Saved by His Grace

Prayer—it is not optional; it is our lifeline to God and essential to our faith. Prayer is as critical to our faith walk as oxygen is to our lungs.

In this post, I’ll explain the foundations of prayer to help both new believers and those seeking to grow in prayer, to help you go deeper in your walk with the Lord. There’s far too much to prayer to fit into one (or even two) posts, so I’ll be sharing more in the near future, Lord willing.

First and foremost, prayer must be a constant part of our daily lives. As followers of Christ, it is crucial to pray every day and as often as possible. Daniel is a perfect example of this; a man after God’s own heart who prayed steadfastly three times a day.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. –Daniel 6:10 (NKJV)

The Purposes of Prayer

Prayer has many purposes, all of which are crucial to a well-watered life in Christ. It is extremely powerful; it is how we build an intimate relationship with the Lord, it helps us to be in tune with Him, it is a powerful protection from the enemy, and it helps us intercede for others who are struggling.

If you are new to the faith, intercede simply means to intervene, mediate, or “stand in the gap” on behalf of another person, pleading their cause before the Lord. One powerful way we can intercede is by praying for one more day for all those who have backslidden or have unbelief, listing the ways that God could bring them back (or to Him).

An important reminder when you intercede for others (and pray for yourself) is that you always pray, “Let Your will be done, not mine.” We must always seek to align ourselves with the Lord’s will, or we could end up praying against something the Lord is using to grow someone or draw them closer to Him or something that could be the result of their disobedience.

Through prayer, the Lord breaks the bonds of sin and trauma from our old lives and leads us into walking in freedom and victory. My most transformative healing moments have come from quality time spent in prayer with the Lord.

It is in prayer where we come to deep repentance of our former ways and where the Lord purifies our hearts to become more like Him. Time and time again, I return to the cry of King David in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

If you are a new believer or have been struggling to pray, you may not know what to say to God. Come to Him like He is a close friend. Bring all your cares to Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Do not be discouraged; sometimes we just need to sit in silence and the Lord will reveal to us what we need to pray for. I remember one time I was really struggling to pray and I started off praying very generally. Before I knew it, the Holy Spirit led me into a deep, specific prayer of salvation for someone in my life who did not know the Lord.

The Lord’s Prayer

Every day, we should begin our prayers with the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus gave in the Gospel of Matthew. This can be found in Matthew 6:9-13. I’ve included the King James Version of the prayer below:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

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.

Core Tenants of Prayer

Below are the core parts of prayer that my mentor in Christ shared with me early on in my walk, all glory to God.

1. Thanksgiving and praise: Thank God for who He is and what He has done.
2. Pray that the Word of God is sealed up in your heart and that the devil cannot steal it.
3. Pray that you can understand what you read and can apply it righteously and correctly in speech, behavior, and thoughts.
4. Make your requests known to God.
   • For yourself
   • For those you know who are struggling

KEY: You must speak what is on your heart and lay it at the feet of Jesus. Always remember Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.“

Later in this post, I have included the specific prayer I pray that covers points #2 and #3.

Every day, you should pray to the Lord to help you in areas you are struggling in or need help growing in. Make a list of important areas to pray about and then write out several prayer focus points as reminders. Try to keep a separate notebook where you include these, along with listing who you are praying for and their specific needs.

Sometimes you may not always know the areas you need help in, but the Lord does, He searches all hearts and understands all the intent of your thoughts (see 1 Chronicles 28:9). So, if you need help, ask Him this: “Lord, help me to identify all areas of my life that need healing. Show me the areas where I’m being disobedient to Your will so that I can become more obedient to You. Search me and show me to me.“

One key thing to remember is consistency is key. If you are really struggling with something, don’t just pray about it once. You must keep asking, as Jesus taught in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Prayer for Wisdom and Understanding

We must seek Lord in prayer each day before we begin our daily reading and study in the Bible. It is crucial that we ask the Lord to open our eyes and give us understanding on what we read.

I have a particular prayer I pray, which I have also included in Studying the Word: Bible Study Methods (if you have been struggling in or are new to Bible study, I encourage you to check that post out as well).

It’s important everytime that you pray that you open with praise and thanksgiving, so I have also included how I praise and thank Him as an example, and you can adjust the opening (the first paragraph) to suit how the Lord has shown up in your life. Please know that you are welcome to copy this prayer, and I pray it greatly enriches your walk with the Lord.

Heavenly Father, Blessed be your name forever and ever, He who gives peace that surpasses all understanding, He who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, He who frees the captives and calls them out of darkness into His marvelous light, He who gives wisdom to those who need it and ask for it. I thank you, Father, for this beautiful day that You have made, for Your mercies being new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.

Father, I ask for wisdom so that I may walk in Your will and in the paths of goodness and righteousness, that I may help others in their time of need, especially my fellow brothers and sisters. I thank You for Your wonderful Word that I am about to eat, for Your Words are sweeter than honey.

I ask that You reveal the hidden, deeper meaning of all scripture, both the natural meaning and the spiritual meaning. Help me to see the world through the lens of scripture and give me discernment throughout my day. I ask for the wisdom of knowing how to apply the scriptures in my life and the lives of others around me. I ask that every barrier and the veil of Moses be removed from me.

I ask that You seal up Your Word in my heart, and I pray that the enemy cannot steal it away and that it won’t be choked by the cares of this world. I pray that Your Word will spring forth from my belly like living waters, according to scripture and Your promises.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Lastly, if you are seeking to learn more about prayer, I would highly recommend you read, study and meditate upon these passages in the Bible on your own: Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 7:7-11, Mark 11:24, Luke 18:1, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 1 John 5:14-15, Colossians 4:2, and James 5:16.

Until next time, Lord willing, shalom to my brothers and sisters in Christ. May you have a blessed week.

P.S. If you have been enjoying this blog, please give it a follow on Facebook and/or Instagram. You can also subscribe at the top or very bottom of this post to receive free email updates as soon as new posts are published.