Biblical meaning of prayer
Prayer is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate his emotions and to fellowship with God. Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or informal.
Prayer is described in the Bible as
- seeking God’s favor (Exodus 32:11),
- pouring out one’s soul to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15),
- crying out to heaven (2 Chronicles 32:20),
- drawing near to God (Psalm 73:28, KJV), and
- kneeling before the Father (Ephesians 3:14).
Prayer is a mighty weapon at the disposal of every man or woman who loves God and knows His son Jesus Christ. I once heard prayer described as guided missile that can be launched from anywhere on the face of the planet at any target, and there is no defense against it. Satan can’t even stop your prayers. Consistent prayer releases the power of God’s blessing in one’s life and circumstances.
The enemy would rather have you do anything else than pray That is why he seduces many believers and steers them away from praying.
The main types of prayer
- The prayer of faith:James 5:15 says, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” In this context, prayer is offered in faith for someone who is sick, asking God to heal. When we pray, we are to believe in the power and goodness of God (Mark 9:23). Isaiah 53:5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
- The prayer of agreement
This type of prayer is also known as corporate prayer: After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples “all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). Later, after Pentecost, the early church “devoted themselves” to prayer (Acts 2:42). Their example encourages us to pray with others.
- The prayer supplication:We are to take our requests to God. Philippians 4:6 teaches, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Part of winning the spiritual battle is to be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18).
- The prayer of thanksgiving and petition:According to Philippians 4:6 , we see another type of prayer which is thanksgiving or giving thanks to God. “With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Many examples of thanksgiving prayers can be found in the Psalms. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. In other words, “do NOT worry about nothing – instead pray about everything.
- The prayer of worship:The prayer of worship is similar to the prayer of thanksgiving. The difference is that worship focuses on who God is; thanksgiving focuses on what God has done. Church leaders in Antioch prayed in this manner with fasting: Acts 13:2-3 says, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off”
- The prayer of consecration:Sometimes, prayer is a time of setting ourselves apart to follow God’s will. Jesus made such a prayer the night before His crucifixion: Matthew 26:39 “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”
- The prayer of intercession:Many times, our prayers include requests for others as we intercede for them. We are told to make intercession “for everyone”. In 1 Timothy 2:1, Jesus serves as our example in this area. The whole of John 17 is a prayer of Jesus on behalf of His disciples and all believers.
- Praying in the Spirit (tongues). Basically, this is the same as praying in tongues.
In Romans 6:26-27, we read that Holy Spirit prayers through us prayers when we are unable to think of adequate words to express ourselves to our Heavenly Father. These are times, when the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us.