Prayer and fasting at Hope 16-30th January 2011

Image via WikipediaBiblical prayer is one-way communication made available to man by the grace of God in order that man may communicate with God. While today God primarily speaks to man through His written Word (the Bible), He encourages man to speak to Him through prayer. Prayer is not complicated or difficult. 


In a nutshell, it is simply talking to God. Prayer is a grace-gift from God to man, that is, man does not deserve such a privilege and can never, by his own works, merit it. 

The Bible’s first clear reference to prayer, i.e., talking with God, is found in Genesis 3:10, when Adam replies to God in the Garden of Eden; although it is assumed that Adam had many conversations with God prior to this time. 


From that point (fall of man) on God and man continued to talk, even outside the Garden of Eden (Genesis 4), but it was not until Genesis 4:26 that …men began to call on the name of the LORD. 


The word “call” in this context is the Hebrew word, gara, which may be translated any number of ways, e.g., to call, to call out or shout, to recite, to proclaim or to summon. Here it is an expression of “dependence and trust,” that is, from that point on men began to summon God through prayer for strength and direction in their physical and spiritual lives.

Christians are urged and encouraged to pray. See 1 Chronicles 16:11; Matthew 6:7, 8; 7:7; 26:41; Luke 18:1; 21:36; John 16:24; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:8; James 5:13-16.

God cherishes the prayers of His children. See Revelation 5:8; 8:3.

Characteristics of Prayer 

Prayer is Instantaneous

Prayer is faster than the speed of light or any speed of anything known by man. In fact because God isomnipresent (God is everywhere regardless of time or dimension) and omnipotent (God is all-powerful), He not only hears prayer immediately, but He even knows the content of prayer before it is formulated by the one praying. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

Prayer is Unidirectional

Prayer is speaking to God, not God speaking to man. Although there may be different elements of prayer (listed below), all are directed to God. Never does the Bible speak of prayer as God speaking to man, even though His contact with man is part of His grace-communication process. Even though God has verbally or by means of telepathy spoken to man in the past, His primary means of speaking to man today is through His written Word (the Bible)-2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Prayer is Non-dependent Upon Physical Posture or Activity

Prayer is effective from any physical position-kneeling, sitting, standing, lying or when one is standing on one’s head. It is not affected by physical activity-immobility, walking, running or jumping rope.

Prayer is All-linguistic 

Prayer has no language barrier. Even though man thinks and speaks in different languages, God understands all of them. God even searches the hearts of His children and thereby knows their motives, needs and desires (Romans 8:27).

Prayer is Multi-formative

Since God knows both the hearts and thoughts of everyone, man may think a prayer as well as speak, sing, write or sign one.

Prayer is Non-racial and Non-cultural, Yet Exclusive

Anyone, regardless of culture or race, may pray to God. God loves all mankind, no matter their race or culture. He loves the lost as well as the saved; although, there will come the day in everyone’s life when God will either usher that person into eternal bliss or eternal torment, depending on what that person did with Jesus in his lifetime.

Even though a lost person (one who has not placed his faith in Jesus Christ) may pray to God and God, because He is omnipresent, will hear that person; there is no indication in God’s Word that God will acknowledge or answer that person’s prayer, unless, of course, it is a prayer reflecting that person’s repentance, that is, the turning from all self-effort or any work’s system and turning only to Jesus Christ to place his faith in Him as personal Savior.

The Bible establishes that prayer is the exclusive property of God’s children. When Christ outlined the “model prayer” in Matthew 6, He said in verse 9 that believers pray to their “Father.” This reflects that prayer is based on a spiritual relationship between a person and God the Father. 


By faith alone in Christ alone a person establishes this spiritual relationship-that is, he is born again from above (John 3:3-7). He becomes a “child of God” by this act of faith (John 1:12; Romans 8:16; 9:26; Galatians 3:26; 4:7; 1 John 3:1). From that point on, he has the privilege to address his requests and supplications to his Father in heaven.

Originators of Prayer

Jesus Christ

Therefore He [Jesus Christ] is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede [intercessory prayer] for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Holy Spirit

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (Romans 8:26, 27)

Believer

Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1-and many other passages too numerous to list)

Elements or Types of Prayer

• Petition-prayers for self (Matthew 6:11-13) 
• Intercession-prayers for others (Ephesians 6:18) 
• Thanksgiving-prayers of gratitude (Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18) 
• Praise-prayers of adoration (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peters 2:9) 

Degrees of Prayer Intensity (Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.-Matthew 7:7)

• Asking-Greek, aiteo, a request. 
• Seeking-Greek, zeteo, a striving (more intense than a request). 
• Knocking-Greek, krouso, a rapping, a thumping or pounding (even more intense). 

Protocol of Prayer-Keys to Prayer Success

God has set forth procedures, which if followed, will insure success in prayer.

