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With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18, NASB1995).
I’m fascinated with praying for two reasons — it renews God’s presence in my spirit, and God answers prayers. Through 50 years of praying, I’ve learned the following “Five Fascinating Facts About Prayer.”
- It’s often mentioned. There are nine words used in the New Testament for prayer. Combined, these words total between 250 and 260 mentions. The only other topic used more often is “faith,” clocking in with 480 occurrences. HHHHMMMHHM, prayer and faith — the most often discussed topics in the Bible!
- The most-used word to describe prayer is “ask.” The New Testament uses two Greek words translated as “ask,” totaling 130 to 132 times. The most prominent Greek word for prayer is “proseuche,” used about 82 times; so think about this: we find “ask” used more in connection with prayer than the principal word in the New Testament translated as “prayer.” Lesson: God wants us to ask.
- Jesus asks differently than we do. The Bible uses two words translated as “ask.” The first is “aiteo,” which means to petition like a child asking his parents. The other is “erotao,” indicating a request between equals. Commentators point out that “aiteo,” or asking someone lesser to greater, is always used in connection with the disciples praying, while “erotao,” or praying between equals, is always used to describe the prayers of Jesus with His Father. Wow!
- There are five reasons why our prayers are not answered.
- Selfish motives (James 4:3)
- Relational friction (1 Peter 3:7)
- Unconfessed sin (1 John 3:21-22)
- Praying outside God’s will (1 John 5:14)
- Doubt (James 1:6-7)
- The only way to grow in praying is to pray. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray after watching Him pray; they didn’t want a textbook, but they saw Jesus’ example and wanted to pray like Him. The first thing that must be learned in praying like Jesus is His relationship with the Father; the more we grow in relationship with God, the more effective our prayers are.
Let’s conclude with some challenging quotes on prayer…
God does not need our prayers because He already knows our desires; rather, our desire is exercised and enlarged in prayer, that we may be able to receive what He is preparing to give us. ~ Augustine
To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. ~ Martin Luther
The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who marshals his forces early in the morning takes the citadel. ~ E.M. Bounds
Help, Thanks, Wow are three essential prayers, the ones we cry aloud in the dark: Help me, Jesus. Thank you, Creator. Wow, look at that sunset. ~ Anne Lamott
Amen and amen, let’s pray!
