Keys to Prayer

Someone who recently gave his life to Christ asked me how he should pray, which is a completely valid question for a new believer. My answer to him may also be helpful to you as well. While it is intended for new believers who may not know where to begin, or who may have previously only known idolatrous religion, it may also be helpful for those who are more mature in the Lord.

Talk to God

Prayer is talking to God, so talk to him like you would talk to a person, except in this case with great love, reverence, respect, and awe. Pray to the Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (Jn 14:14, NIV).

You have direct access to the heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn 14:6, NIV).

Do not pray to Mary, the saints, angels, spirit guides, or other entities. Jesus is your only mediator. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim 2:5).

If you need some sort of guideline for what to pray about, use the Lord's Prayer as your structure, not merely as a formula prayer, but as an outline for your prayers. I have written in more detail about this in my article, The Disciples’ Prayer.

Thanksgiving
Begin by coming to Him in Jesus' name with thanksgiving, thanking Him for every blessing He has given you. The psalmist said, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." (Ps 100:4, NIV). You can thank Him for life, health, strength, your salvation, food, clothing, shelter, your Bible, the privilege of prayer, etc. You can thank Him for your identity in Christ. Give thanks in all things, even your trials. For more on this, please see Giving Thanks in Everything.

Praise
Begin also by praising Him according to Ps 100:4 and Mt 6:9 for who He is: His love, omnipotent power, awesome name, holiness, majesty, beauty, compassion, care, omniscience, etc. For more on this topic, please see Praise the Lord!

Claim the Promises of God
During your prayer time, as the Spirit of God leads you, you may claim His promises for yourself out loud. Prayer Promises.

Pray According to Scripture
It's important to pray according to the Word of God. Aside from claiming His promises, you should also pray in accordance with what is written in Scripture. That includes patterns of prayer found in the Bible through the examples of the Lord Jesus Himself (e.g., Jn 17; Mt 11:25; 26:36-56), as well as others like David (see Psalms), Daniel (Dan 9:1-19), Nehemiah (Neh 1:1 - 2:9), and the apostle Paul (Eph 1:16-23). Praying according to Scripture also includes praying according to any verse of Scripture as the Spirit of God leads you.

Pray According to God's Will
If you are praying according to Scripture, you should be praying according to God's will, but I will mention this separately, because it is so important. The way to get your prayers answered is to make sure God hears you, and you know He hears you if you pray in His will. The apostle John said, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 Jn 5:14-15, NIV).

Have Faith
The Scriptures teach us that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb 11:6, NIV). So you must believe that God exists and that He will reward you as you diligently seek Him.

Be confident as you approach the throne of God, since you have such a great high priest. For the apostle said:

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:14-16, NIV).

Faith Proclamations
Another thing you may do in pray is to make Personal Proclamations of Faith, declaring out loud the truth that God's Word says about you and those you are praying for.

Covenant Prayer
You might also incorporate this covenant prayer in some way: Covenant Prayer.

Interceding for Others
You should pray for others such as:

1, Your unsaved parents, family, other relatives, and friends, asking God to help them come to know Jesus and be saved.
2. Your government leaders, including local, state, national, and all those in authority, such as law enforcement officials (1 Tim 2:1-3).
3. Your teachers and/or those over you in your job.
4. Your pastor, teacher, spiritual mentor, and those in authority.
5. Anyone you know that needs healing or deliverance.
6. For the people you share Jesus with that they would come to know Him.
7. For all the saints (Eph 6:18) and for all men (1 Tim 2:1-3).

For more on this, please see my article, Standing in the Gap.

Pray for Yourself
Talk to God about your own needs as you pray for yourself. Some of the things you can specifically pray about are for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, wisdom, understanding, forgiveness, not to fall into temptation, deliverance from evil (including evil spirits), for protection, for His provision for you, for opportunities to share Jesus with specific people, for guidance and direction concerning your life, for His will to be done in your life, etc.

In Secret with No Images

Jesus said, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Mt 6:6).

So when you pray, do so in secret, to your unseen Father in heaven, and do not pray in front of any images, since that would be an abomination to God. There is no need for symbols or prayer beads either. For more on this, please see Modern Day Idols.

Pray Out Loud
It's also best to pray out loud, rather than silently, although it's fine to pray in your heart silently as needed in certain circumstances. For more on this please see Crying Out to God Loudly, as well as Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom.

Pray in the Spirit
The Bible teaches us to pray in the Spirit, so this is an important key.

Jude wrote: "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 1:20).

Paul wrote: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Eph 6:18, NIV).

"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding." (1 Cor 14:14-15, NIV).

In order to pray deeply in the Spirit, you need to first receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. For more on that please see my article, Baptized with the Spirit.

Position 

You can sit, stand, kneel, or lay on your face to pray. But one very good way to pray that is found in the Bible and helps you to express your reverence for God is kneeling. I also suggest praying with your eyes closed and your hands uplifted to the Lord. For more on these topics, please see Lifting Hands in Prayer, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Bowing Low in Worship.

Put on the Armor of God
Just as you need to get dressed everyday, you need to put on spiritual garments, too. For more on this, please see The Wardrobe of the Saints and The Armor of God.

Head Covering
If you are a male, then pray with your head uncovered, and if you are a female, then pray with your head covered. The apostle Paul wrote: "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head...a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels." (1 Cor 11:4-5a, 10b NIV). For more on this, please see my article Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering?

Listen to God
Get to know Him. Listen to His voice. For more on this, please see Hearing the Lord's Voice and Inquiring of the Lord.

Worship the Lord

Take time just to express your love for God. Pour your love on Him. He is your great big Abba Father. Worship and adore Him for who He is. Bask in His presence and enjoy your time with Him.

