The word “prayer” means a petition or request, or to beseech, call upon, or ask. The Lord made mankind to have fellowship with Him. Talking with the Lord through prayer is a large part of our divinely intended interaction with Him. The multitude of instructions about prayer in God’s Word emphasizes how important this practice is. It is vital that we properly understand it and practice it often.

God’s Word invites us to pray often. The Lord told Israel, “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually” (1 Chron. 16:11) because “he heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Prov. 15:29). The Savior said, “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Lk. 18:1). Kingdom saints were told, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Members of the Body of Christ are instructed to “pray without ceasing [to be in an ongoing practice of prayer]” (1 Thes. 5:17).

God does not want us to claim prayer promises that were not intended for us. It was only to our Lord’s disciples, and not even to all Israel, that He promised, “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matt. 7:7), “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” (Matt. 18:19), and “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (Jn. 16:23). These are plain words that do not need to be explained away by modern platitudes. They were to be believed, but only by the ones to whom the Savior gave them—His disciples who were to carry on the ministry to Israel in His absence. These prayer promises were never intended for us today.

God’s Word teaches believers today to pray about all things. By inspiration of God, Paul wrote “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6). Notice two things. Our prayers are to be reverent requests to Almighty God, not attempts to bind Him by claiming the answer we want. Also, we ought to pray about everything. This is why Paul asked the Lord to remove the illness that he suffered (2 Cor. 12:7-8), why he asked believers to pray “that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men” (2 Thes. 3:2), why he asked the Lord to give him a “prosperous journey” to Rome (Rom. 1:10), and why he instructed believers to give thanks for their food (1 Tim. 4:4-5). Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; and Colossians 1:9-14 reveal that spiritual issues dominated Paul’s prayers. He asked that others be given wisdom, understanding about their unique eternal hope, the ability to walk worthy of the Lord, fruitfulness, strength, and an increase in spiritual knowledge. In all these ways, Paul is our pattern for prayer.

God’s Word also teaches us not just to pray for ourselves but also for others. One verse sums it up: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1).

These instructions from the Lord are intended to transform the way we pray. May we seek to “pray with the understanding also” (1 Cor. 14:15).

See also: Prayer Questions