1. What is Prayer?

Notes

Prayer connects us to God.

Prayer is how we seek and abide in God.

The Foundational Lesson and Example in Prayer

Abraham prayed for a child (Gen. 15:2-3).
Isaac prayed for a child (Gen. 25:21).
“When God saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” (Gen. 29:31).
God opened Rachel’s womb (Gen. 30:22).
Hannah was barren, and she prayed and vowed to give her child to God (1 Sam. 1:10-15).
- Prayer is pouring our hearts out to God and sharing our lives with our Creator.
- Hannah promised God that she would give back the child he gave to her.
- When we give our lives to the Lord, we are giving our lives back to Him.
- Hannah was the first person to address prayer to the LORD of Hosts.
- Hannah became the example of intense, earnest prayer.
Zechariah prayed that Elizabeth would bear a son (Lk. 1:13), and he was the forerunner of the ministry of Jesus.
Each of these stories is a major arc in the story of the Bible. Each of these events came by prayer.
The prayers brought each of these people to a special place of closeness with the Lord, it brought them to a high place of faith.
Prayer is bringing our needs to God, but it is not just bringing our needs to Him; it is depending on Him and developing a relationship with Him.

Prayer in the life of Jesus

Mk. 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Lk. 3:21-22 “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

Lk. 5:15-16 “ But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. ¹⁶ And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

Lk. 6:12 “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

Lk. 9:28-29 “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. ²⁹ And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer: Mt. 6:5-18; Mt. 7:7-12; Lk. 11:1-13; Lk. 18:1-8

Jesus’ Prayer in the Garden before His Crucifixion: Mt. 26:36-46; Mk. 14:32-42; Lk. 22:39-46; Jn. 17:1-26

Prayer is Based on Relationship

Before we can teach on what to pray or how to pray, we must understand the basis of all prayer, which is our relationship with God.

Prov. 28:9 “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”

Psa. 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

regard (H#7200): see, advise, approve.
iniquity (H#205): trouble, vanity, wickedness, idols, evil.
heart (H#3820): feelings, will, intellect.

Jn. 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Jas. 4:1-10

We must ask.
And we must ask with right motives.
Mk. 10:35-45
When we don’t abide, we are targets for the enemy (see Psa. 91)
We are open to giving in to selfish and sinful desires.

Recommended reading:

Before I recommend a book on prayer, I first encourage you to read A. W. Tozer’s The Crucified Life, which helps you live the lifestyle that brings about fellowship with God and answers to prayer. After you have read Tozer, move on to E.M. Bounds on Prayer.

In Summary:

What is prayer? The mark of a relationship with God, the sign of trust, the place where we place everything in His hands.

Phil. 4:6-8 (AMP) “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. ⁸ Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].”