Chapter Six: The Importance of Prayer

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

“The psalm of the day was always sung in three sections. At the close of each the priests drew three blasts from their silver trumpets and the people bowed down and worshipped. This closed the morning service.” - Alfred Edersheim

Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer seems to be the most challenging for most believers. The historic Churches have always had helpful disciplines going back to the times of the Jews in helping grow and nurture a vibrant prayer life.

Personal prayer and devotion to the Lord in private is one of the important foundations of prayer. Jesus went alone to pray. Next to this the Hours of Prayer is one of the best methods to start to have a disciplined prayer life, setting time aside for God. These hours of prayer were a Jewish custom Biblically and the early Church carried it through into its Church life. Reference to chapter 4 for an in depth look at this practice or the St. Thomas Liturgy book. Though these formal prayers are important this should not diminish times of adoration in silence before the Lord personally and also times to uplift the spirit and speak to the Lord what is simply on your heart in the daily cares of life.

In some older Churches the intention and design of the church is trying to imitate heaven and give a sense of its holy atmosphere. The focus of early Church worship was Jesus Christ and His death for mankind. We see in the heavenly throne room as the focal point: “A Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne.”

Prayer can seem hard but it’s really only hard if you do not try it. The more you pray the more you start to understand the value of the practice and grow in your relationship with God.

The Early Church Prayed!

Prayer is not just a function added to the Church meeting; it needs to be the very life and atmosphere of a Church gathering. The Church was birthed in prayer. It was guided in prayer. When they were persecuted, they called a prayer meeting. Prayer is the beginning of the Great Commission. The disciples prayed for a successor after Judas died. Peter prayed for the lame man at the temple gate. St. Stephen prayed for his persecutors when he was being martyred. Prayer was the main activity of the Church. Ananias was praying when God directed him to anoint one of the early key leaders of the Church. St. Peter the Apostle was praying when God directed him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. St. Paul prayed for direction many times in his missionary journeys. The Apostle Peter prayed for the resurrection of Tabitha from the dead. Prayer was the engine of the early Church that helped it grow and reach the world with the Good News. “The Lord Jesus Christ did not begin his ministry without prayer. We see this in Luke. This is the first thing we must learn as Gospel vessels.”

There are thousands of references to prayer in the Bible. One of the greatest privileges of the child of God is to speak to His Holy Father in heaven by prayer. Prayer is the litmus test of the health of the Church and the child of God. Prayer is our reliance on God, and the lack of prayer shows our independence from God. “If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere. A sinning man stops praying, a praying man stops sinning.”

Prayer Meetings Are Important

Intercessory Prayer meetings are a tremendous place where God births life in a local area. To gather with 2-3 other believers and spend time seeking the Lord in prayer allows us to speak and share His burdens with local believers. A simple, practical encouragement is for members of a parish to spend a few minutes quieting themselves before praying in such a meeting.

Then they should then enter into a time of thanksgiving towards the Lord for His character, goodness, and for the mighty works done in His Name. Then they should lead into a time of intercession—with thanksgiving—guided by a servant leader who will highlight various prayer requests to the body. He should present such requests individually, allowing brothers and sisters to pray into one request until there is a sense of breakthrough and fulfillment of the burden from the Lord for that topic. This prevailing prayer is necessary, and what a blessing it is to sense the prayer already answered from the Lord. There can be intensity and burden that can be expressed in prayer with fervency. At other times, prayers might be more intimate and soft spoken before the Lord. This is all according to the leading of the Spirit of God, and there is no system or pattern for praying except as given by way of examples in the Holy Scriptures and by godly prayers of Church Fathers that have gone before us.

There are even times in prayer for a Blind Bartimaeus shout, where we will not let go of God until He answers. Is there a place for this “shouting louder” in our theology? “Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.” Cast aside your insecurities, don’t listen to the voices of “be quiet.” Have urgency in prayer it will cost you.

Prayer meetings allow for local parish house churches to set all their plans before the Lord. Unless He works nothing spiritual can be accomplished.

