How to Pray

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, -1 Timothy 2:5 

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If prayers do not get answered, it would be foolish to pray. God never teaches us to preach, he teaches us to pray.

A privilege and an obligation of the Christian where we communicate with God. It is how we convey our confession (1 John 1:9), requests (1 Tim. 2:1-3), intercessions (James 5:15), thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6), etc., to our holy God. We are commanded to pray (1 Thess. 5:17).

Prayer is the responsibility of every born again believer. God’s Word tells us to pray. Prayer is entering into relationship with God so we can determine His will in the matter and call His will into existence upon the earth. As you read the following verse, notice that talking to God on behalf of others carries a promise:

1 Tim. 2:1,2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Much of the discontent and worry we as believers suffer is the result of disobedience to God’s Word, which exhorts us to pray: Eph. 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Holy Ones – Living People (not dead idols)).

Matt, 26:41 Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Jesus teaches us how to pray

Luke 11:1 (NIV) One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

The Lord’s Example Prayer – ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a] but deliver us from the evil one.^{[b] 14} For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

1. You pray directly to the Father in Heaven and approach him with reverence (Hallowed be your name)
2. You pray according to HIS WILL not yours. His will is in line with His Word. All His promises are yes and amen. We must learn to line up our wills with His.
3. The daily bread refers to Jesus who is the Word. We must partake of the Word of God on a daily basis
4. Forgiveness is under the condition that we have forgiven others
5. Temptation is everywhere, we must make sure we don’t place ourselves in situations where we are tempted to sin which the tool the evil one (Satan) uses to get access into our lives
6. Forgiveness is mentioned again. This is a big key to getting our prayers answered.

John 6:32- 35 (NAS) …Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

TYPES OF PRAYER

1. AGREEMENT – “‘Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven'” (NKJV).
2. FAITH PETITIONS – The key verse for the prayer of faith is Mark 11:24, in which Jesus says, “‘Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.'” The rule to consider here is when you pray—not after you pray, not when you feel something, not when you see something. When you pray (the moment that you pray) you must believe that you receive what you asked for.
3. COMMAND (Binding and Loosing) – Matthew 18:18-19. Jesus says: “‘Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.'”
4. CONSECRATION & DEDICATION (COMMITMENT) – In Luke 22:41-42, we see outlined the prayer of consecration and dedication: “And He [Jesus] was withdrawn from them [Peter, James and John] about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.'”
5. PRAISE (Singing and Worship)
6. INTERCESSION/ SUPPLICATION – Intercession means you are interceding—acting in prayer—on behalf of someone else. The person may be incapable of praying for himself. Perhaps he is on drugs or mentally confused by demonic doctrines. Perhaps the person is so sick he can’t muster the energy to stay awake, let alone pray.
7. PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT – Praying in tongues in the Holy Spirit