Prayer Basics by Sharon Stark

What is prayer? One might say it is communicating with God, like an intimate phone call. Another might say it is communing with God – praising and thanking Him, staying aware of His presence continually. Praying can be done silently or audibly, publicly, or privately. We are to “pray without ceasing” so we can converse with Him all day long. He wants us to come to Him about everything and anything because He desires a heart-connected relationship with us.

We may often find ourselves petitioning God in prayer, but several different kinds of prayer are mentioned in the Bible. Ephesians 6:18 instructs us, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit… “. The DLNT translation says,” Praying with every-kind-of prayer and petition at every opportunity in the Spirit…”.

I have a brief explanation here of several types of prayer. I give one scripture reference in most cases and trust you will study further.

Prayer of faith: We believe we receive when we pray. Mark 11:24

Prayer of agreement: We stand with another person in agreement for a promise in God’s Word to come to pass. Matthew 18:19

Prayer of commitment: We cast all of our cares, worries, and anxieties upon Him because He cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7

Prayer of consecration: Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will but Your will be done.” Luke 22:42

Prayer of worship: We minister to the Lord with praise and thanksgiving for all He has done for us. Act 13:2

Prayer of supplication: We make our requests or entreaty known to Him for all. 1 Tim 2:1-3, Phil. 4:6-7

Prayer of intercession: Praying on behalf of another. We stand in the gap for others, which allows them an additional opportunity to repent. 1 Tim 2:1-3, Romans 8:26-27

United or Corporate prayer: We lift our voice in prayer with others in one accord. Acts 4:23,24,29,30

Prayer in the Spirit: praying in tongues and praying with an unction with your understanding. 1:Cor 14:15, Jude 1:20

Pauline Prayers

Do what is honorable, be made complete. 2 Cor. 13:7–9

Give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, eyes of your understanding being enlightened, know the hope of His calling, His inheritance in the saints, the greatness of His power towards us who believe. Ephesians 1:15-22.

Strengthen you with power through His Spirit, rooted and established in love, power to grasp the depth of the love of Christ, to know this love, filled to the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-21

Utterance [word] given to make the mystery of the gospel known with boldness… Eph.6:19-20

He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:3–6

That your love may abound in knowledge and all discernment, you may approve the things that are excellent, you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness. Philippians 1:9–11

Filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, fruitful in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God;   strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power. Colossians 1:9-14

God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ. Col 4:2-4

Give thanks to God for you, remembering your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

We may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith, the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness. 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13

Thank God always for you because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other. 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him. 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12

We may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for not all have faith. The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one, direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:2–5

That supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. 1 Tim. 2:1-2

One thing to consider: if you want to change something by prayer, determine what is the source of the thing.

If the source is God, you co-labor with Him, speak His promises, work with the laws of faith and love. God is light, love and life. In Him there is no darkness at all. Jesus came, doing good, healing all who were oppressed of the devil. He was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. John 1:5, 1 John 4:8 John 17:3, Acts 10:38, 1 John 3:8

When you determine the source is the adversary, you take authority over him. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. John 10:10. You solve spiritual problems with spiritual authority.

Praying in the Spirit daily will help us stay in tune with the Holy Ghost. It will bring insight and revelation into our lives. God does not want us ignorant. He wants us to partner with Him in bringing His will into the earth, into our lives and the lives of others. The Spirit of God knows more than Wikipedia and Google put together. No internet is necessary to access the most incredible resource in the world!