In essence prayer is a way to ask something from someone and its best example is to ask God for something four ourselves and others. Then, we modulate our prayers in accordance with the desires of the one being sought. We can do this only for someone we know well, but how can one design his prayers addressed to God who has created it all. Therefore, the need will arise to first get into an intimate relationship with Him and then present our petitions to Him.
How many times in a day should one pray? Prayer across various faiths is a means of communion with the Divine, personal reflection and guidance and spiritual growth. While some follow a structured format, on the other end is an absolutely informal way. Most religions follow a set pattern and timings which are to be followed explicitly with a written down format for formal prayers. In addition, an informal pattern is also followed by many. The Muslims pray five times a day, which is mandatory along with informal prayers as required. The Jews pray three times a day with a prayer before leaving the bed after awakening from sleep in the morning.
Abraham was tested by God through the command to take his beloved son Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:1-3). In obedience, ‘Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey’ to go and offer his son as a sacrificial offering. With this the morning prayer is attributed to Abraham as the one who started it. Dawn brings the promise of a new beginning and Divine energy needed for that is sought by prayer. The morning prayer is also about offering the best that we have to God, our full attention, without any distractions, to listen to His voice and obey during the day.
Isaac was returning from Beer Lahai Roi and ‘went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming’ (Genesis 24:63). He has taught us to find time in the busy hours of work in the midst of the day to seek God and thank Him for all that is done and seek strength to complete the unfinished.
Moving from Beer-Sheba to Haran, to escape his brother Esau, Jacob stopped at a place and in his dream, he saw a ladder going from earth up to heaven, with ‘angels ascending and descending on it’ (Genesis 28:12-14). God promised protection and safe return to him in his dream. When night comes, we review our work and see all that is yet undone. We realise that day does not last forever, except in heaven, and life is short. We pray to escape the chill of the darkness to get into our Father’s lap for rest, restoration and guidance for the next day. Jacob’s life was filled with trials and challenges, yet he never gave up and from deep in the valley, he could look to the peak in front and move on with renewed energy. On being asked by Pharaoh his age, Jacob told him that he was 130 years old but then added further, ‘few and evil have been the days of the years of my life’ (Genesis 47:9). While speaking about the difficult times he faced, he compares himself to his ‘fathers’, Abraham and Isaac. But in this, he also recognised the hand of God on him in his journey of life.
Abraham’s life reflects especially kindness and love; Isaac stands for strict justice and reverence for God, but Jacob’s life combines both of these into truth and mercy. We see all this reflected in the Son of God, a true Jew, with mercy and grace prevailing over everything else. Our prayers must direct us towards God and away from the worldly attractions of wealth, pride and other possessions that tend to define our life.
Lord Jesus did not pray only at specific times but keeping His busy schedule, He prayed whenever and wherever He could. The Saviour Lord ‘went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God’ (Luke 6:12). He prayed before a major event, during and after a major event, alone and in the presence of the disciples. For Him work on the Sabbath day was not wrong for He declared, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working’ (John 5:17).
Christians in the initial stages were mostly Jewish people and they followed the same pattern of prayer as before. Apostle Paul teaches us about Lord Jesus’ work, ‘in Him all things consist’ and He works to ensure that the will of the Father be done on earth also, as it is in heaven to ensure continuity of life (Colossians 1:17). The Psalmist confidently declared, ‘Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep’ (Psalm 121:4). To such a God whose eye is always on us, we can cry out at any time, in any format and in any position. His ears, like the ears of a loving mother, are always attentive to the cry of His children to reach out. He desires our submission to His ways and searches our hearts to see the purpose and the hidden meaning of our prayers, the purpose that even we might not have directly and clearly defined.
Prayer format for a believer – Our Saviour Lord has clarified the way to pray for a follower of His and the first part is about what not to do (Matthew 6:5-13). We are cautioned about making a show of our deep spirituality by praying to impress others through long and ‘earnest’ prayers. The Prophet Jeremiah first mentioned the difficulty in knowing the wicked and deceitful ways of the heart (Jeremiah 17:9-10). However, God is All-knowing and He searches ‘the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to his doings’. God knows the hidden purpose and intent of our prayers and He will not answer to fulfil our evil designs. Our Saviour has clearly taught that people who make such shows of their prayers will not get anything from God, for ‘they have their reward’. Their reward is earthly, the praise of others, who get impressed by their outward show of holiness.
The second point, which actually flows from the first, is about the sanctity of the personal nature of prayer. Prayer is a dialogue with God, in which both parties have their say. Many people have their say and walk off without ever bothering to find out the will and answer of God. It is a way of commanding God to fulfil what we have sought from Him, before they return again with the next set of demands. For them it is a monologue with no chance for God to answer, for they never listen to Him.
The third, connected to this, is to isolate oneself from the disturbances all around us; the noise of our surroundings and situations. Normally worship precedes prayer, where the mind, heart, soul and body of the individual are directed to focus on God. This is about going ‘into your room’ and shutting the door to all worldly distractions.
The fourth, is the confidentiality of prayer. Since our prayers are between God and the specific individual, these must not be declared to all who want to hear. God is not seen by anyone and He answers our prayers also in secret, without telling everyone else about it.
