passages, God’s Word shows us that our Father wants us to pray! He wants us to connect to Him!
Jesus told His disciples to PRAY! He did not say IF, He said WHEN. Here are some passages that underscore the command to pray.
Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Jesus set the example for us. He tells us that He has prayed for us, and He will continue to pray for us. Jesus knew exactly Who it is Who would answer His prayers.
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Our Father Listens
These Scriptures show us a number of basic elements of prayer. Many of the concepts overlap, or repeat in these verses. Especially notice one of these repetitive elements found in every one of these verses: Father.
One of the Major Keys to having our prayers answered effectively is the understanding of WHO and WHAT GOD IS! Of course, God has many names and roles. And, in the context of prayer, a central role is that of being our FATHER!
This is for real, and through His Holy Spirit, God has begotten us! We have our Father’s spiritual DNA! He desires to keep us very close to Himself.
Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
What Does “Father” Mean?
When we pray, and EVERY time we pray, we are to approach God as OUR FATHER! Yes, of course, He has many roles and titles, but none more important when we pray than the beautiful role and title of FATHER!
Because we live in a society that has generally neglected, and undermined the roles and responsibilities of FATHERING, we often bring our negative earthly family baggage with us when we pray to OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!
Please understand, this can greatly obstruct the effectiveness of our prayers! It can be a major hindrance to our connection with God, our Father!
Some of us have had wonderful relationships with our earthy fathers. We need to be especially thankful. And, for those among us who have had some challenges in our relationships, I hope we will focus on the positive aspects of the relationship, and be thankful, also. After all, earthy fathers are simply made of clay. And, many fathers would have done even better than they have done if they would have known better at the time.
The experiences people have had with modern-day fathers are tucked away in our memories, and have become part of the hidden things of our hearts. Society has trained us to expect some very odd behaviors from so-called fathers. For example, it is becoming more and more commonplace for an unmarried woman to become a mother through the miracle of science and the in-vitro fertilization process. A child produced in this manner may never have to deal with the father. We refer to these fathers simply as sperm donors.
There are other ways where men behave that demote them to the level of sperm donors. This happens when such men ignore, or exploit their roles and responsibilities as a father. Some abdicate. Some abandon. And, some stay only to abuse.
A Righteous Father Is Hard to Find
Genuine fathers are hard to find these days. And, we Thank God, there are some!
While our society is turning out powerful examples of bad or absent fathers; there is a growing void of godly fathers in general society.
And, this nearly perfect vacuum of righteous, real father examples, can drastically affect our prayer lives if we let it! Becoming aware of the potential is crucial to us in these last days. Brethren, consider these verses as they may relate to some of the father-child relationships we see on TV, or in the movies, or perhaps even, in our own neighborhood.
2 Timothy 3:1-4 (1) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Our Heavenly Father’s Plan to Change Things!
The entire earth is in jeopardy unless this modern evil set of circumstances
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse! (NIV: total destruction)
However, there is GOOD NEWS! We can Thank God, it will change! Our heavenly Father has already made it possible for His children to overcome this problem. And, it can be overcome in our lives NOW!
We need to deepen our understanding of the truth about God’s desire to fulfill all the roles and responsibilities of being our Father. He is not made of clay like our physical fathers. He is PERFECT! God knows how to be our Father. He designed all of the aspects of what it means to be a father.
God wants all of us to become as He is. He wants to bring us to the place where we look, think, feel, and behave like His Perfect Son, Jesus Christ. And the experiences we have with our Heavenly Father, including those experiences when we go to Him in prayer, will direct us to a fulfillment of His ultimate purpose for us.
Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
The “Fathers,” Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Looking into the pages of the Bible, we find a frequent reference to the “God of our fathers” as well as references to “the fathers,” meaning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
These men were certainly fathers, and they provide physical examples of what God had in mind when He designed FATHERHOOD!
These men were men of the Covenant with El Shaddai (the Almighty, the One Who Could Provide everything that they needed). And, they fulfilled one of their primary roles of Father when they maintained the Covenant and passed the Covenant on to their children.
The Covenant was their treasure from God. The “fathers” highly valued it. The Covenant put them in a special relationship with God. And, they valued this relationship because they knew something about WHO and WHAT IS GOD. They understood that the Covenant presented them with the opportunity to be highly favored by God.
Jacob/Israel not only accepted God’s favor in the Covenant, he sought out the birthright, and the blessing as well! He understood the value of such a relationship with God. And, he understood the importance of what it meant to future generations!
A Better Covenant; A Better Relationship
Today, we have even more knowledge available to us about WHO and WHAT IS GOD! We know much more about God because of the life and work of Jesus Christ Who came to reveal the Father!
Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (See also Luke 10:22)
And, we also have been given a vastly superior Covenant than that which God gave at Mt. Sinai to the descendants of “the fathers.”
Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
This is important to understand, especially when we pray because it affects what it is that we can expect from God as He hears and answers our prayers. God has provided us with a better relationship with Him. He has provided us with better promises. God’s Master Plan has brought us to a place of being blessed and highly favored, especially through the work of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Why Do We Need to Ask?
Clearly, God wants a relationship with us! A special one! He wants us to pray to Him as our Father! He wants to answer our prayers and provide everything we need for life and godliness! Of course, God knows what we need before we ask. So why must we ask? It is because God designed this as a way for us to BOND with Him!
He wants us to know WHO and WHAT HE IS and to bond with Him out of deep understanding, great respect, and profound love. After all that He has done for us to show us His love, and for all He wants to do for us in the future, it is only fitting that we return His love by connecting with Him.
Unparalleled Favor From our Father
God wants us to realize His unparalleled favor to us! He wants us to hold this “revealed” understanding in our beings ALL THE TIME! He wants us to acknowledge, He want us to accept, and He wants us to rejoice in His favor toward us!
The truth of God’s Master Plan of salvation is a beautiful truth. Through our Savior Jesus Christ, God has ordained and is preparing a unique place for each of us (John 14:3). God wants us to consider our special relationship with Him as the truly great treasure it is.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
No Good Thing Will He Withhold
Do we truly believe in God’s favor toward us? How strongly do we believe this?
As faithful children of our Father, let us allow God to deepen and strengthen our belief in His favor, and in His desire to give us all things that pertain to life and godliness. This includes things that we need now in this life and for all that we will come to enjoy in everlasting life. Remember, God’s purpose is for us to live with Him in a close family connection forever.
This approach to accepting God’s favor and deliberating connecting with Him as our Father will significantly affect the effectiveness of our prayers.
Psalm 48:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
So, connect with Him! And, when we pray, let us remember to Whom we are praying, and with great rejoicing say, our Father Who art in heaven!