Prayer Work

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time." (I Timothy 2: 1-6 NIV)

Christians are called to a life of prayer. They are to be involved heavily in prayer work and ministry.

There are several parts and branches of prayer. In the above words of Paul, he list "requests" (or "supplications" KJV), and "prayers," and "intercessions," and "thanksgiving."

"Supplications" denotes petitions and requests, or an asking or an entreaty, or a plea to God on behalf of others.

"Prayers" denote good wishes and desires, directed and expressed to God for things, either for one's self or for others.

"Intercessions," denotes either complaints exhibited in prayer against others, a pleading against injurious people for the purpose of averting evil from such people, or else denotes the bestowing some good thing on them.

"Intercessions," according to W. E. Vine, "primarily denotes 'a lighting upon, meeting with'; then, 'a conversation'; hence, 'a petition.' It is a technical term for approaching a king, and so for approaching God in "intercession"; it is rendered "prayer" in I Titus 4:5; in the plural in I Timothy 2:1 (i.e., seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others)."

"Thanksgivings" denote that branch of prayer in which thanks are given to God for mercies received, whether temporal and carnal or whether spiritual and eternal.

In a healthy prayer life a Christian will be active in each of these parts of prayer.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Ephesians 6: 18-20 NIV)

There are a number of important points for the Christian prayer warrior to particularly notice from the above words of Paul.

First, prayer, of whatever kind, must be uttered by the Holy Spirit for it to be successful.

"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 NIV)

"I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." (I Corinthians 14: 15 KJV)

Without the Holy Spirit a man's prayer avails nothing. Praying men and women seek the Holy Spirit to aid them in prayer. So Jude wrote elsewhere, saying "pray in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1: 20 NIV)

Second, prayer is to be continuous, to be "without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5: 17 KJV). It is a being "faithful in prayer." (Romans 12: 12 NIV)

Third, prayer includes "all kinds of prayers and requests," including supplications, and intercessions, and giving of thanks.

Fourth, godly prayer will always include prayer for the success of the gospel, for the salvation of others.

"Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith." (II Thessalonians 3: 1, 2 NIV)

A meaningful prayer life will not be selfish, for the prayer worker will be found often praying for others besides for himself. A man who is always praying only for himself is probably not "praying in the Holy Spirit."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4: 6 NIV)

Again it is to be noted how Paul often enumerates the various kinds or aspects of prayer. In the above words he mentions prayer, petition, requests, and thanksgiving. He also speaks of prayer as being a cure for anxiousness, for stress and worry. Prayer can greatly alleviate fears and worries.

A man who does not pray is a man with no faith in God. A professing Christian who has quit praying is a Christian who has "giving up." A person who does not pray has no alleviation for his anxieties and stresses. Praying people generally live longer and with less fretfulness. Further, praying people also receive more from God in the way of blessing than those who do not pray to him. Wrote James:

"Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4: 2, 3 KJV)

Successful prayer always prays "according to the will of God." Wrote the apostle John:

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (I John 5: 14, 15 KJV)

Prayer is not a complicated matter, although it does require the Holy Spirit and a knowledge of God's will. People need to be taught how to pray. The disciples came to Jesus with a prayer about their praying, asking that the Lord to "teach" them "how to pray" as John the Baptist did his disciples. (See Luke 11: 1 KJV)

Besides the above necessary ingredients to a successful prayer life, a godly life is also viewed in scripture as essential to it.

"Be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." (I Peter 4: 7 NIV)

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21: 22 NIV)

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." (James 5: 14-18 NIV)

Clearmindedness, self-control, righteousness, and faith are all things possessed by those with a successful prayer life. If we lack success in our prayers, then we need to take inventory to see wherein we lack these things and look to the Lord to give them to us, to make us obedient.

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." (Hebrews 5: 7 NIV)

"And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." (Luke 22: 44 NIV)

Successful prayer also requires fervency and earnestness. This of course requires great faith in the goodness and power of the Lord. One cannot pray with half a heart and expect to receive blessing from the Lord. Wrote James:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1: 5-8 KJV)

To be "double minded" is to pray with half a mind or half a heart. People often pray out of formality and ritual but who do not pray with full spiritual concentration and devotion.

Jesus was a man of prayer, often spending entire nights in prayer. His prayers were not casual events, but ones in which his entire being was engaged in it. Christ labored hard in prayer. His prayers were uttered with "strong crying" and with great fervency.

"I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed." (Romans 15: 30-32 NIV)

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." (Colossians 4: 2-4 NIV)

When we pray as did Christ and the apostles, we "join a stuggle" with countless other Christians. Prayer is a work, a labor of love, a place to wrestle and to struggle. A man who prays successfully is a man who is "devoted to prayer." No wonder that such prayer is often associated with fasting and self denial. (See Mark 9: 29)

"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." (Colossians 4: 12 NIV)

"Wrestling in prayer" in a similar manner to the way Jacob "wrestled with the angel." (See Genesis 32: 24, 25) Prayer is not always easy, but often difficult, being a struggle.

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." (I Peter 3: 7 NIV)

Hindrances to prayer! There is much food for thought there! If we are not successful in our prayers, then we ought to first take stock of what we are praying for, and why we are desirous of those things we ask for, and also to find out what it is that is hindering those prayers. Perhaps we need to repent of sins, and to change our ways. Again, godliness is the secret to successful prayer.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5: 43-45 NIV)

A man who's heart is right in prayer is a man who is praying more for others than for himself and who prays even for his enemies.

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (I Peter 3: 12 NIV)

Friend, God will hear sincere prayer, prayer made in faith and for what is good. It is very true that "God is only a prayer away" from everyone. Will you pray to him today? Will you ask the Lord to teach you to pray?