“Samuel Chadwick, one of God’s great men of past years, taught that Satan’s greatest aim is to destroy our prayer lives. Satan is not afraid of prayerless study, prayerless work or prayerless religion—but he will tremble when we pray. Remember we are in a spiritual warfare. Prayer is one of our main weapons and faith is closely linked with it. We must not expect it to be easy. Satan will counterattack any efforts made towards effective prayer. We must refuse any form of discouragement and press forward whatever the cost.”

George Mueller, A Man of Prayer

Throughout the history of the Church, there have been many true saints who have been great examples to the body of Christ through their prayer lives. One such brother was George Mueller of Germany. He prayed up to six times per day. He only asked God to supply the needs—not people —as he endeavoured to take care of orphan children. He proved that it is sufficient to only ask God without relying on people. When he died, there were 2100 orphans and staff solely provided for by faith. Money just came in. All was done by faith, and God supplied all needs solely based on prayer for over 64 years. Mr. Mueller taught on five conditions for prevailing prayer:

1. Our entire dependence must be on the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only ground to claim any blessings. “Whatever you ask in My Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”
2. We must separate from any known sin. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”
3. We must have faith in God’s Word of promise as confirmed by God’s oath. Not to believe Him is to make Him a liar. “The promises of God are trustworthy because they are founded upon the character and power of God Almighty.” “Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
4. We need to ask according to God’s will. Our motives must be godly. We must not ask to fulfill our lusts. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
5. There must be waiting upon God and waiting for God. (persistence with patience). “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”

Praying the Lord’s Prayer

Jesus’ disciples could have asked our Lord many questions that could be recorded in Holy Scriptures. An interesting question is asked when the disciples said: “Lord, teach us to pray.” This showed that the disciples saw in Jesus a wonderful example of prayer, and by His life He was showing them the priority of prayer.

Jesus spent long times in prayer and fasting. He woke up early to pray. He prayed all night at times. He prayed with loud cries. He prayed formal prayers in the synagogue. Jesus constantly prayed to His Father. He prayed before meals. He prayed during the Passover. He prayed intercession over His followers. He prayed with tears. He prayed over a city. He prayed for His enemies.

But then Jesus speaks a very simple yet profound teaching on how His disciples are to pray:

This 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 this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Though it is valid to take principles from this prayer as a guideline, and the disciples surely did that, in Church history it was clear that the Apostles taught a practice to the next generation of saying the Lord’s prayer verbatim.

Some of the earliest Church Fathers taught us to say the Lord’s Prayer daily. One of the earliest documents outside of Scripture, called the Didache (or Teaching of the Apostles), codifies this practice:

“You shall not pray like the hypocrites but like the Lord commanded in His gospel; in this manner you shall pray: Our Father, who is in heaven, Your Name shall be made holy, Your kingdom shall come, Your will shall come to be as in heaven and upon earth; You shall give to us our bread for our need today, and You shall forgive us our debt as also we are forgiving our debtors, and may You not bring us into a trial, but You shall rescue us from the wicked one, since it is Your might and glory into the ages. You shall pray three times of the day in this manner.”

Did you catch that last phrase? “You shall pray three times of the day in this manner.” That was clear instruction that they were to pray the Lord’s Prayer during the specified Jewish hours of prayer (9am morning, noon, and 3pm afternoon). This practice of saying the Lord’s Prayer individually as well as corporately has been passed on in the Church till this very day.

One cannot begin to explain the efficacy of such a prayer until you begin to pray it more. Instead of becoming rote and mundane, the prayer becomes alive and more meaningful. In the Lords’ Prayer you have worship, intimacy, praise, intercession, petition, confession, provision, and protection.

Consider beginning your morning or ending your afternoon prayer with the Lord’s Prayer.

Holy Prayers: An Example

One way to learn how to pray is to listen to others pray and surround yourself with praying people. You can also older prayers of godly saints who knew the Lord intimately. Jesus taught this example of teaching by doing (example).

