How should we pray?
Discussion question for June 19, 2009
Does it matter if we pray aloud, speaking things into existence? Are we to pray silently when we are in our “prayer closet”? Does it make a difference in general, or are there specific situations in which one type of prayer is called for over another? What are the kinds of prayer we should use?
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
Our discussion moved quickly from the physical realm (aloud or not, prayer closet or not, etc.) and into the spiritual realm.
We are to pray in the Spirit at all times (Ephesians 6). That means always being aware that God sees my words and meditations (Psalm 19:14), and in that way I am praying without ceasing. But there are times when He calls me to pray more fervently, like when He wakes me up in the middle of the night with a prayer burden. The Spirit directs my prayer from my inmost feelings (Romans 8 ) and intercedes for me, but that doesn’t excuse me from putting in real effort of participation.
We are to pray in faith. Jesus healed people through their faith, and our conviction in prayer is based on what we believe to be true. Praying according to God’s will is powerful. Somehow I need to interrogate my feelings and will and make sure it lines up with His, otherwise I may be fervent in prayer requesting something that He does not want to give. An example is David’s prayer for Bathsheba’s baby. God already had in mind that the baby would die, despite the most fervent prayers on David’s part. On the other hand, Moses’ prayer for the people of Israel after they sinned with the golden calf idol seems to have made a difference to God’s response.
We may need to persevere in prayer. If God regularly answers every request we make, then we could become lazy and complacent. When we persevere it makes us stronger in our request and the payoff is more valuable. Daniel prayed and God answered immediately, but the delivery was delayed because of spiritual warfare (Daniel 9). We must contend, seek God’s heart in the matter, and when we believe we are in agreement then keep pressing in.
As we mature in our relationship with God and our confidence in prayer we should become less self-focused and more “others-centered”. Intercession for others is a high calling.