Pastor Motshwaiwa
Objectives of the lesson
- Define Prayer
- Understand why we need to pray
- Follow ACTS Sequence in learning how to pray
- Describe some types of prayers
- Describe some prayer postures
What is prayer
Payer is communicating with God. The best way to get to know someone is to talk with that someone often, God longs for you to know him. The Bible is full of invitations to enter into a deep personal relationship with God the Father, if you seek Him He will be found by you, 1Chronicles 28:9, in Jeremiah 24:7 speaking of those who would become the followers of Jesus Christ , God says “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, conversing with God is called prayer, Prayer is a conversation ,not a monologue it includes speaking to God and hearing from God, Jesus set the example for us Mark 1:35,What does this passage say about Jesus life?, Jesus taught the necessity of prayer Luke 18:1,What did the disciple ask Jesus to teach them? Luke 11:1’Why should we pray continually? 1Thesalonians 5:17
The acrostic ACTS will help you to begin developing your prayer life
- Adoration
- Confession
- Thanks giving
- Supplication
- Adoration - is the praise focusing on who the God is, look up the following scriptures
Spend time now in praise, Read psalms 100 or 150 and use it as a prayer back to God
- Confession – is acknowledging your sins before God in order to receive forgiveness
When you received eternal life, a relationship with God was established which will never be broken but our daily fellowship with God can be hindered by unconfessed sins Psalms 66:18 says, “if I had cherished sin in my heart the lord would not have listened.”
Therefore when you sin:-
- Confess the sins when you realize you have committed it (John 1:9a)
- Receive his promise of cleansing (John 1:9b)
- Claim victory over temptation (1Corinthians 10:13)
- Take time now to ask God to reveal your unconfessed sins, list them down, ask for God’s forgiveness and claim His promise of forgiveness
3. Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude to God for specific acts, when does God say that we should give thanks (1Thesalonians 5:18). List things in the following areas that you can give thanks for then spend time thanking Him; Spiritual blessings, Physical blessings, People, Material blessings.
- Supplication is making requests and expressing desires to God.
They may take the form of personal petitions or intercessions. Petition is asking God for your needs John 15:7 and Philippians 4:6-7. List three personal requests, and present them to God in prayer. Intercession is praying for the needs of others- Exodus 32:30-34. Romans 10:1:-write the requests that are found in these verses. Name people you know with specific needs in their lives and pray for them.
What are types of Prayers ?
Most Christians aren't aware that there are several types of prayer discussed in God's Word, and if you use one type when you should be using another, it won't work. You would be applying the wrong spiritual tool to your needs or request. God intended for each of the six forms of prayer mentioned in the Bible to have different functions, as described below.
1. The Prayer of Agreement
In Matthew 18:19, Jesus introduced the prayer of agreement when He said, “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).
Right off the bat you can see that for the prayer of agreement to work, the people involved in the prayer have to agree! You cannot know what someone else wants—what someone is believing for—and God cannot answer your prayer for someone else against his or her will. To use the prayer of agreement, you must be sure that the person with whom you are agreeing is in line with what you are asking for.
If someone asks me to pray in agreement with them, I ask, "What specifically do you want me to pray for?" You absolutely must make sure you are in perfect agreement about what your prayer request is before you join with another believer in the prayer of agreement.
2. The Prayer of Faith
The prayer of faith, also known as petition prayer. This is the prayer that most people think of when they use the term "prayer." Petition prayer is between you and God. It is you asking God for a particular outcome.
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.
Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Your faith is substance—it is something real, something tangible. It is evidence of things you cannot see.
Notice that Mark 11:24 does not say when you will actually see the result of your prayer. It does not tell you how long it will take for that prayer result to appear, and this is where many Christians get hung up.
He referred to peoples' faith constantly, and even though it was His power that healed them, He always credited their faith with being the catalyst. In fact, when Jesus went to His hometown, we are told that "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matt. 13:58).Did Jesus suddenly lose His power on that visit to Nazareth? No! His power never changed. What changed? It was the people's level of faith mixed with His power. There is a simple spiritual explanation for this. God will not do something against your will. God cannot violate free will. If you don't have faith to do something, He won't arbitrarily override your lack of faith.
