Coming Before the Throne of Grace in Prayer
Do you find yourself droning, “God bless Grandma and the missionaries in Africa, help Susie to get better from the flu, and make Mike mind his manners, Amen.” How can we make our prayers more meaningful? This is not a purchase order to a computer, but a conversation with a Divine Person. He has something to say too, if you will listen quietly and resist the temptation to do all the talking. Prayers do not have to be long. As the Bible says, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8). At times, the most appropriate prayer is simply, “Lord, have mercy!” I send that one up all day long!
Prayer has so many different facets beyond just asking for things. Take the time to look up these verses, and let them kindle in you a thirst for prayer and a knowledge of the power of intercession. Write them down for continual encouragement.
Communion with God through Worship and Adoration Psalm 46:10; 84:1-4 & 145‑150; Romans 11:33‑36; Revelation 4:8‑11
Confession and Restoration through His Forgiveness Psalm 51; Isaiah 57:15; Hosea 14:1-5; Hebrews 4:16; James 4:6‑10 & 5:16; 1 John 1:6‑10
Consecration and Dedication of our Lives to Him 1 Chronicles 29:5; Proverbs 3:3-6; Isaiah 6:8; Romans 6:13 & 12:1
Thanksgiving and Praise for All He Does Psalm 136:1; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 1:3‑6; 1 Thessalonians 3:9 & 5:18
Petition and Intercession for our Needs and the Needs of Others (According to God’s Will and for His Glory) Psalm 118:4; Mark 11:24-25; Romans 8:26‑27; Colossians. 1:9‑12 & 4:2‑4; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 1 Timothy 2:1‑3; 1 John 3:21-22
Spiritual Warfare! Psalm 3:3-6; 1 Corinthians 10:12-13; 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 & 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Peter 1:3-4
The Bible is full of wonderful prayers, such as Colossians 1:9-12, by which we can confidently make petition for ourselves and others to glorify God according to his will.
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
Reserve a section in your Bible study notebook for prayer notes and guides. Try writing down your prayers and requests along with the date and review them often to see which ones God has already answered. If your church publishes a list of missionaries that it supports, keep this in your notebook so you can pray for them. If you have a long list of people and situations to pray about on a regular basis, divide them into broad categories, and split each category into sections for each day of the week. For example, on Monday you might pray especially for your firstborn child, your own parents, your church’s women’s ministry, the pro-life movement, your state government, and missionaries in South America. You can add on extra current requests each day as needed.
