How should we pray?
Believers agree that we ought to pray, but do we ever stop and think about whether or not we are praying scripturally? Or that what we are praying for is something Yahweh’s children should pray for? Everyone wants to pray for physical healing, but is it Scriptural? Believers want to pray for material blessings, such as more money, new car, and a house, but again, is it Scriptural? Yahweh’s children may want to pray for the unconverted, but should we be praying for the unconverted? Believers may want to pray to remove a problem in their or another’s life, but is that Scriptural? What can we pray for? OR the better question is what should we be praying for?
Before we tackle these questions, let’s review basic Scriptures that tell us how to practice effective prayer. First we must ask, seek, and knock.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
We must pray in belief that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to Yahweh must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of Yahweh. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Matthew 17:18 And Yah’shua rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Yah’shua apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Yah’shua said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
We must pray in the name Messiah inherited at His resurrection. That is the name above all names and the name that alone is excellent…..Yahweh(Shua). For more information on Messiah’s resurrected name please read “Name of Inheritance” by George Gabler.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
We also need to be thankful for everything that Abba Yahweh does for us to have answered prayer. Whether we abase or abound, we need to be content.
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto Yahweh. 7 And the peace of Yahweh, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Messiah YahwehShua.
So far, Yahweh’s instructions on prayer are straightforward. We must ask, we must ask in faith, we must ask in His name, and we must be thankful for everything that Abba Yahweh does for us. But here comes the more difficult part: To have effective prayer, we must keep His commandments (i.e. be righteous)!
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
Proverbs 15:29 Yahweh is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of Yahweh, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Daniel 9:4 And I (Daniel) prayed unto Yahweh my Elohim, and made my confession, and said, O Sovereign, the great and dreadful Elohim, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
And if we are not righteous and do not keep Yahweh’s commandments, the Almighty is clear that He will not answer our prayers.
Proverbs 21:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
John 9:31 Now we know that Elohim heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of Elohim, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Sovereign will not hear me:
Proverbs 15:29 Yahweh is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Besides obeying His commandments and being righteous, fasting may be helpful for effective prayer.
Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Daniel 9:3 And I (Daniel) set my face unto the Sovereign Elohim, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
One of the most difficult concepts to understand about praying is that we shouldn’t pray for our will but the will of Yahweh. To put it another way, do we pray about receiving the will of our flesh or is our prayer spiritually motivated and based on Yahweh’s will?
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
What happens when we pray for our will to be done such as praying for material wealth we don’t need?
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Paul understood the concept of praying for Yahweh’s will. Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9 is a great example for us to follow. Not only is it a prayer to understand Yahweh’s will, but a prayer that we would be fruitful in every good work and that we would increase in the knowledge of Yahweh.
Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of YahwehShua unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of Yahweh;
Another great prayer to Abba Yahweh is to ask for wisdom and to simply ask the Almighty to guide us.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of Yahweh, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Psalm 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
But what if we are having problems praying? My suggestion is to use the Sovereign’s prayer. Yah’shua gave us a pattern for our prayers.
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Also, if we are having problems praying we may want to ask the Almighty for the Holy Spirit to pray for us.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings (better translation would be inaudible prayer) which cannot be uttered.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Jude 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Sometimes Yahweh’s children misunderstand the purpose of prayer and use prayer as a way to ask Abba Yahweh for what we want. Yes we can ask Abba Yahweh to intercede in our life, but prayer is much greater than what we want. It is a way to commune with the Almighty. And Abba Yahweh loves our prayers.
Revelation 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before Yahweh; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before Yahweh out of the angel’s hand.
Psalm 141:1 Yahweh, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Prayer is an important part of a believer’s life. Again, it is a way to commune with the Almighty. Therefore we should be praying to the Almighty continuously. If we are not trying to connect with Abba Yahweh multiple times a day, we probably will not have an effective prayer life.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our Sovereign would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Psalm 55:16 As for me, I will call upon Elohim; and Yahweh shall save me. 17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
2 Timothy 1:3 I thank Yahweh, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
We know that we need to pray without ceasing, but should we ever pray continuously about the same prayer need?
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not Elohim, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not Elohim, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Sovereign said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not Elohim avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Luke 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (persistence) he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
The answer is that we should be diligent to continually pray the same prayer even when that prayer need is not answered right away. Just because Yahweh does not immediately answer our prayer does not mean that He won’t. Sometimes His timing of answering a prayer is different than ours!
Yah’shua also told us when we pray that we should not put on a show nor use vain repetition. Prayer is an intimate relationship with the Almighty and should be respected.
Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
What about praying for the unconverted? Messiah gave us an example in John.
John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
This is not an absolute commandment to not pray for the world (i.e. unconverted), since we are told to pray for those that despitefully use and persecute us.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
A way to pray for the unconverted is to pray for their ultimate conversion and inclusion in the Family of Yahweh.
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all (444 anthropos – human beings); 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all piety and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of Yahweh our Saviour; 4 Who will have all (444) to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 YahwehShua is not slack concerning his promise, as some (444) count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
At times we have all been frustrated with Yahweh not responding to our prayers. What if we prayed to remove a suffering we were going through and we prayed in belief, in the name of Yahweh the Messiah, in righteousness, and prayed continuously, but did not have our prayers answered the way we wanted them to be answered? Let us look at two prayer examples of Yah’shua and Paul.
Matthew 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
This prayer of Messiah is very telling. We can ask for suffering to be removed from our life (or life of another), but we must pray that ultimately the will of Yahweh be done.
How did Yahweh answer Paul’s prayer?
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought Yahweh thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Messiah may rest upon me.
Again, Paul prayed to remove a suffering, but it was not taken away, because Yahweh’s will was for Paul to suffer with this affliction.
If Yahweh’s children pray to remove some type of suffering and it is not removed, it may not be that we are praying incorrectly or that we don’t have sufficient faith. Yahweh’s will is that believers suffer as Messiah suffered. And if believers are praying to be more like YahwehShua, trials will come!
1 Peter 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with Yahweh. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Messiah, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live righteously in Messiah YahwehShua shall suffer persecution.
Instead of asking Yahweh to remove a trial, we should be asking for Yahweh to spiritually mature us through our trials. Suffering has a purpose and allows us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Sovereign producing the peaceable fruit of righteousness! Remember, Yahweh is the potter and we are the clay!
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of Yahweh, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom Yahweh loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, Yahweh dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Yahweh, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Everything going the way we want it to go can lead us to become prideful and thinking we are in charge. It may even lead us to think we don’t need an Elohim.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
But when we realize we are weak and not in control, we can become strong in Messiah. The passage in 2 Corinthians 12:9 bears repeating.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Messiah may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Messiah’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Ultimately Yahweh’s children should not worry about Yahweh not answering our prayer involving suffering, because there is purpose to every thing that happens to believers.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Yahweh, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
We conclude that the most important part of prayer is communing with the Almighty and praying to understand His will for our lives. We should never pray for our will if it is contrary to Yahweh’s Word. We should always pray in faith, pray in the name of YahwehShua, pray with a grateful heart, and pray continuously. And lastly, to have an effective prayer, we must obey His commandments and live a righteous life.
HalleluYah
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