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Prayer consists of adoration, thanksgiving, intercession, petition, pleading, communion, waiting and praise. Prayer should be
- Addressed to God the Father, (Matthew 66:9)
- In the Name of Jesus, (John 16:23)
- Enabled by the Holy Spirit. (Jude 20:21)
Jesus revealed God the Father to the world as a personal God who sees, feels, knows, understands and acts. He is Sovereign and Father. All of these revelations make praying to Him possible. Jesus’ death at Calvary restored the relationship between God and man. This made prayer legally possible. The Holy Spirit tells Christians what to say when they pray. He makes prayer executable. The Bible tells Christians what to expect from prayer. Christians everywhere witness that God answers prayer.
Jesus said men ought to always pray. (Luke 18:1) There is no special place for prayer. Prayer may take place
- In the prayer closet. (Praying in secret. Matthew 6:2)
- At the place of worship. (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17)
- At a solitary place. (Mark 1:35)
- From house to house. (Acts 2:42,46,47)
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There are several hindrances to prayer (Isaiah 59:1,2). They are
- Disobedience. (Proverbs 28:9)
- Selfishness. (James 4:3)
- Unforgiveness. (Mark 11:25)
- Doubt. (James 1:6)
- Idolatry. (Ezekiel 14:1-3)
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There are also helps to prayer. They are
- Sincerity. (Psalm 145:18)
- Simplicity. (Matthew 6:7)
- Earnestness. (James 5:17)
- Persistence. (Luke 18:1-8)
- Faith. (Matthew 21:22)
- Agreement. (Matthew 18:19,20)
- Definiteness. (Psalm 27:4)
- Effort. (Exodus 14:15)
- Fasting. (Mark 9:29)
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The greatest help to prayer is the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:18)
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