Prayer is the foundation of all healthy spiritual life. The reason is prayer is the means by which we connect with God, therefore, it is the means by which God imparts all of His empowerment and ability to us.
Without a consistent prayer life, it is impossible to have a relationship with God and it would be impossible to walk in the Spirit.
Because of this, I decided to write this article to help people everywhere to have a strong prayer life. This article is for those who simply want to learn what the Bible says about prayer and it is also for those who desire to conduct a Bible study on prayer with the groups that they are a part of.
I broke down each section of this Bible study into common questions about prayer so that we can discover what the Bible says about this wonderful topic.
And when it was applicable, I placed questions at the end of the sections to ask yourselves and the group you may be a part of.
I hope you enjoy this Bible study!
What does the Bible say prayer is?
The Bible implies prayer to be the means of communication with God. It is the channel of all of our conversing with God. This means that all types of talking with God fall into the categories of prayer; thanksgiving, worship, supplications, intercessions, counsel, etc.
The purpose of prayer is to simply commune with God. It is to have fellowship with God. If our prayer life ever loses this basic motivation then it is no longer prayer to the Father.
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:5-6)
Jesus reveals a wonderful truth here about what true prayer is. He tells us that true prayer is not motivated to be seen by others. It has one goal and that is to speak to the Father and to build a relationship with Him.
If you notice the hypocrites in this passage weren’t even praying to God, they were praying to be seen by men.
We should always ensure our motivation is pure when approaching God in prayer. Because if it is not established in the desire to talk with God and to know Him then it cannot be true prayer.
[Related articles: Is Prayer a Conversation with God? (Everything You Need to Know) & Is Talking to God the Same as Praying? (Biblical Answer)].
Who should we pray to? Father, Son, or Holy Spirit?
The Bible reveals that different types of prayer should be offered to different roles of the Godhead.
A simple way to remember it is this way: all prayer that involves asking God for something is to be directed to the Father, in the name of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit.
So every prayer that is asking God to intervene in your life, or in the life of others is to be directed to the Father.
Here are some scriptures to support this:
“For through Him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24).
However, when it comes to fellowship and thanksgiving it can be applied to all three Person’s of the Godhead.
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)
“…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20).
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy…” (Philippians 2:1).
So here is a practical example:
Say you are asking God for wisdom…
Father, thank You that You are a good God who is willing to give Your children wisdom when we ask You for it. So right now I ask you God for wisdom in the name of Jesus. I need Your divine understanding to get me through this situation and I ask You to open my eyes to see things that You see.
Jesus, thank you that you are my wisdom. You came to earth and modeled a life for me. You are the Last Adam sent to restore all that was lost. Father, help me look at the life of Jesus and see Your wisdom.
Holy Spirit, thank You for being the One to live inside me. Thank You that You are the Spirit of wisdom and You are imparting wisdom to me right now and enabling me to see what You see in every situation. Continue to open my eyes Holy Spirit so that I can walk in divine understanding just like Solomon did.
I pray all this in the wonderful name of Jesus, amen.
Where should Christians pray?
In private and in public. We should all have a time where we spend quality time alone with God in prayer. However, prayer is also meant to be with the saints, with our families, and even with unbelievers during evangelistic efforts, and all these are in public locations.
In addition to this, we are exhorted by the apostle Paul on multiple occasions to “pray at all times”, to “pray without ceasing”, and to “pray and thank god for everything”.
Now it would be impossible to pray in private all the time so this implies a combination of praying in the secret place (as Jesus calls) and praying in public.
When we pray in the secret place, Jesus instructs us to “go into your room and shut the door” (Matthew 6:6).
Now Jesus didn’t go into a room and shut the door because He didn’t have a room to go into. Instead, He would go into the wilderness and on mountains to pray.
“But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” (Luke 5:16)
“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)
So what is Jesus trying to tell us?
He is telling us to get alone. Find a place where distractions are removed so that you can have focused and intentional communion with God. This can be in a closet, in a room, in the backyard, or while you are on a walk.
It does not necessarily matter where you are praying, but that you are alone and undistracted.
Jesus, our Lord, did this on a daily basis. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.“ (Mark 1:35).
The apostle Peter did this on a daily basis. “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.” (Acts 10:9)
The prophet Daniel did this on a daily basis. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Daniel 6:10)
King David did this on a daily basis. “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).
In fact, every single man of God in the Bible took time to get alone with God in prayer.
The second place where Christians should pray is in public. At churches, schools, marketplaces, work, homes, on the streets, etc.
This is when we go throughout our day and we maintain communion with the Lord under neath our breath as we do the dishes or as we drive. And it is also when we pray with the saints when we gather together, or when we pray with our family over meals and during family devotions.
It can also be when we are praying with unbelievers when we are sharing the Gospel with them. Maybe they have a sickness or pain, we can pray for their healing so that when they recover a wide door is open for the gospel. This is actually what Jesus commanded us to do when we evangelize (Luke 10:9).
Question
Where is somewhere I can go to pray that is secluded enough to free me from distraction?
When/How often should Christians pray?
Christians should pray whenever they are able to and at whatever time is most convenient for them. The Bible is full of examples of people praying at different times and at different frequencies throughout the day. The important thing is that we pick a time that works and then we stick to it on a daily basis.
Now remember, we are called by scripture to pray at all times and to pray without ceasing. So we should be continually praying throughout our day under every circumstance and in every situation.
However, we cannot pray in the secret place “at all times” because that would just be irresponsible. So when should we pray in the secret place and how often should we do it?
