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Types of Prayer
And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Effective prayer begins with recognizing that you are entering into the very presence of God for the purpose of building relationship with Him. And relationships that work are built with praise, gratitude, honesty, trust, forgiveness and intimacy. In other words, they are motivated by love. Therefore, the way that you pray should reflect these same relational elements.
As you read through the following pages and study the various types of prayer, remember that your time with God is about relationship. Resist the temptation to become ritualistic and focus instead on your love for Him.
Praise and Thanksgiving
Praise and thanksgiving open our hearts and cause joy to well up in our spirits. The Word tells us that praise and thanksgiving are Kingdom keys that open the doors to His courts, allowing us to enter into His presence:
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name (
Psalm 100:4).
As you enter into praise, meditate on the provision the Lord has made for you through the blood of Jesus. His blood allows you to walk today in the new covenant (see
Hebrews 10:19;
Hebrews 12:24).
Praise God for Who He Is!
The source of praise is the Holy Spirit activating your spirit to express approval and adoration for God's greatness. As you read through the Scriptures, keep a list of the qualities that you discover about Him: His mercy, His faithfulness, His patience, His everlasting love. Praise Him for His character. Develop the habit of praise during your prayer time.
O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Thy praise (
Psalm 51:15).
Seven times a day I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous ordinances (
Psalm 119:164).
As you begin to praise and extol the Lord, your spirit rises up within you to increase your understanding of who He is. Your soul is also strengthened in the process of praise because praise causes faith to grow, and as it grows, you suddenly realize that nothing is too difficult for Him (see
Jeremiah 32:17).
Thank Him for What He Has Done and Will Continue to Do
Thanksgiving awakens your love toward God as you acknowledge that you are His child. Thank Him that He gives you every good and perfect gift (see James l:17). Respond with joy to His benefits showered on you as His heir.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (
Proverbs 3:6).
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? To Thee I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord (
Psalm 116:12,
17).
An attitude of gratitude washes away negativity and purifies your soul.
Praise Application:
With these thoughts, begin to
praise and
thank Him. Express your love and adoration for Him. Acknowledge His attributes through His different names. (See
"The Names of God," chapter 9.)
The following are seven Hebrew expressions of praise from the Old Testament:
•
Towdah: Sacrifice of thanksgiving or praise; to render thanksgiving or praise. (See
Psalm 42:4;
Psalm 100:4.)
•
Barak: To bless, to give thanks and praise to God because He has given out of His abundance; bless as an act of adoration, to kneel. (See
Psalm 31:21;
Psalm 63:4;
Psalm 95:6.)
•
Halal: To make a show or boast, to be clamorously foolish, to go about in a raging or raving way, to dance, to celebrate. (See
Psalm 56:4;
Psalm 150:1,
2.)
•
Zamar: To celebrate with instruments, to praise the Lord skillfully on an instrument, to touch strings with the fingers. (See
Psalm 21:13;
Psalm 33:2;
Psalm 98:4.)
•
Tehillah: An imperative summons to praise Jehovah. A psalm or a hymn, by choirs, with dancing and expressive speaking; festal jubilation. (See
Psalm 22:3,
25;
Psalm 33:1;
Psalm 35:28.)
•
Shabach: Praise, comment; adoration toward the power, glory and sanctity of the Lord. Praise God for His mighty acts and deeds. To triumph in a loud voice. (See
Psalm 63:3, 4;
Psalm 117:1;
Psalm 147:12.)
A joyful way to start a prayer time is to choose a psalm or several verses from the Bible and read each expression of praise out loud. This will energize your spirit.
Psalm 145-150 are especially good because they exalt God for His goodness, love, power, holiness, wisdom, greatness, glory and majesty.
I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name forever and ever. Every day I will bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty, and on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate. And men shall speak of the power of Thine awesome acts; and I will tell of Thy greatness...and shall shout joyfully of Thy righteousness.
Thanksgiving Application:
The following is an adaptation of
Psalm 136. It is an effective tool for motivating you in thanksgiving toward the Lord.
I give thanks to You, Lord, for (name a person). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has given (list a material blessing). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has given (list a spiritual blessing). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has heard my prayer for (list something you are asking for). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has answered my prayer for (you fill in). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has (you fill in). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has (you fill in). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has (you fill in). Your lovingkindness is everlasting. I give thanks to You, Lord, who has (you fill in). Your lovingkindness is everlasting.
Confession and Forgiveness
Confession and forgiveness are the appropriate responses to the holiness of God. You must set your will to have a pure, undivided heart and a right attitude toward every person, including the Lord God. This is a prerequisite to effective intercession!
You can confess your sins for hours on end, but confession is not complete unless it is coupled with forgiveness. "Confession" means "to acknowledge or disclose something damaging or inconvenient to one's self; to acknowledge or admit something." "Forgiveness" means "to excuse a fault or offense; to pardon; to relinquish anger, resentment or bitterness against a person; to absolve from payment of."
So you see, one is not complete without the other. After confession and forgiveness, you must go one step further and receive the provisions God has granted you through His Word, such as healing, peace and prosperity. Many people confess and forgive, but they make the mistake of not receiving God's special promises because they feel unworthy. This is a false concept. God's promises are a special gift to you.