The fifth, be brief and to the point, for which, one will have to prepare oneself before actually praying. This would leave out ‘vain repetitions. One may try to explain his/her reason for seeking a particular answer, though God is aware of that. It is not that God is too busy to spare only a few seconds to hear our prayers, but helping us in being concise.
The sixth, clear the blockages to prayer. Lord Jesus has taught that anyone who is ‘angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement’ (Matthew 5:22-23). We are told to first go and settle the issue with your brother and then come seeking something from God in prayer.
The seventh, expect an answer. Lord Jesus has promised, ‘if you ask anything in My name, I will do it’ (John 14:14). God is truth and so is His Word and all the promises contained therein. When we pray quoting a promise to God, it is like asking Him to fulfil what He has accepted to do. If the answer does not come, be surprised and look within to see if there is something hindering the answer to come.
The model prayer is said by innumerable people all over the world, who are looking for the Kingdom of God to be established on the earth (Matthew 6:9-13). The most important part of the prayer is to plan and seek the blessings for today. God cares for each one of us and He is able to provide for all our needs. Do plan for the future but live in the present and not in the clouds of years ahead.
This prayer also teaches submission to the will of God by seeking His will to be effectively done here on earth also. While we recite this prayer, we also add our requests for God to answer. This model prayer does not bring out our specific needs and challenges that we face in our lives. While fulfilling the needs of forgiveness, aligning our prayers to God’s will and identifying our weak spots, we pray to God to help in these. Apostle Paul has taught us to ‘pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). But he does not mean to go into seclusion and live as a monk. It is about remaining submitted to God in every aspect of life and being thankful for His presence with us to help us face that. Lord Jesus ‘Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed’ (Luke 5:16). Prayer is thus thanking for His past blessings, submitting the present to His control and seeking His will for the future and empowerment to fulfil that. Prayer, thus, cannot be as per a set format only but must be modelled on that, with our requests detailed therein.
Why should we pray? God cares and provides for all of creation, He knows what we need and will provide that (Luke 12:24). Prayer is initiated by God by urging us to pray and we humbly respond by presenting our requests to Him. By not praying we are expressing our self-sufficiency and not treating God as the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of everything.
Do we adopt a specific posture for prayer? Getting on the knees and raising one’s hands towards heaven has been the normal position adopted in prayer. Raising one’s hands towards heaven is about seeking and receiving His help. It is not about a particular position but the state inside that matters. Get into a comfortable position, focus on God, meditate on His Word to do that and then pray to the Father in heaven.
Should we pray to God the Father, to the Son or to the Holy Spirit? The model prayer is addressed to ‘Our Father in heaven’ (Matthew 6:9). Lord Jesus’ teaching is to ask in His name ‘that the Father may be glorified in the Son’ (John 14:13). Through our answered prayers, we ask, that God the Father must be glorified. Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father for our protection from the devil, though the glory of the Second Adam, that He had from heaven, He gave to us (John 17:15 & 22). Lord Jesus, in His glorified state in heaven is our High Priest and intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25-26). As High Priest, He receives our prayers, makes them presentable and as Intercessor, He prays to God the Father. We ask in His name from God the Father and the Holy Spirit in us also teaches us to pray to the Father. Since all three are One, our Prayers addressed to the Father, reach all three.
What prayers are rejected by God? God is love but He is a righteous judge also (1 John 4:8). Any prayer that is against His ways, that does not bring Him glory through the answer and prayers with a hidden agenda are likely to be rejected by God. Also, the prayer of one who doubts God is rejected, for He is not obliged to answer someone who does not believe in Him.
How long should we continue to pray for the same thing? In the parable of one asking for bread from a friend late at night (Luke 11:5-8) and of the judge and the widow (Luke 18:2-5), Lord Jesus has emphasised repeated prayers till an answer is received. Till it is clear that God will not answer, we must keep praying, even for years on end, for God answers when we are ready.
What is the reason to pray in Lord Jesus’ name? Praying in the Saviour’s name is to align our prayers with His will and it is not a magic or a formula. It is about presenting ourselves before the Father in the authority of His son, as His representatives to receive on His behalf. We must remember that what we believe is what we get, for our faith is the catalyst in prayer. An attitude of thankfulness opens the door to the Father’s heart. Do not limit God by asking for things that are within our reach already. Our Lord wants us to ‘open your mouth wide, and I will fill it’. His capacity to give is unlimited, we have a limited capacity to imagine big and ask.
Abraham was commanded to leave his people and move to an unknown place to become great and be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). He moved in faith without knowing the answer and the way the answer would come. And that is how we must pray and seek God for we are created to glorify God and be a blessing to others.
God has chosen us, forgiven our sins and made us a part of His Divine family. It is not due to something great in us but in His grace, the undeserved favour. When we pray to God, our desire is to get answers straight away. God, however, is All-knowing and can anticipate our reaction on receiving the answer. He prepares us to glorify Him in every situation, including waiting for and after receiving the answer, which many times may not be of our choice. Real prayer is our submission to His control and will!
