Prayer Guide

Creating a Lifestyle of prayer

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a  solitary place, where He prayed.  
MARK 1:35  

Prayer is most effective when it isn’t something we do every now and then, but when it’s a lifestyle we cultivate. To understand how to have a lifestyle of prayer, we can look at the example Jesus gave during His life on earth.  

HAVE A CERTAIN TIME  
Jesus got up early in the morning to spend time with His Heavenly Father. Make a daily appointment with God — whether it’s first thing in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening — and faithfully keep it.  

HAVE A CERTAIN PLACE  
Jesus had a specific place He went to pray. Having a designated place to pray helps us remove distractions and frees us to worship and pray out loud.  

HAVE A CERTAIN PLAN  
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He gave them 
a prayer outline. We call it “The Lord’s Prayer.” This model prayer is available here. As we pray every day, our plans for our prayer time can vary, maybe including worship music, Bible reading, and quiet time to listen to God. It doesn’t always have to look the same; it just helps when we have a plan for connecting regularly with God. 

The Benefits of prayer

    • Prayer gives you spiritual endurance, so you won’t quit and give up.
      “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” Luke18:1 NIV

      • Prayer is the heartbeat of your spiritual life, God will always respond to perseverance and persistence.  Never give up!
    • Prayer brings you into the spiritual realm and makes God real to you.  
      “Then Elisha prayed, ‘O God, open his eyes and let him see.’ The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A Wonder!” 2 Kings 6:17 MSG
      • When you pray, your eyes are opened to people, situations, and circumstances in ways you may have not seen before.  Doorways to supernatural are opened through prayer and praying into the spiritual realm allows you to see things the way God sees them.
    • Prayer brings blessing and provision for your life.
      “You do not have because you do not ask”. James 4:2 
      • When you ask God, he responds, prayer is a two-way conversation.  When we ask and believe, God responds.
    • Prayer enables you to find direction and guidance for your life
      “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  James 1:5 NIV
      • As you pray, God will give you wisdom and direction for areas of your life and He will guide you in your decisions.
    • Prayer has the power to overcome the devil and his attacks in your life. 
      “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Matthew 26:41 NIV 

      • Prayer is a weapon you have to use against the enemy.  As we pray, we overcome the devil.

    Learn How to pray

    “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this is in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”  Ephesians 6:18 NIV 

    Pray by using the Lord's Prayer as a MODEL prayer guide. 

    Matthew 6:9-13 NIV 
    “This, then, is how you should pray: 
    ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 
    Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven 
    Give us today our daily bread. 
    And forgive our debts, as we also have forgiven. Our debtors.” 

    CONNECT RELATIONALLY
    “Our Father in Heaven” 
    God isn’t interested in us practicing religion; instead, He desires a relationship with us. We are his children and God loves for us to call Him our Father. Starting our prayer time acknowledging our relationship with God is powerful and rewarding. 

    WORSHIP HIM
    “Hallowed Be Your Name” 
    God loves when we worship Him, and there is power in His name.  
    Here is a list of some of His names to help us worship Him specifically and personally:  

    God is Righteousness – He makes us clean
    God is Sanctifier – He has called us and set us apart 
    God is With Us – He is always with us, we are not alone 
    God is Peace – He is our peace in every storm 
    God is Healer – He heals all our sickness and disease 
    God is Banner of Victory – He defeated our enemies  
    God is Shepherd – He speaks to us and leads us  
    God is Provider – He supplies all of our needs  

    PRAY FOR GOD'S PLAN
    “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” 

    Pray from the “inside out” beginning with yourself, your family, your church, your school, your workplace, your city, your state, your nation. We know His will is perfect, and we acknowledge this when we pray God’s plan for all these people and places. 

    Spend time focusing on what God is focused on. His priorities include:  

    • Saving the lost  
    • Wisdom and guidance for those in authority— parental, spiritual, governmental, work-related  
    • Caring for the poor and marginalized  
    • Unity and love  
    • Justice  
    • Freedom for those in bondage  
    • Accomplishing His purpose in our lives  

    DEPEND ON GOD FOR EVERYTHING
    “Give us this day our Daily Bread” 

     God promises to supply all our needs, and He wants us to come to Him with our problems, needs, and desires and to trust Him to provide.  
    Ask God for what you need today.  Write down your daily needs, write down the weights you are carrying. Learn to be specific when you pray, God responds to details. 

    FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN
    “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” 

    God has offered us complete forgiveness and we can receive it at any time.  When we turn away from our sins and receive his forgiveness, our hearts are more prepared to forgive others as well.  
    Ask God to check your heart and life and show you areas where you might need to ask for forgiveness from Him. Then, it is your turn to forgive those who have offended you or hurt you. We can even choose to forgive people in advance. Ask God to forgive you and to help you forgive others.

    SPIRITUAL WARFARE
    “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” 

    The Bible makes it very clear that we have an enemy who is trying to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us. As we pray, we take a stand against the enemy and fight from a place of victory through Jesus as we’re empowered by His Holy Spirit. There is power in God’s Word, and every lie the enemy has told us can be replaced with God’s truth.  
    By recognizing that the enemy wants to destroy you, you can shed light on his lies and claim God’s truth over your life. Ask God to show you any lies you’re believing and ask Him to expose the enemy, put on the whole armor of God and confront the enemy.  

    SURRENDER TO GOD'S AUTHORITY
    “For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever” 

    God is more than able to move in every situation and ending our prayer time claiming His authority and power focuses our minds on the truth and hope of who He is and what He can do.  
    Remind yourself of God’s limitless power and then return to praising Him and declaring your faith in Him: 

    • “Yours is the Kingdom” – all authority belongs to You
    • “Yours is the Power” – all mightiness flows from You 
    • “Yours is the Glory” – Your victory will be complete 

    PRAY IN THE SPIRIT
    “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, and I will also sing with my understanding.”  I Corinthians 14:15 

     When you are filled with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit gives you a prayer language, which is called “speaking in tongues.”  When you pray in the spirit, your spirit is praying, not your mind.  Praying in the spirit will strengthen your faith.   

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