When you were saved, you likely said a prayer, something like: Father God, I admit that I am a sinner and I can’t do anything to save myself. I understand the punishment for my sin is death. I believe Your Son, Jesus, died on the cross to take the punishment for my sin, so that I can be right with You. I want to accept Jesus’ gift of salvation for me. I want to follow Jesus as my Lord and Savior. So what is prayer then?

The dictionary defines prayer as an address (such as a petition to God or a god in word or thought; a set order of words used in praying; an earnest request or wish; the act or practice of praying to God or a god; a religious service consisting chiefly of prayers; something prayed for (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prayer, accessed 5/7/22) So, the dictionary describes prayer as something you say or think to God.

Prayer starts as talking to God. It is not meditation, it is direct discourse with God Himself. Prayer is how a Christian communicates with God. When you pray, you tell God what’s on your mind. There are a lot of different types of prayer including praise, thankfulness, and requests. When we pray we tell Him our thoughts, needs, and desires. In 1 Timothy 2:1, the Apostle Paul wrote “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Paul gave us a good example of the types of things we should pray for.

Prayer is not just talking to God; it is also listening to God. Wait, God talks to us? Yes, He does. He doesn’t usually speak out loud to us, but He does let us know His answers to our prayers. In Psalm 27:14, David says to “wait on the Lord”. Since David just asked God to hear his prayers, to have mercy on him, not to hide His face from David, not to turn David away in anger, not to leave or forsake him, and to teach David His ways, David is waiting on the Lord to answer, so David expected God to answer him. In Psalm 130:5-6, again the psalmist is waiting on the Lord – his soul waits. When we pray, we need to wait for God’s answer – even if He doesn’t answer us right away.

When God does answer us, the answer can come in various forms. He can grant a request, change the desires of our heart or give us wisdom into a situation we have prayed about, or give us understanding of His Word. He may also bring a verse or passage from the Bible to mind to help us pray more effectively or help us understand a passage of Scripture. If we are seeking God’s will in anything and ask for this in prayer, God may answer and help us understand His will. Finally, God can increase our faith in Him, so we can pray more effectively and confidently.

Why do we pray?

Prayer is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible. Jesus also expects us to pray and gave us an example of how we should pray.

1. Jesus prayed, and as His followers, we should be following the example He gave when He was on earth.

• Mark 6:46 – And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
• John 14:16 – And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.
• John 17:9 – I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
• John 17:20 – I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.
• Luke 6:12 – Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
• Luke 22:44 – And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
• The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray in Luke 11:1-4. Jesus responded by teaching them the Lord’s Prayer, which will be covered in a future article.

2. We are told to pray. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Paul tells us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Thus we should always pray. Not that we should be praying exclusively and not doing anything else. What we are supposed to do is continue to pray: for help in difficult situations, thanking God for His blessings, making requests, and praying for others.

Other verses instructing us to pray:

• Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
• Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
• Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
• 1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

In Colossians 4:12, Paul is describing Epaphras, a believer in Christ. Paul describes him as fervently praying, meaning he was praying with great emotion and intensity. The Apostle Paul thought prayer was important enough that he noticed and mentioned one believer’s prayer.

1 Samuel 12:23 – Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Thus, Samuel saw ceasing to pray for the Israelites as sin.

3. God listens to the prayers of believers. In 2 Chronicles 7:15 God tells us He listens to our prayers: Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

• Psalm 55:17 – Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.
• Psalm 102:17 – He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.
• Proverbs 15:8 – The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
• 1 Peter 3:12 – For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.
• Revelation 5:8 – Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 8:4 – And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand – These verses tell us that God not only listens to our prayers but also treasures our prayers.

4. To keep us from falling into temptation. Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. In Matthew 6:13, Jesus taught the disciples to pray, to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

5. God answers prayers. Examples of God answering prayers include:

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 – if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
• James 5:13-16 – Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
• James 5:17 – Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Pray often. Pray continually. Tell God what is on your heart. Wait for His answer. In the next article, we’ll discuss how we should pray.