Prayer

Prayer

Prayer is one of the simplest Christian tenets to practice, yet many people struggle to make time to talk to God, find the words to say to Him, or trust that He will answer their plea. But our Heavenly Father desires that His children communicate with Him.

What is Prayer?  

Prayer is speaking to God in faith.(1) It can be done alone in a private setting, in a small group, or in a corporate church gathering. Prayers can be spoken silently or audibly.

Why is Prayer Necessary?

There are several reasons Christians should regularly pray.

1. Prayer demonstrates our conviction that God is acting sovereignly in our lives every day. He is in control of all things and has the power to do all things; therefore, He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving (Ps. 145:3; Isa. 46:9-10; Rev. 4:11).
2. Prayer also demonstrates our conviction that God is a good Father. He invites his children into a personal relationship with Him made possible through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. We pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit. When we draw near to God, He does not turn away but draws near to us (James 4:8).
3. Prayer aligns our will to God’s, not His will to ours. Thomas Aquinas described prayer as “an act of the reason, bringing the will’s desire into relationship with Him who is our superior, not subject to our control, namely God.”(2) God cannot be manipulated, cajoled, or controlled, but believers are promised that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). Therefore, we have confidence in approaching God with our requests, knowing the answer is grounded in His perfect will.
4. Prayer demonstrates our faith and obedience to Him. Paul urged believers in Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). James exhorted his readers to pray in faith during times of sickness and suffering (James 5:13-16). In a parable, Jesus emphasized to His followers the necessity of praying and not losing heart (Luke 18:1-8). 

What does prayer look like?

In Matthew 6:6-13, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in what Christians call The Lord’s Prayer. The simple, heartfelt prayer served as a pattern for His disciples’ own prayers, differentiating them from the long, repetitive expositions offered by the Gentiles. It continues to serve as an example for believers today.

• “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” begins the prayer by acknowledging God as Father, holy and sovereign. He is above all.
• “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” aligns our hearts with the things God wills for His earthly and heavenly kingdom.
• “Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” is a request for basic physical needs to be met, followed by the repentance of sins and the grace to forgive others.
• “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” is a petition for protection and deliverance from the Evil One who never tires of tempting, distracting, or persuading.

Why is prayer necessary if God is sovereignly in control of everything?

Imagine a parent whose child is struggling with a decision. The parent allows their child to navigate their way to a resolution while simultaneously desiring that he or she would approach them, confide in them, and ask for their wisdom. Imagine another parent whose child received exciting news. The parent was privy to the good news but eagerly waits for their child to share it so they can rejoice together.

While both analogies fall short of describing the divine God, they do help paint a picture of a Heavenly Father who desires that His children come to Him with their needs, laments, confessions, and praises. God is delighted when we go to Him in prayer (Prov. 5:18). 

Though He is omniscient and is sovereignly working out all things according to His will, Aquinas suggests, “We do not have to present our prayers to God in order to disclose to Him our needs and desires, but in order to make ourselves realize that we need to have recourse to His help in these matters . . .  By praying, we offer God reverence, inasmuch as we subject ourselves to Him and profess, by praying, that we need Him as the Author of all that is good for us.”(3) 

What are the different types of prayer?

There are many prayers and exhortations recorded throughout Scripture, demonstrating the various types of prayer that we can lift up to God. A prayer does not have to be limited to one type or another, but can consist of one or all of the following as the heart draws near to the One who is worthy of our prayer. 

•  Prayers of Praise / Adoration – in recognition of who God is and His worthiness of praise.
  • • “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods” (Ps. 96:4).
    • “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 150:6).
    • “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps. 34:1).
    • “Through Him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” (Heb. 13:15).
    • “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11).
• Prayers of Thanksgiving – in recognition of what God has done.
  • • Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever” (Ps. 107:1).
    • “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!” (Ps. 100:4).
    • “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” (Ps. 9:1).
    • “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ” (1 Thess. 5:18).
    • “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17).
• Prayers of Confession – in recognition of our sinfulness and the need for forgiveness.
  • • “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Ps. 51:1-2).
    • “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13).
    • “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12).
    • “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
    • “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
• Prayers of Petition / Supplication – asking for needs to be met individually or as a group.
  • • “Give us this day our daily bread . . .” (Matt. 6:11).
    • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Php. 4:6).
    • “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Php. 4:19).
    • “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
    • “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).
• Prayers of Intercession – praying for the needs of others.
  • • “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9).
    • “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5).
    • “Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel”  (Eph. 6:19).
    • “First of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (1  Tim. 2:1-2).
    • “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
• Prayers of Lament – crying out to God during times of deep grief or sorrow.
  • • “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps. 10:1).
    • “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1).
    • “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Ps. 13:1).
    • “I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2).
    • “With my soul, I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell my trouble before Him” (Ps. 142:1-2).
• Prayers of Remembrance – remembering God’s faithfulness, His promises, and the hope found in His Son, Jesus Christ.
  • • “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him”’ (Lam. 3:22-24).
    • “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy” (John 16:20).
    • “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
    • “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).
    • “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

Finally, every prayer spoken in faith is unique to the person who is praying. The only similarity is the need to have a sincere and clean heart before the Lord. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus . . . and since we have a great High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:19, 21-23).

Footnotes:

(1) Morgan, Chistopher W., and Robert A. Peterson, A Concise Dictionary of Theological Terms (Brentwood, B&H Academic, 2020).

(2) Davies, Brian, The Thought of Thomas Aquinas, (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1992).

(3) Davies, Brian, The Thought of Thomas Aquinas, (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1992).

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.