We talked last month about prayer and our relationship with the Father. I mentioned that prayer is the lifeline between every believer and their Heavenly Father. The Bible tells us that we are to always pray.
1 Thessalonians 5:17–18 (NASB)
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We also know that if we ask ANYTHIG according to God’s will, He hears us. 1 John 5:14 tells us that we have CONFIDENCE that He hears us.
1 John 5:14 (NASB)
14 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
As I said at the end of last month’s newsletter, I am going to show you the different kinds of prayer. Since space is limited here, I am just going to briefly explain the different kinds of prayer without going into a lot of detail.
1. PRAYER OF FAITH
This prayer is for the individual Christian asking for what has been provided for them in Christ. It is not based on feelings, but on the assurance that God will do what He said in His word. All prayer must be prayed in faith, but I want to emphasize that this is for a believer to bring about change, based on God’s written Word. Faith begins where the will of God is known.
Mark 11:24 (NASB)
24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.
Matthew 21:22 (NASB)
22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
- THE PRAYER OF WORSHIP
This type of prayer honors God for who He is. Worship and Praise draw us into God’s presence.
1 Timothy 2:1 (NASB)
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
Luke 24:52–53 (NKJV)
52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
3. THE PRAYER OF AGREEMENT
This type of prayer refers to a situation where two or more believers come into agreement and pray together.
Matthew 18:18–20 (NASB)
18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”
4. UNITED PRAYER
United prayer is where believers come together in harmony, with one heart and one mind, to pray for a shared purpose or need.
1 Corinthians 1:10 (AMP)
10 But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments.
5. THE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION
Supplication is more heartfelt than just a casual request. The word “supplication” means a humble, earnest entreaty or request.
Philippians 4:6 (NASB)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
- INTERCESSORY PRAYER
Intercession means standing in the gap and praying on behalf of others. When we intercede for others, we align our hearts with God’s love for others.
1 Timothy 2:1 (NKJV)
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
Jesus even intercedes for us!
Hebrews 7:25 (NLT)
25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
Wow! That is awesome. Who else better to pray for us and intercede on our behalf than Jesus, our Lord?
I wanted to briefly show you the different kinds of prayer. I also want you to realize that prayer is not just a religious thing that Christians do, and it is not a required set of rules that we MUST follow. The most important part of prayer is to establish a relationship with our Heavenly Father and to constantly be in fellowship with Him.
In reality, the most effective prayer is the prayer the Holy Spirit inspires for whatever is needed in that moment. Prayer is a privilege of joining forces with our Heavenly Father to bring about His will on the earth.
James tells us in chapter 5 that a righteous person makes tremendous power available. If a believer doesn’t know who they are in Christ, they don’t understand what’s been done for them in Christ, and they are still bound up by the enemy. They haven’t heard that they are free, and they don’t know how to act on that truth.
When a righteous person prays for others, their prayers will hold back the forces of darkness that are prevailing in others’ lives, and it gives God the freedom to bring His Word to pass in their lives.
More on this subject and praying IN FAITH next month.