3. The Prayer of Consecration and Dedication
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.'"He was praying, in effect, "If there is any other way to do this, let's do it that way." But the key for Jesus, and for us, is, "Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
You pray that God's will would be done when you don't know His will or don't know if an alternative path that appears is equally "correct" or godly. In the absence of direct instructions, the prayer of consecration and dedication says you will allow God to set your direction or make your decisions.
The prayer of consecration and dedication works when you have two (or more) godly alternatives before you, and you are not getting a clear sense at that time about which option God wants you to take. When the direction is unclear—but any of the options appear to be legitimate, righteous options—that is the perfect time to say, "Lord, if it be Your will, I'm going to go with option A."
Believe me, He will let you know if you are taking the wrong fork in the road.
4. The Prayer of Praise and Worship
In this prayer, you are not asking God to do anything for you or to give you something. You are not even asking for direction and dedicating your life to whatever it is God has called you to do. Rather, you just want to praise the Lord, to thank Him for His many blessings and mercy. You want to tell Him how much you love Him.
A good example of this type of prayer appears in Luke 2:20, which describes the reaction of the shepherds who had seen baby Jesus: "Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them."
In Luke 18:43, the blind man who was healed was described as "glorifying God." The verse also says all the people who witnessed the miracle "gave praise to God." They prayed prayers of thanksgiving.
Look at the way Jesus prayed in John 11:41: "'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me," referring to His previous prayer regarding Lazarus. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus told His disciples, "'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name'" (Luke 11:2).
Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6, emphasis added). This says that even when we pray the prayer of faith, we should always intersperse worship and praise.
5. The Prayer of Intercession
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.
Intercession involves praying for others. It may involve praying in a general way for such things as the church or the government, or offering up more specific prayers based on your knowledge of a person's need.
In Ephesians 1:15-18, Paul wrote: "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Here Paul makes it plain that he prayed regularly for the church at Ephesus and for the individuals there to receive these blessings. He does not set himself in agreement with anyone, so this seems to be a good example of intercessory prayer.
Likewise, in his greeting to the Philippians, he wrote, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy" (Phil. 1:3-4). The fact that Paul said he made requests for them suggests that this also was an example of intercessory prayer.
6. The Prayer of Binding and Loosing
This prayer is found in 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.”
There are several important nuggets in Jesus' statements here, the first being that we have authority here on this earth by virtue of our covenant rights through Jesus. The second thing we notice is the direction of the action. Things do not begin in heaven and come to Earth, but rather the action starts here on Earth. Notice that it says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" Like all things in God's system, this type of prayer works only in line with God's Word and His laws. You cannot bind things willy-nilly. Binding a team to lose in the Super Bowl won't work anymore than loosing someone to love you.
You can, however, bind foul spirits that are at work in people's lives or loose angelic spirits to work on your behalf in those areas where God has already promised you results. When you pray in this manner, God affirms it in heaven and puts His seal of approval on your prayer. Binding and loosing have to be based on the authority God have granted you in Scripture, not on some desire you have.
GOD WILLINGNESS TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS
Proverbs – Prayer of the upright is God delight
- Matthew 7:7-8 – Sermon on the Mount
- Ask it shall be given
- Seek you will find
- Knock it shall be opened
- Matthew 21:22
- And whatever things you ask in prayer, BELIEVING, you will receive
- Mark 11:24
- Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, BELIEVE that you received them, and you will have them
- John 14:13-14
- And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son, if you ask anything in My name, I will do it
- John 16:24
- Until now you have asked nothing in my Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
- John 15:7 – CONDITIONAL FOR ANSWERED PRAYER
- If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
BASIC CONDITIONS AND PRINCIPLE FOR PRAYER TO BE ANSWERED
- IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
Jesus is called mediator
No access to god except through Jesus Christ
Jesus is also called intercessor
Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Philippian 4:19 – Supply all our needs
- PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
Psalm 100:4 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise
You do not praise God because of feelings we prays God because of facts – He does not change!
