It’s Praying Time, But Do You Know How to Pray?

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

Prayer is the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of every believer. So, why aren’t we praying today? It’s praying time! So, let’s learn how to pray.

Introduction

How many of us are praying today?  With all the violence, the anger, the bitterness, the depravity, and the wickedness, if you aren’t praying today, when will you? If ever there was a time when we should be turning to the weapon of prayer, now is that time.  I want to lay the foundation of why we must pray today. 

Why Prayer Is Necessary

In Ephesians 6:17-18, Paul shared that the believer has two weapons to be able to go on the offensive while on this journey.  

Paul first spoke of the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  The word of God is truly a powerful weapon.  By the word of God, we are healed.  By the word of God, we live.  By the word of God, we are saved unto everlasting life in God’s kingdom.

The second weapon that Paul spoke of is the weapon of prayer.  Prayer, I believe, is the most powerful weapon of the believer.  Prayer is our direct line of communication with the one who made us, is almighty, and all power is in His hands.  Through prayer, we are connected to the one who desires to use His power to our benefit.

It is with that thought in mind that Paul expressed to the Philippians that in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we should let our requests be made known to God.  This is a saying, a motto, that we should live by:  “Worry about nothing, pray about everything.”

The reason why we should pray, Paul reasoned, is because the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds (Phil. 4:7).  Let us understand that when we speak of God’s peace, we are speaking of the removal of conflict, unrest, fear, and anxiety from within our heart.  God gives rest to the soul (Matt. 11:28).

Those who are at peace in God’s peace obtain true power and strength.  In this power and strength, there is no worry about that which is of the world.  They cannot be hurt, harmed, or even fazed by the attacks of the enemy.  Nor are they phased by their lack or the setbacks they may have on the narrow path (Matt. 7:13-14).

Suffering Because of Our Arrogance

Being at peace in God’s peace sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  Yet, we, mankind, aren’t praying as we should.  Many don’t believe in God, nor do they feel they have a need to pray to a God.  Yes, there are many who don’t believe in the power of prayer.

There is an arrogance that man has in thinking that we don’t need God.  Where has that arrogance gotten us?

Every four years, one comes along the way with promises of how they can set out and bring world peace.  Yet, both around the world and right here at home, wars continue.  There is no “peace” as presidential candidates and world leaders love to promise.  

When it comes to social issues, we’re still stuck in the same mud that we, mankind, have been stuck in for centuries upon centuries, and millennia upon millennia.  We still hate each other over petty differences like the color of skin, one’s sexual identity, and what one chooses to believe in.

Because of our arrogance, people of all ages are dying in the streets because of senseless violence.  Because of our arrogance, people are going hungry.  Because of our arrogance, people are starving to death.

Because we aren’t praying as we ought to pray, the local church is sadly starting to fade away as well.  Faith, moving in sincerity, where one loves another and uplifts another, is also dying.

Dependence on self, rather than God, has left man vulnerable to the attack of the wicked one.  Choosing not to cry out to God has left man vulnerable to the attack of sin, and now we, collectively, are dealing with the consequences.  Mankind has left itself to wallow and to suffer in its sin because it refuses to turn to the Lord.

To stop the suffering of today, the most arrogant must humble themselves before the Lord and cry out to Him.  To stop the suffering of today, the one who says they believe must pray.  To stop the suffering of today, the one who is of sincere faith must not only pray, we must continue in prayer.

The Proper Mindset for Prayer

So, again, I ask, how many of us are praying right now?  How many of us have a healthy prayer life where we are consistent in praying to the Lord?  How many of us are comfortable with praying to God?

Many today don’t pray to the Lord because they aren’t comfortable with praying to God.  Some of us are afraid of messing up when we pray.  Some of us are unsure what we should pray for.  Some of us fear that God won’t even listen to or answer our prayers because we see ourselves as heathens.  Thankfully, there is scripture that shows us Jesus’ teachings about prayer.

Be true to yourself

In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus shared the kind mindset we should have in approaching praying to the Lord.

Jesus began by encouraging one not to be like the hypocrites when they pray.  The hypocrites, Jesus stated, “love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.”  There are those who love to pray for show, but prayer is not for show. Prayer is a serious matter, and when you pray, you should take it seriously by being sincere and true to yourself.   

Now, you may think to yourself, ‘Preachers and deacons pray standing before an audience all of the time.’  This is true.  However, such a prayer is a prayer where all of us collectively come together, and the one who prays is making intercession for everyone.  The prayer that Jesus is speaking of is a prayer of supplication.

This prayer, Jesus instructed, should be prayed in secret, and the one who sees in secret will reward you openly.  Your prayer is between you and God, nobody else.  Now, this might frighten some of us, but it should comfort you because you have things to pray about that nobody else needs to know about! 

When you pray, Jesus instructed that you shouldn’t use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  Jesus is instructing one to be both direct and simplistic when they pray to God.  

I love this instruction because many of us have been led to believe that if we use big words, that makes our prayer more special.  Many of us have also been led to believe that if we pray a long prayer, that is a good prayer.  Yet, Jesus instructs us not to enter prayer with that kind of mindset.

When I think of the heathen’s prayer, I am reminded of Elijah in the battle on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-39).  The heathens cried out to their god, Baal, from morning to evening, using many words, and they even cut themselves only for Baal to not respond.  Elijah called on the Lord with just a few words, and the Lord immediately responded.