You might like to play some instrumental worship music while you are praying or not have any music at all. Here is a link to instrumental worship to play while you pray, if you like.

I hope you have found these keys helpful as you spend time each day with the Lord in prayer.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan. 

Author's Note:  If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like other articles about prayer which you can find on the Home page of this blog. Also see Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom and Crying Out to God Loudly, I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Blessing Others

The Scriptural way of blessing others is very plain and simple, yet powerful. It is essentially speaking good things over their lives. It's just the opposite of cursing them, which is speaking negative things over their lives. Let's look at some examples from the Bible, which you can use to bless others.

Moses Blesses the Tribes
At the end of Deuteronomy, we find a record of the blessing Moses gave to each of the twelve tribes before he died. As with many verses of Scripture, you can use the following ones as models for your blessings over others:

Let [name] live and not die. (Dt 33:6)

Hear, LORD, the cry of [name], Oh, be his/her help against his/her foes! (Dt 33:6)

Bless all his/her skills, LORD, and be pleased with the work of his/her hands. (Dt 33:7)

Strike down those who rise against him/her, his/her foes till they rise no more. (Dt 33:11)

Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in You, for You shield him/her all day long, and the one You love rests between Your shoulders. (Dt 33:12)

May the LORD bless [name] with the choicest gifts and fruitfulness, with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of [name]. (Dt 33:13-16)

[Name] is abounding with the favor of the LORD and is full of His blessing; (Deut 33:23)

Most blessed is [name]. The bolts of his/her gates will be iron and bronze, and his/her strength will equal his/her days. (Dt 33:25)

The eternal God is [name's] refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out his/her enemies before his/her, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ (Dt 33:27)

So [name] will live in safety; he/she will dwell secure. (Dt 33:28)

Blessed is [name], a person saved by the Lord. He is his/her shield and helper and his/her glorious sword. His/her enemies will cower before him/her, and he/she will tread on their heights. (Dt 33:29)

As you can see, these can be used for different kinds of people in different situations, just as each of the tribes were different from one another.

Jacob Blesses His Sons
Before Jacob died, he blessed each of his sons, and perhaps the best blessing was given to Joseph. One of the blessings you can use from that is this one:

[Name] is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. (Gen 49:22)

Here is another one adapted from his blessing over Zebulun:

[Name] will provide a haven for those in need. (Gen 49:13)

The Beatitudes
In the passage known as the beatitudes of Christ, we find more blessings. Whenever we read this passage out loud, we are speaking blessings over the lives of all who fit the description in each beatitude. But you can also make it specific by naming the person you want to bless.

For one who is poor
Blessed is [name], the kingdom of heaven is his/hers. (Mt 5:3)

For one who mourns
Blessed is [name] as he/she mourns, for he/she shall be comforted. (Mt 5:4)

For one who is gentle
Blessed is [name], for he shall inherit the earth. (Mt 5:5)

For one who is merciful
Blessed is [name] who is merciful, for he/she shall receive mercy. (Mt 5:7)

For one who is pure in heart
Blessed is [name], who is pure in heart, for he/she shall see God. (Mt 5:8)

For a peacemaker
Blessed is [name] the peacemaker, for he/she shall be called a son/daughter of God. (Mt 5:9)

For one who is persecuted for righteousness
Blessed is [name] who has been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for his/hers is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5:10)

Paul's Epistles
Some of the promises written in Paul's epistles can also become wonderful blessings to speak over others. Here are some examples:

May all things work together for the good of [name] who loves you and is called according to your purpose. (Rom 8:28)

Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [name] from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38)

May you grant them to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together they may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 15:5-6)

Lord, may You fill [name] with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit he/she may abound in hope. (Rom. 15:13)

In Christ may [name] be enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge(1 Cor 1:5)

May [name] not lack any spiritual gift as he/she eagerly waits for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. (1 Cor 1:7)

Lord may you keep [name] firm to the end, so that he/she will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are faithful, and you will do it. (1 Cor 1:8)

May [name] be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord his/her labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)

May [names] aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and You will be with them. (2 Cor. 13:11)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all. (2 Cor. 13:14)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with [name's] spirit. Amen. (Gal. 6:18)

(May) Christ dwell in [name's] heart through faith—that he/she, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that he/she may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:17-19)

Now may You sanctify [name] completely, and may his/her whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Th. 5:23-24)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort [name's] heart and establish him/her in every good work and word. (2 Th. 2:16-17)

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip [name] with everything good that he/she may do His will, working in him/her that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)

The Prophets
There are many passages in the sacred writings of the prophets that can be turned into blessings. One of them is in Isaiah:

Beauty out of ashes 
There is a short, simple version you can use and then a longer version if you prefer.

May the Lord bring beauty out of ashes and life out of death for [name]. (Is 61:3)

Lord may you bestow on [name] beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair. (Is 61:3)

Comfort
May the Lord comfort [name] as he/she mourns, and provide for him/her as he/she grieves. (Is 61:3)

Anointing
The Lord has anointed [name] to proclaim good news to the poor, and sent him/her to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners. (Is 61:1).

Conclusion
Speaking good things over others, according to the will of God, is one way to bless others, as I have just shown you. Blessing people is one form of prayer among many other types of prayer, such as petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving.

As the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:1-4, NIV).

Therefore, as you read the Scriptures, the Lord may show you many more passages that you can use to bless others, make petitions on their behalf, intercede for them, or give thanks for them. I hope this has helped to open up new ways for you to express yourself to God as you speak to Him on behalf of others.

Attribution Notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible -- New International Version.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like Standing in the Gap, Keeping a Prayer Journal , Intercession for God’s Ministers, and Who Intercedes for Us?. You can find more articles on this topic at the Home page of this blog. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.