Isaiah 66:18
- APPROACH GOD WITHOUT CONDEMNATION – BOLDLY – NOT SELF RIGHTTEOUSNESS
Psalm 66:18: If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened NIV – If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear
Remove consciousness of sin from the heart and come boldly to God – This only can happen with faith – Confess, repent, be cleansed! Do not remember your sins
1 Timothy 2:8
Remove doubt in your heart! – inner feelings and emotions- doubt you are condemned
Remove wrong attitude towards yourself and others
Hebrew 4:16 ‘Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession”
Come boldly to the crown of grace – Throne of grace
Hebrew 10:19 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus
- MOTIVES
James 4:2-3 – Prayers self-centred – Only God to be glorified through Jesus Christ
Claim God promises through glorifying God Himself
Glorifying God through the Lord Jesus Christ
Forgive our debt as we forgive! Same proportion!
Forgiveness is not emotion is a decision
- DELIVERANCE FROM THE DEVIL
Mark 11:25-26 Forgive so that your prayers may be answered!
1 Peter 3:7 Husband repent – Wife’s needed to be honoured for your prayers to be answered!
- DIRECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Romans 8:14 - READ
Only those who are led by Holy Spirit are the sons of GOD
Romans 8: 26-28 - READ
Spirit intercedes for us
Pray without ceasing – Holy Spirit takes over!
Ephesians 3:20 – READ
High plane of prayer! Exceedingly abundantly above all
- IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WORD OF GOD OR WILL OF GOD
All Promises of God are the Will of God – Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible” – Virgin Marry conception – No word of God will be without power – received the word
David wanted to build God house – God said I will build you the house (Household) –
1 Chronicles 17 :23-24
Which is the best prayer posture?
Very often church members ask about the proper posture in prayer, whether in church we should only pray kneeling down or whether sitting or standing are also correct postures. The question is provoked by the teachings of some well-intended church members who, based on their personal study, have concluded that all prayers in church should be offered on our knees. The debate demonstrates that for many church members prayer is very significant and meaningful and they want to ensure that in its practice they are following God’s instructions. We will discuss this issue not to discourage interest in this very important subject of Christian praxis, but to provide information and clarification
In the Biblical accounts of prayer, many postures are described. Abraham fell upon his face before God. (Genesis 17:3, 17.) Moses prayed with his hands outstretched. (Exodus 9:27–29.) King Solomon knelt in prayer. (I Kings 8:54.) Jesus prayed looking up into heaven. (Mark 6:41, John 11:41, and 17:1.)
Communication with God does not require a certain physical position, but postures do give expression to the attitudes of our hearts. Here we will look at eight postures of prayer, discuss their symbolism, and see how they relate to the beatitudes Jesus presented in the Sermon on the Mount:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matthew 5:3–12).
1. Kneeling: There are many examples of people praying to the Lord on their knees, suggesting that this was a very common practice. Daniel prayed on his knees three times a day (Dan 6:10), Stephen fell on his knees and talked to the Lord before he died as a martyr (Acts 7:60), and Peter knelt down before the corpse of Tabitha, prayed for her and she came back to life (Acts 9:40; see also Acts 20:36; Eph 3:14). Sometimes the person placed the head on the knees while praying (1 Kgs 1:13). Kneeling was a ritual expression of the willing surrender of the life of the worshiper to God. By kneeling down the worshipers went voluntarily down to the dust, from which humans were created, surrendering their lives to the Lord in prayer (cf. 2 Kgs 1:13).
2. Standing: Standing before the Lord in prayer was also a common practice, perhaps more common than kneeling. One of the most impressive cases is found in 2 Chronicles 20 where a corporate act of prayer is described. When Judah was about to be invaded by the combined military forces of Moab and Ammon, Jehoshaphat called the people to pray to the Lord. He stood in the assembly in the house of the Lord and prayed for liberation while the people were “standing before the Lord” (2Chr 20:5, 13). Hannah presented to the Lord her petition while standing, and the Lord answered her (1 Sam 1:26). Job also prayed standing (Job 30:20).
The Jews used to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to display their piety. Jesus condemned the pride but not the practice of praying standing (Matt 6:5). In fact, he endorsed it when he said to the disciples, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25). Standing in prayer emphasizes the privilege we have to approach God and address him with our needs and concerns knowing that he can grant us our petitions. Those who were allowed to have an audience with a king usually stood before him and presented to him their petitions (cf. Esther 5:2). Standing in prayer means that we acknowledge God as the king of the universe and consider it a privilege to approach him to request from him guidance, blessings and favors.