Well, every example from the scripture is that people prayed daily. Some prayed in the morning, some in the evening, and others prayed three times.
Jesus did even more than that. Most likely He prayed 5+ times per day. (Related article: Prayer Life of Jesus & How to Pray Like Him).
This shows us that God does not really care about when we pray or how often we pray, He just wants us to pick a time that is most convenient for us.
If you are a morning person, pray in the morning. If you are a night owl, pray at night. If you are someone who has a long break at work, pray then. Or you could do all three and lower the amount of time spent on each, that way you spread out your time with God.
He is some scriptures to read to get a firmer grasp on the different times that people prayed in the Bible.
Morning – “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.“ (Mark 1:35)
Noon – “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour (noon)” (Acts 10:9).
Evening – “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming” (Genesis 24:63). The fact that Isaac “lifted up his eyes” implies he was bowing in prayer.
Three times per day – “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).
Questions
Am I more awake and aware in the morning, noon, or evening?
When am I free from responsibilities?
In light of this, when is the best time for me to pray?
For whom should we pray?
For ourselves – “Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:11-13)
For other saints – “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
For laborers (a.k.a disciple makers) – “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
For rulers – “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.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
For our enemies – “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:44-45)
Questions
Which category of person on this list am I neglecting to pray for?
How can I incorporate them into my prayer life?
Who should pray?
Every Christian who is a follower of Jesus should be praying. It would be very concerning to see a Christian who is called to fellowship with almighty God and yet they are not spending time talking with Him. They are missing out on the primary reason that we are saved.
Jesus said that He came to save us from sin and to give us eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“ (John 3:16)
Notice in this verse Jesus said that when we believe in Him we have eternal life. Not going to have it when we die, but have it currently the moment we believe.
So what is eternal life? How does Jesus define it?
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
knowing God and His Son is eternal life. Becoming one with the eternal One is life everlasting.
And we cannot know God unless we are willing to commune with Him in prayer. [Related article: How to Start Knowing God (Step by Step)].
Questions
Have I neglected to pray?
If so, how can I start to make prayer a habit?
Why should we pray?
There are possibly a hundred reasons why we should pray. But all of them can be summed up in one reason: we need God’s intervention. We need Him to intervene in our lives and in the lives of others, and He promised to do so when those who love Him pray in faith.
Now that I have said that I want to focus on the primary reason to pray. It still involves God intervening but it is in a way that you may have never been taught before.
The primary reason we should pray is so that we can grow closer to God, walk in His Spirit, and be transformed by His Holy Spirit from the inside out.
You see, the Bible says that when we spend time with God through communion with Him we are being transformed into the image of God through the work of Holy Spirit.
Essentially, when we come before God it gives Holy Spirit time to work on us and transform us.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Notice, it is the Holy Spirit doing the transforming and it is the Holy Spirit transforming us into what we were always created to be in the first place, which is the image of God. So we are not doing the work, He is.
So what do we have to do?
Come before Him with an unveiled face.
What does that mean?
It means that the same way Moses came before God in the tent of meeting so should we come before God.
If you remember in the book of Exodus, Moses spent so much time with God that His face started shining. So as to not scare anyone, he put a veil over his face whenever he was around the people. But whenever he would go into the tent of meeting he would remove the veil and talk with God (Exodus 34: 29-35).
So let’s remove our veil and approach God with boldness. Let’s start communing with Him on a daily basis so that His Spirit can transform our lives.
Question
How can I apply this to my life?
How to pray
Believe it or not, Jesus actually gave us a template for how we are to pray. It is called the Lord’s prayer and it is recited all over the world.
However, Jesus never meant it to be recited word for word. In fact, He even taught against that in verse 7 of chapter 6 of Matthew. His desire was that we would use it as a guide to assist us in drawing near to God.
This is why Jesus says, “In this manner, therefore, pray” (Matthew 6:9).
By saying this, it reveals that this prayer is meant to be a way in which we pray, not a word-for-word prayer that we vainly recite.
“In this manner, therefore, pray:
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation. But deliver us from the evil one.
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13).
After He says this, Jesus then tells the disciples that we should start our time of prayer with worship and praise. That is what was meant when He said, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed (Holy) is Your name” (v.9).
After worship and praise, Jesus tells us that we should pray for God’s kingdom and will to be done on earth. This is what is called intercession, because we are interceding on behalf of others by praying for God’s will to be done in the world and in their lives (v.10).
After the prayer and intercession for God’s will to be done on the earth, Jesus tells us to then pray for our own needs. Natural needs and spiritual needs (v.11-13).
Finally, at the very end, Jesus tells us to end our time just like we started it; in praise and worship. “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (v.13).
So, in short, Jesus taught His disciples through this template, that our prayer times should consist of four basic stages:
- Praise and worship
- Intercession
- Praying for our own needs
- Praise and worship
And it’s important to remember that this prayer is only a template and a guide to our prayer lives. We can deviate from it because prayer is about a relationship with God, but as a general rule, it is a great way to have a fruitful prayer life.
[Related article: The Lord’s Prayer (Common Questions Answered)].
Question
How can I start to pray the way Jesus outlined?
Benefits of a consistent prayer life
There are a total of 11 benefits found in Psalm 91 that is mentioned regarding someone who lives a consistent prayer life. The write calls this “dwelling in the secret place.” To read the complete list check out the article I wrote titled Dwelling in the Secret Place: What it is and How to do it. It covers the topic thoroughly, as well as the benefits.
I hope you guys enjoyed the article and that it was a blessing to you.
God bless you all!
