1. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3. Give us day by day our daily bread.
4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
INTRODUCTION
In order to become a medical practitioner, you must first be duly licensed after you must have successfully completed your required period of houseman-ship under a medical institution or a teaching hospital
In order to become a practising lawyer, you must first be called to the bar after you must have successfully completed your Law School studies
In order to become a chartered accountant, you must first be certified by any of the professional examining bodies, such as ICAN, ACA, ACCA, et cetera
Therefore, in order to become an effective and efficient praying saint of God, you must also first be taught by the Lord through the School of the Spirit after you must have submitted to Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord
WHY MUST THE LORD TEACH US TO PRAY?
Without His help, we cannot pray aright
Without His help, we may pray amiss
Without His help, we may struggle needlessly in the place of prayer
Without His help, we may not experience power in prayer
Without His help, our prayers may never be answered, and
Without His help, we may neither know what to pray for, nor how to go about it in prayer
WHAT DID JESUS TEACH HIS DISCIPLES ABOUT PRAYER?
First, prayer establishes and builds our relationship to the Heavenly Father, (Matthew 6:9)
Second, prayer establishes and builds intimate fellowship with the Father
Third, prayer establishes the will of God on earth over human affairs
Fourth, prayer invites the Presence, Power, Provisions and Protection of the Almighty God over His children
Fifth, prayer builds an invincible and invisible shield of defence over Gods children
Sixth, prayer provides an effective divine barricade against sin and its evils
Seventh, prayer guarantees unbroken fellowship with the Father through the daily confession of our sins of omission and commission
FURTHER LESSONS JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT PRAYER
When we pray, we should not be like the hypocrites, (Matthew 6:5)
When we pray, we should go into our closet that is, it should be done with a level of confidentiality and a degree of privacy, (Matthew 6:6)
When we pray, we should not use vain repetitions, (Matthew 6:7)
HOW JESUS PRACTISED PRAYER
Mark 1:35 (Choose a private place, and make it first thing in the morning)
Luke 5:16 (Withdraw yourself to a quiet place for private prayer learn to practise some quietness)
Luke 9:28 (Sometimes, you may need to pray with other people as the need arises)
Matthew 14:23 (Other times, you must go alone into the place of prayer) [Mark 6:46]
Luke 4:42 (Isolate yourself from distractions when necessary)
THE NECESSITY FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRAYER
Variety is the spice of life, so also is the need for different types of prayer
Variety prevents monotony, so also different types of prayer encourages creativity and diversity
Variety encourages growth and maturity, so also the need for different types of prayers
Variety promotes unity and diversity, so also does different types of prayer
Variety helps to vary patterns and processes, so also does different types of prayer
TYPES OF PRAYER
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:(Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 100:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
This type of prayer aims to showcase Gods goodness and mercies towards us. It is usually a psalmody of praise, and it is the same as the Sacrifice of Praise.
PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION:(Psalm 119:170; Hebrews 5;7; Ephesians 6;18; Daniel 6:10-11)
This type of prayer is a humble appeal, entreaty for clemency, or petition for forgiveness, amnesty or general pardon it is often made on behalf of a nation or individuals
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION:(Jeremiah 27:18; Isaiah 59:15-16; 41:28)
This type of prayer is to stand in the gap between God and humanity in order to appeal for mercy, pardon, and divine intervention.
Examples of men who stood in the gap on behalf of individuals and/or nations are:
Abraham, (Genesis 18:16-33)
Moses, (Exodus 32:11-14)
Noah, Daniel and Job, (Ezekiel 14:13-20)
PRAYER OF ADORATION:
This type of prayer is equivalent to Prophetic Praise, and mostly follows after a great deliverance or divine intervention.
PRAYER OF PETITION: (1 Samuel 1:10-11; Luke 18:1-8)
This type of prayer is to report a distressing or painful matter to the Almighty God, craving His immediate and speedy intervention. It almost always involves the making of irrevocable vows and covenants; and this must never be made unwisely or unadvisedly, (Ecclesiastes 5: 2-6)
PRAYER OF AGGREMENT: (Matthew 18:18-19)
This type of prayer is usually carried out with the full and total consent or cooperation of two or more believers of like-mind, and is similar to the Prayer of Decree and Declaration
PRAYER OF BINDING AND LOOSING: (Matthew 16:17-19)
This type of prayer is mostly exercised by the saints to bind demonic entities and their human agents, and to loosen their grips on their victims. It must be strictly exercised in absolute faith, and is mostly successful if combined with fasting, (Matthew 17:17-21; Mark 9:28-29)
PRAYER OF IMPORTUNITY: (Luke 11:5-8)
Importunity from the dictionary point of view means:
To insistently solicit or passionately entreat about a matter
To haggle, bargain or argue over a matter in a persuasive and intense manner
To refuse to give up or surrender easily until you win your case, (Isaiah 41:21)
This type of prayer is to persistently and repeatedly ask concerning a matter without easily giving up, and never feeling ashamed about it until you obtain or receive your heart desire, (James 1:5)
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION: (Matthew 26:39; Acts 14:26; 15:40)
This type of prayer is to irrevocably surrender and totally submit ones life to Gods will and commission, irrespective of the dangers that may lie ahead, (Acts 21:13)
PRAYER OF DECREE AND DECLARATION: (Job 22:28)
This type of prayer is to authoritatively issue righteous decrees and declarations based on a right standing relationship with the Almighty God, and in line with the permission of Revelation Knowledge which comes by the Word of God
PRAYER OF WORSHIP: (1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 29:2; 96:9; Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26)
This type of prayer is also known as Prophetic Worship. What this type of prayer does is to elevate prayer into the realm of the prophetic, where it transcends the bounds of time into the heart of eternity
ALL PRAYER:(Ephesians 6:18)
This type of prayer is a hybrid of the various types of prayer as occasion demands, and as one is led of the Lord
PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT: (1 Corinthians 14:14; Romans 8:26)
This type of prayer is also known as Prayer in Tongues. It relies exclusively on the grace and direction of the Holy Spirit to be effectively prayed, and it is totally alien to human diction or languages. The more you use it, the better it becomes
CONCLUSION:
IT IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO BE TAUGHT OF THE LORD ON HOW TO PRAY.
IF WE RELY ON HIM, IT IS GUARANTEED THAT OUR PRAYERS SHALL NO LONGER BECOME FRUITLESS EFFORTS OFFERED IN SHEER FUTILITY!
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