3. Sitting Down: The practice of praying to the Lord while sitting down is rare in the Bible but not totally absent. A good example is king David, who “went in and sat down before the Lord, and he said . . .” (2 Sam 7:18; NASB). This is the posture assumed by an individual who is seeking instructions from the Lord, through his prophet (e.g. 2 Kings 4:38; Ezek 8:1; 33:31), and who is ready to serve him.
4. Lying Down: We also find in the Bible cases in which people prayed during the night from their beds. While lying on the bed they remembered the Lord and meditated on him (Ps 4:4; 63:6). Sometimes the person would bow down (prostrate) on the bed and pray to the Lord (1 Kgs 1:47). Praying while lying down on a bed places the emphasis on prayer as an opportunity to meditate on the goodness of the Lord and to approach him during the night seeking his help. This is a private act of personal piety.
5. Prostration: When prostrating, people lay down horizontally with their faces on the ground and usually with outstretched arms. One of the knees remained bent in order to facilitate rising up from the ground. Rarely is prostration clearly associated with prayer in the Bible. (e.g. 1 Kgs 1:47; Mark 14:35). It is fundamentally an expression of homage and submission before a superior. The person seeking the help of the king prostrated before him in dependence and submission (2 Sam 14:4). It was also practiced to greet a superior (2 Sam 14:22), or as an act of homage (1 Sam 28:14). In religious contexts, this is the posture of worship (cf. 2 Chr 20:18). laying flat on the floor, face down, with hands stretched out (also known as 'prostrate');
standing, hands raised and spread, palms up, looking upward;
standing, head bowed, eyes closed;
sitting, head bowed, eyes closed, hands folded (the most common position today);
kneeling, head bowed, hands folded;
kneeling, head to the ground, hands face down on ground next to head;
standing, eyes forward, facing the altar;
sitting eyes closed, hands in front, palms up;
lying flat on the floor, face up, palms up;
slow leisurely walking (or sitting), eyes open, in a place where one can safely pay very little attention to where one is going.
What do different prayer postures symbolize ?
Lying Prostrate Before God
No position symbolizes humility better than being on our faces before God. This position of prayer demonstrates the beatitude of being poor in spirit. When Jesus described Himself, He said he was “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29.)
A wise way to begin each day is to get on our faces before God and acknowledge our unworthiness, inadequacy, and inability to accomplish His will. We should ask for His mercy, trusting that His strength and goodness will sustain us throughout the day. Lying prostrate before God expresses the following attitudes:
- It is an acknowledgement of our total unworthiness.
When God made a covenant with Abraham, Abraham recognized his unworthiness before God and “fell on his face” before the Lord. (See Genesis 17:1–22.)
- It is recognition of the need for God’s mercy.
When the leper came to Jesus for healing, he fell on his face and begged for mercy, saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Luke 5:12.)
- It is a right response to a serious crisis.
Often when the leaders of Israel faced impossible situations and knew that only God could deliver them, they fell on their faces before Him and sought His aid. (See Numbers 20:2–6 and Joshua 7:1–6.)
Kneeling before God
When we repent of our sins, we appeal to the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness. Kneeling before the Lord is a symbol of the heart attitude we should have to make such a petition. It reflects the beatitude of mourning over sin and expresses the following attitudes:
- It acknowledges the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Kneeling before God provides a visual image of submission to His authority. One day every knee will bow before God, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. (See Philippians 2:9–11.)
- It is a sign of earnest appeal.
King Solomon knelt when he asked God to bless the Temple and the people of God. (See I Kings 8:54.) Elijah knelt in earnest prayer when he asked the Lord to send rain to end Israel’s drought. (See I Kings 18:41–46.)
- It is a sign of personal humility.
The psalmist humbled himself before the Lord and encouraged others to do the same: “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6).
Bowing Before the Lord
One who bows before God conveys an attitude of honor, gratitude, and faith, acknowledging that all things come from His hand. When Job suffered great losses, he bowed down on the ground: “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:20–21). This position of prayer reflects the beatitude of meekness and expresses the following attitudes:
- It is a sign of reverence.
In some cultures, one who wants to express reverence and respect for another will bow before him. The deeper the bow, the greater the respect he shows.
- It is an expression of worship.
When God answered the prayer of Abraham’s servant, the man “worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth” (Genesis 24:52).