Learn to be a good receiver. Receiving means to acquire or take something offered or given. Receiving requires action on your part. Quote God's promises aloud and accept them by faith, not relying on your feelings or emotions.
Through this process of confession and forgiveness you are restored to fellowship. Praise the Lord for His blood which ransoms you and pays your debt.
Now let's discuss both confession and forgiveness separately:
Confession
Read the following Scripture carefully:
Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear (
Isaiah 59:1, 2).
Did you notice that iniquities can cause your prayers to go unheard? Confession must take place before you enter into intercession or petition so that your prayers are pleasing to God's ears.
You cannot be purified in your own power and strength. But God provides the Holy Spirit to shine on your sins so you can confess them. During your prayer time, pause and ask the Holy Spirit if there is any matter that needs to be confessed. Then respond to Him with your answer.
Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart. For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth (
Psalm 26:2, 3).
Once an area of darkness has been brought to the light of God's Word and repented of, don't look back. When a sin has been dealt with, know that the power of Jesus' blood covers it and the Lord refuses to remember it. Don't try to bring up past sins that have already been covered by the blood. The Lord has buried them in the depths of the sea and they are forgotten. Meditate instead on the following Scriptures:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (
1 John 1:9).
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery (
Galatians 5:1).
If we say that we fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (
1 John 1:6, 7).
He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea (
Micah 7:19).
Be aware of Satan's tactics to bring you into condemnation or guilt by reminding you of past sins. Through introspection, he desires that you keep your mind centered on yourself and away from praying, praising and pulling down his strongholds. The battleground is your mind:
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete (
2 Cor. 10:4-6).
We must choose to let God's peace guard our hearts and minds daily through Jesus Christ to prevent this struggle. If our hearts condemn us, then we cannot ask in faith. We are double minded and cannot pray in confidence (see
James 1:6). Peace of mind comes by continual prayer:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (
Phil. 4:6, 7).
When confessing your sins, know that you need not have an emotional experience to be forgiven. First ask; then accept by faith in God's Word that He will do exactly as He says...that He is "faithful and just" to forgive you (
1 John 1:9,
KJV).
Forgiveness
Unforgiveness breaks your full communication with the Lord. It desensitizes you to spiritual things.
When you ask forgiveness for yourself and those who have sinned against you, you will be set free and able to walk in right relationship with God and man. Forgiveness also frees the other person, or changes the circumstances that are causing the problem. It allows the Holy Spirit to do His job, which is to bring conviction about the sin so righteousness can be restored.
If you are having a problem forgiving someone, determine to obey God's Word and refuse to be guided by your feelings. Do not let pride keep you from having a right relationship with God. Lay down your hurts, self-righteous attitude and hostilities. Forgive the person who has wronged you, no matter how unjust the offense may be. You will then experience a release in your spirit, and your feelings will begin to follow. Your fellowship with the Lord will then be restored.
There are three areas of unforgiveness:
1. Unforgiveness toward people who have hurt or offended you.
2. Unforgiveness toward God because in your perception He did not intervene on your behalf in the way you wanted Him to.
3. Unforgivenss toward yourself for situations you have experienced or participated in that cause you hurt, guilt, condemnation, worry, frustration, pity or shame.
God's Word says, "For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (
Matthew 6:14, 15). I have discovered that most people find it fairly easy to forgive others, very difficult to forgive God, and almost impossible to forgive themselves. Total forgiveness, however, is essential to your effective praying.
Make a decision every morning that you will walk in forgiveness throughout the day. Do not wait until you get into a confrontation and then try to forgive the person who has wronged you. Choose to forgive others as God has forgiven you, and do it at the time of the offense, just as Jesus did (see
Luke 23:34).
Forgiveness in itself is not enough; you must also repent. To repent is to feel such regret or remorse that you turn away from your thoughts or actions and release others from any bondage you or they hold. Unless this is done, you will never be free. Forgiveness and repentance go hand in hand (see
Proverbs 28:13;
Matthew 3:6,
8). When we say that we have forgiven, but we are still holding on to wrong attitudes, we rebel against God.
When our daughter Peggy was about four years old, she misbehaved at the dinner table while we were entertaining guests. So my husband, Floyd, escorted Peggy to her bedroom. As he was closing the door to her room, Floyd said, "When you're sorry, Peggy, you can come out."
A few minutes later the door opened, but Peggy remained in her room. Floyd waited a little bit longer, but she didn't budge. Finally he went into her room and sat beside her on the bed. "Peggy" he asked, "are you sorry enough to come out now?"
She crossed her arms tightly across her chest and replied, "Nope! I'm only sorry enough to have the door open." Sometimes we, like Peggy, only forgive enough to keep an open door, but we don't put the ax to the root of unforgiveness.
Often the cause of a person's physical or emotional weakness can be traced to unforgiveness and unrepentance. This does not mean all suffering from ailments is because of unforgiveness. But forgiveness and repentance can release the healing power of God in you and in others.
Forgiveness, like confession, does not have to be an emotional experience. It is simply an "act of your will," responding to the Word of God by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Once you have forgiven others or God or yourself, know that the Lord is faithful and righteous to forgive you of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (see
1 John 1:9)
. Do not depend on your own understanding; trust the Lord, for His Word is true.
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