Building a Life of Prayer

Our prayer life is to be guided, enabled, and powered by the Holy Spirit who indwells believers.  This type of prayer is a means of walking closely with the Lord and a means of being strengthened and edified in our faith. 

The great revelation of God in Scripture shows us his will. The better we know Scripture, the more aquatinted we will be with God's will and therefore better able to pray with great confidence.

If our hearts condemn us for some deliberate disobedience to God then we cannot pray with confidence. However, if keep God's commands—especially the command to love one another—then we are abiding in Christ and we can then pray with confidence. 

Verses 8 and 9 of 1 John Chapter 1 are particularly important for us as believers because we still sin. God is faithful to forgive our sins. Our confession of sin is not dependent upon our human goodness but upon the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

A lack of self-control and overindulgence in food, drink, or entertainment can hinder us from praying. Christians need to be prepared to pray effectively at all times. The Bible calls us to spiritual alertness, sober-mindedness, and maintaining a lifestyle in which we are ready to pray at all times.

When husbands and wives pray together there is greater unity in marriages. It is important for couples to pray together for their marriage and, if they have children, to pray for their children.

Praying with one another, confessing sins to one another, and praying for healing for one another are all important parts of the ministry of the body of Christ. God can use our prayers powerfully. We can pray big prayers because we have a big God.

James gives a reason for unanswered prayer—wrong motives. When we come to God in prayer we're to pray in faith and not to pray for things out of selfish desire.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, writes that when we are going through hard times, we need wisdom. We should ask God in prayer for His wisdom. He also says that when we pray for wisdom, we must do so in faith without doubting.

Hebrews 13:20-21 provides a wonderful model for our own prayer. This benedictory prayer is for our own spiritual growth and development and for spiritual growth in the lives of others.

There was communication between the Lord and people like Abraham, Sarah, and Moses who responded in faith to God's directions. These people were not without sin but God honored them because they trusted and believed in Him.

One of the most valuable things to remember when we pray is that Jesus is our representative before God's throne. We do not come on the basis of our own worthiness because none of us are worthy enough. 

The writer of Hebrews tells us that we don't need to come to God in prayer on the basis of our righteousness because Jesus is our high priest. 

The book of Hebrews presents Jesus as our great high priest. Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins and now represents us before God. We can pray with confidence because Christ has become our merciful and faithful high priest.

Paul writes to his friend Philemon and prays that his faith be united with God's effective power so that he recognizes all the good that is in him because of Jesus Christ. He is praying that Philemon's faith—joined with God's power—would be very effective.

When Paul is writing to Timothy he places a particularly high responsibility on the shoulders of the Church to pray for those in governing authority, in our nation, in order that we might lead peaceful, quiet, godly lives. 

The Apostle Paul offers many prayers of benediction for those he is writing to. These often start with the word "may." These are beautiful examples of Holy Spirit-inspired prayer that we can use to pray for ourselves and for one another.

We can pray for other Christians to be made worthy of the calling to be followers of Jesus. We can pray for those who are growing in their faith that God will fulfill in them every resolve for good and that the works of faith that He puts into their hearts would be fulfilled by his power. We can pray that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in us and that we will be glorified in Hi...

How is it possible to live a life in which we "pray without ceasing?" Human discipline alone can not accomplish it. Only with the presence, power, and filling of the Holy Spirit can we do it.

As you're praying for people, pray for the love of God to be fully manifest in their lives. Pray that their love for God and love for other believers will grow and increase. There is no holiness without love.

What does it mean it mean to pray "constantly" or "without ceasing" as Paul encourages us to do in his letter to the Thesselonians? It mean to be always in a praying frame of mind. It means to live in a constant alertness to the leading, prompting, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

The apostle Paul asks the Colossian church to pray for his preaching to be clear. Paul was dependent on the prayers of God's people.

As we are filled with the knowledge of God's will, we begin to live out God's will, bearing fruit in every good work. We can pray to be strengthened with power so that our endurance and patience grow.

Paul gives a prescription for living with less anxiety in his letter to the church at Phillipi. Through prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and requests, the peace of God can guard our hearts and minds against anxiety.

As we grow in love we should grow in the ability to discern between good and evil. We can pray for the ability to live pure lives so that we are can be prepared for Christ's return.