The heathen uses many words from the aspect of believing that all of those words help to get their prayers answered.  In truth, such a prayer is prayed from the place of doubt.  When you pray, pray without doubting, knowing that God has heard your prayer.

To add ot this, Jesus tells us that the Father already knows the things that we have need of before we ask Him.  This will cause some to wonder why they must pray if God already knows the things we have need of.  

Well, we pray because prayer shows our faithfulness.  We pray because prayer shows our dependence on the Lord.  We pray because prayer shows our realization that we need greater help, and we believe God is more than able to help us!

Have no fear nor shame

Now, for those of us who fear going to God, believing He will never answer our prayers because we see ourselves as a heathen, I share these words.

Now is not the time of judgment, but it is the time to receive His help and the Lord desires to help you (John 3:17).  When you approach prayer, approach with the understanding that God has already shown you mercy.  God has shown us His mercy through the giving of His only begotten Son.

In his teaching of prayer, Paul spoke of how we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses because even He was tempted at all points (Heb. 4:15).  The Lord will not condemn you when you come before His throne, as He understands your temptations and even when you step into temptation.  

Because of His understanding of our situations, we can go boldly before the throne of grace, knowing that we will find compassion and mercy (Heb. 4:16).  All of us should find comfort in understanding that God’s thoughts towards us are of peace, a future, and a hope (Jer. 29:11).  So, let us never be afraid or ashamed to go before the One who truly loves us.

The Model for How to Pray

As we continue through Matthew 6:9-13, we come to what some love to call “The Lord’s Prayer”.  Now, this prayer cannot be the Lord’s prayer, and we will see why in a moment.  The Lord’s prayer, Jesus’ prayer was prayed in the garden before His arrest (John 17).

The prayer recorded in this scripture is a model for what the sincere prayer looks like.  This is the model of a prayer that will be heard and received by the Lord.  You and I should keep in mind the components of this prayer so that when we pray, our prayer is received.

The worship component of prayer

When Jesus began to teach the disciples how to pray, He encouraged them to give honor to God,  praying, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”

This, I want to note, is the worship component of prayer.  When we pray, we should come with dignity and respect for the Most High.  Jesus was setting the tone for how one ought to pray to the Lord.  We shouldn’t pray to God like how we would speak to one another.  

Someone might say, smartly, I’m just being true to myself when I speak in such and such manner.  When Moses stood before the Lord, he was instructed to remove his sandals and honor the place he was in (Ex. 3:5).  God deserves for you to come to Him with respect, especially if you desire Him to respect your prayer.

Jesus then encouraged them to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  This declaration continues the worship component of prayer, and it is truly a powerful declaration of faith.

Desiring God’s will to be done is a declaration that removes the dependence on one’s own power and might.  Declaring God’s will to be done removes any dependence on what the world may give.  Declaring God’s will to be done is a declaration of trusting God’s plan is better than that of our own!  

Declaring God’s will to be done is a declaration of recognizing that we need greater help!  This declaration of God’s will being done is the point of prayer, if you ask me.  Why else would we go to the Lord if we didn’t need His help?  This makes the worship component of prayer crucial, which is why I believe Jesus put it at the front of the model example of a sincere prayer.

The petition component of prayer

After worshiping and giving honor to God, Jesus then moved to the petition portion of prayer.  As we go over the petition component of prayer, I want you to take note of how direct and simplistic the petitions are.

The first petition is for God to give us our daily bread.  Our daily bread speaks to our physical needs.  In Matthew 6:25, Jesus wondered why one would worry about what they will eat, drink, or wear when they have prayed to God.  Jesus said that we should take a look at the birds and how they don’t sow nor reap as they are cared for by the Father (Matt. 6:26).  God cares for us and tends to our daily needs in an even greater way!

So, when we pray, yes, we should pray about the things that we go through daily.  You and I should pray about our physical needs and our physical health.  Again, in everything by prayer, we should make our requests known to the Lord.  Such a petition will eliminate our daily worries and physical worries, and will give us peace of mind to push ahead.

The next petitions, I want you to note, our spiritual in nature.  Jesus instructed the disciples to pray for forgiveness and not to be left in temptation.  Many of us are concerned about our physical needs, but we often forget that we are spiritual beings.  

We must pray for our spirit because that is what the enemy attacks first!  A wounded and defeated soul is a soul that cannot produce the righteousness of God; it cannot bear good fruit.  We have a calling to fulfill, which is to produce the righteousness of God and bear good fruit.  So, when you pray, pray that your soul is uplifted, full of life, and full of hope!

Prayer is for Peace

Now, let’s make a note of what Jesus did not teach the disciples to pray for.  Did Jesus teach one to pray for earthly wealth?  Did Jesus teach one to pray for power?  Did Jesus teach that we should pray out of anger and hatred against others?  

Prayer is for peace, starting within ourselves first.  You see, our inner peace is vital because it is from that peace that we bear good fruit.  If we don’t have inner peace in our soul, our soul is either left with wrath or apathy (emptiness and an uncaring nature).  This is why we see Paul call on believers to mediate (focus and pray) on those things that are noble, just, and of virtue (Phil. 4:8).

So, I will conclude this week’s message by saying that peace ought to rule the heart of the true believer.  Where many are letting the heated climate of today block them from bearing good fruit, we should not.  Where many are letting the heated climate of today block them from God’s salvation, we cannot.

We can’t let today’s environment block us from waging the good warfare, living by the Word, and being obedient to the Word.  So, to help with lowering the temperature of today, we must turn to prayer, praying for peace within ourselves first, and then looking outward.