1. Prayer should be in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18)

In the first place a believer should understand that upon his acceptance of Jesus Christ, he was instantaneous indwelt by, baptized by, sealed by and filled with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit indwells him, which affects His spiritual birth and union with Jesus Christ (John 7:39; Romans 5:5; 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 3:24), baptizes him, which is his immersion into the Body of Christ-the spiritual union of all believers-“the Church” (1 Corinthians 12:13), seals him, which makes him spiritually secure for all eternity (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) and “fills” him-empowers him for Christian service, i.e., the Holy Spirit is a person and as such the believer receives (is filled with) the whole person-not part of Him. 


All three happen at the moment of the spiritual birth of the believer. They are not events that individually or collectively must be prayed for at a later time-a mistake, although well-intentioned, made by most fundamental believers today.

To be “filled” by the Holy Spirit is to be fully empowered by the Holy Spirit. This condition allows the Holy Spirit to control the believer in all matters, even prayer. But since God never takes away a believer’s “freedom of choice” (his will), the believer may make choices that will quench or “limit” the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. 


Even though the Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the believer (not even by degree or in part) when the believer allows sin into his life, the Holy Spirit becomes limited in His ability to influence and work through the believer. This is why the believer is urged to “not quench” or “grieve” the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). Once he allows sin in his life, he becomes “carnal” and “limited” (in so far as the Holy Spirit’s influence and work through him is concerned).

Therefore the question is, “How does a Christian maintain the “fullness” of the Spirit of God?” The answer is not “to pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit,” a misconception of a vast number of Christians today. Since the only thing that blocks or limits the control of the Holy Spirit is personal sin, it stands to reason that the only way to regain the “filling” of the Holy Spirit is to have the sin removed. And the ONLY way a believer can have personal sin removed from his life is by adhering to 1 John 1:9, as follows:

If we confess [acknowledge-take responsibility for] our [known] sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our [known] sins and purify us from all [unknown or forgotten] unrighteousness.

Since this is the only way a believer may be assured that he is “in the Spirit” and since God will not hear the prayer of a believer who holds on to his known sin (Psalm 66:18), the believer should always first search his heart, identify any known sins in his life and then confess these sins at the start of his prayer. 


Once this is done, he may be assured (see the next point) that instantaneously God will keep His Word by forgiving his known and unknown sins and restoring the fullness of the Holy Spirit. In fact this should be a frequent activity throughout each Christian’s day-this process of confession, to be activated immediately upon a believer’s realization that he has committed sin. Once the believer has been restored to the fullness of God’s Spirit, he then has been restored to a position of “obedience to Christ’s command to love,” which is indicative of the Spirit-controlled life (1 John 3:22; John 15:9-17).

2. Prayer should employ the Principle of Faith.

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:21, 22)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6)

The Principle of Faith is interwoven throughout the fabric of the spiritual life. A person starts the spiritual life not by works but by faith (John 1:12; 20:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9), and he is to live the Christian life not by works but by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians 2:6, 7; Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 3:5, 6)-and this includes when he prays. 


Once a believer confesses his known sin, he is to have faith that God will keep His word according to 1 John 1:9, which assures the believer that God will then forgive him of his known sins and cleanse him of all other unknown, unrecognized and forgotten sins. Then he is simply to exercise the Principle of Faith by believing God will answer his prayers in accordance with God’s Word-and God’s will.

3. Prayer should be in accordance with the will of God.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him. (1 John 5:14, 15)

And how does a believer know the “will of God?” He can only know it by studying the Word of God (Bible doctrine).

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. (John 15:7)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

4. Prayer should be directed to God the Father.

"This, then, is how you should pray: " `Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name….”(Matthew 6:9)

See also Ephesians 1:17; 3:14-16; Colossians 1:3, 12; 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3.

This has previously been covered in this commentary. Suffice it to say that nowhere in God’s Word is the believer instructed to pray to God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. The believer is a child of God the Father by faith alone in God the Son. He is to pray to the Father and in the name of the Son.

5. Prayer should be in the name of God the Son.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:13, 14)

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (John 16:23)

See also John 15:16 and Ephesians 5:20.

And what does it mean to pray “in the name of Jesus Christ,” that is, other than simply saying by rote the phrase at the end of a prayer? It means that whatever a believer prays for is for the honor, glory and benefit of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 


As a reminder, it is only by the study of God’s Word that a believer may have confidence that he is praying “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

6. Prayer should be continuous.

Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.(1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18) See also Luke 18:1.

This means to maintain an attitude of prayer. The believer should make it a practice to talk with God at all times, e.g., when he awakes, when he walks down the street, when he’s driving a vehicle. Much of his praying will be by “thought process,” as he petitions God during his various activities throughout the day.

Length of Prayer

Mark this down! God is not interested in show, nor is He interested in quantity. He is interested in genuineness and quality. Christians all to often pray long, flowery prayers in the presence of other Christians-really only to impress those around them. 


The believer should make it a practice to reserve his long prayers for when he is in private and only before God. In public, the prayer should be brief and to the point!

Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:2)

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:5-8)

Remember, brief prayers in public and long prayers in private. And at all times, be specific and to the point. Don’t bore God with your fancy rhetoric and do not waste His time by trying to impress Him with your elaborations, replications and loquaciousness.