Here is a variety of different prayers taken from various older prayers that are edifying to read and pray aloud:

MORNING PRAYER O God, Who art the unsearchable abyss of peace, the ineffable sea of love, the fountain of blessings, and the bestower of affection, Who sendest peace to those that receive it; open to us this day the sea of Thy love, and water us with the plenteous streams from the riches of Thy grace. Make us children of quietness, and heirs of peace. Enkindle in us the fire of Thy love; sow in us Thy fear; strengthen our weakness by Thy power; bind us closely to Thee and to each other in one firm bond of unity; for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

FOR BLESSINGS May God, who seeth all things, and who is the Ruler of all spirits and the Lord of all flesh—who chose our Lord Jesus Christ and us through Him to be a peculiar people—grant to every soul that calleth upon His glorious and holy Name, faith, peace, patience, long-suffering, self-control, purity, and sobriety, to the well-pleasing of His Name, through our High Priest and Protector, Jesus Christ, by whom be to Him glory, and majesty, and power, and honour, both now and forevermore. Amen.

INTERCESSION May God the Father, and the Eternal High Priest Jesus Christ, build us up in faith and truth and love, and grant to us our portion among the saints with all those who believe on our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all saints, for kings and rulers, for the enemies of the Cross of Christ, and for ourselves we pray that our fruit may abound and we may be made perfect in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

FOR SOUL CLEANSING Release, pardon, and forgive, O God, all our voluntary and involuntary sins, such as we have committed in action and in word, knowingly and ignorantly, by night and by day, in mind and thought, forgive us all in goodness and love. Sanctify, O Lord, our souls, bodies and spirits; examine our minds and search our consciences; take from us all evil imaginations, all impurity of thought, all inclinations to lust, all depravity of conception, all envy, pride and hypocrisy, all falsehood, deceit and irregular living, all covetousness, vain glory and sloth; all malice, anger and wrath, all remembrance of injuries, all blasphemy and every motion of flesh and spirit that is contrary to the purity of Thy Will. Amen.

TO WITNESS FOR CHRIST Grant, O merciful God, that as Thy holy Apostle St. James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay, was obedient to the call of Thy son Jesus Christ, and followed Him, and at last cheerfully laid down his life for His gospel’s sake, so I, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow Thy holy commandments, and, whenever Thy providence shall make it my duty, may readily and cheerfully embrace death, though armed with his utmost terror, rather than forsake or deny Thee. Let me rejoice in every happy occasion of testifying the sincerity of my love, by suffering for Thy truth, and let the firm belief of those glorious eternal rewards which Thou hast prepared for them who lay down their lives for Thy sake, support me under all the cruelties of the most merciless persecutors. Grant this, O blessed Lord, who didst die for me, and didst rise again, and now sittest at the right hand of the Father, to intercede for me, and all Thy faithful disciples. Amen.

FOR GROWTH IN GRACE Give perfection to beginners, O Father; give intelligence to the little ones; give aid to those who are running their course. Give sorrow to the negligent; give fervour of spirit to the lukewarm. Give to the perfect a good consummation; for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

FOR BLESSINGS We most earnestly beseech Thee, O Thou Lover of mankind, to bless all Thy people, the flocks of Thy fold. Send down into our hearts the peace of heaven, and grant us also the peace of this life. Give life to the souls of all of us, and let no deadly sin prevail against us, or any of Thy people. Deliver all who are in trouble, for Thou art our God, who settest the captives free; who givest hope to the hopeless, and help to the helpless; who liftest up the fallen; and who art the Haven of the shipwrecked. Amen.

FOR PROTECTION Be gracious to our prayers, O merciful God, and guard Thy people with loving protection; that they who confess Thine only begotten Son as God, born in our bodily flesh, may never be corrupted by the deceits of the devil; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GATHERED FOR WORSHIP O Lord God, Who hast taught us to pray all together, and hast promised to hear the united voices of two or three invoking Thy Name; hear now, O Lord, the prayers of Thy servants unto their salvation, and give us in this world knowledge of Thy Truth, and in the world to come life everlasting; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR CONVERTS Remember, O Lord, all who in heathen lands are under instruction for Holy Baptism; have mercy upon them and confirm them in the faith; remove all the remains of idolatry and superstition from their hearts, that being devoted to Thy law, Thy precepts, Thy fear, Thy truths, and Thy commandments, they may grow to a firm knowledge of the word in which they have been instructed, and may be found worthy to be made an habitation of the Holy Ghost, by the laver of regeneration, for the remission of their sins, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time to make our common supplications unto Thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in Thy name Thou wilt grant their requests: fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants, as may be most expedient for them, granting us in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting. Amen.