Prayer is the spiritual relationship of man with God, his creator. It is the believer's spiritual breathing. He cannot live spiritually without it. It is the expression of the believer's heart in which the love of God was placed by Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is the message of the believer, who has been born again by the Spirit and the Word. The believer prays to his Heavenly Father to praise and thank him, and to ask him for what the believer and his loved ones need.

The Holy Bible tells us that when God created man, he put man in a high position. God wanted to have a special relationship with this unique creature which both of them could enjoy together each day. Thus, our first parents Adam and Eve had a great privilege in the Garden of Eden, the privilege of being in the presence of the Holy God and talking with God with confidence, peace and joy. However, this privilege did not last long. Man fell when tempted by Satan and sinned by disobeying the commandment of God, who created him, loved him and favoured him. As a result of sin, man lost his high position, and his fellowship with his Heavenly Father was broken off. Man also lost all the confidence, peace and joy which he was given by the Creator. Sin separated sinful man from the Holy God. "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1,2).

But because God is rich in his mercy and endless in his love, he did not want man to remain separated from him because of sin. As a loving Father, God wanted to restore man to his actual position as a son and to his privileged relationship with God Most High. God accomplished this restoration by means of a radical and final solution to the problem of sin. This is why the Lord Christ came to this world of misery, to die on the cross as a ransom for the sins of all mankind so that whoever believes in Him may receive complete forgiveness for his sins, and be reconciled to God through the redemption of Jesus Christ.

Some people think it is possible to have forgiveness of sins by doing certain duties, religious ordinances and good works. This is not true. Imagine with me that the police arrested a murderer who thought he had good intentions and confessed his crime. When the murderer was brought to the judge, he said, "I am a righteous person who does good for all, and many can witness to that. I admit that I was wrong, but I will not do it again and will do what is right. This blunder was beyond my control. I am willing to pay the necessary money to pay the family of the murdered . . . and so on." Can the judge possibly release him? If the judge sentences him, does this means that the judge is merciless?

The criminal's confession does not excuse him of the crime but rather condemns him. The fact that the criminal does many good works does not save him from the required punishment. The judge's execution of the law proves that he is just.

Thus, good works do not earn us deliverance because they are required duties which we should fulfill. They cannot be used as payment for the sins which we have committed.

Our confession of sin is not a basis for getting forgiveness, but for condemnation. However, confession which is based on Christ's substitutionary death saves us from the penalty of sin. God, in his mercy, prepared for us a way of deliverance from the punishment of sin. If anyone rejects God's thought and counsel, he deserves God's just judgment and cannot accuse God of being merciless. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:8-10).

As a result of Christ's substitutionary death and his glorious resurrection, the power of sin was destroyed. Sin separates man from God, his Holy Creator. But the man who repents and believes in God's Word, is delivered from sin. Thus, it has become possible for everyone who depends totally on Christ's redemption to have a new spiritual birth and to pray to God. This kind of prayer thanks God for his grace, being confident of God's answer to his prayers because he prays in the name of Christ, the Redeemer. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body," (Hebrews 10:19,20)

Suppose we ask ourselves, "Why do we breathe?" The answer would be, "Breathing is necessary for life." Prayer is also natural and necessary for the spiritual life and growth of the believer who is born again of God's Spirit and his Word. It is by prayer that the believer's spirit is given life and his spiritual power is increased. Without prayer, the believer's spiritual life is liable to dryness and danger. When I desire to strengthen my relationship with a friend, I frequently talk to him. After a time our ideas and ways of thinking become alike. Similarly through prayer, my relationship with and knowledge of God can grow and increase until I am filled with his thoughts.

It is natural that our life be subject to a spiritual warfare with Satan who tries hard to separate us once more from God and his love. Prayer is a protective weapon for us in this warfare. The Lord Christ says, " . . . Pray that you will not fall into temptation." (Luke 22:40). If we do not live a life of prayer; that means, if we do not pray to God often, we are in danger of temptation and falling into sin. Therefore, we must never get so discouraged that we quit praying .

Some say, "I do not know what to say or how to pray." Prayer is not special readings and memorized words which are repeated from time to time. Rather, prayer is an honest conversation between man and his Heavenly Father. The Lord Christ says, " 'And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 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 6:5-8)

The Lord Christ gave us a marvelous example for prayer, saying, "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, [for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.]' " (Matthew 6:9-13)

The Lord Christ did not ask that these words be repeated vainly but wanted to illustrate to us the meaning of prayer. Prayer is a spiritual relationship flowing from the inside because " 'God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.' " (John 4:24)

You must pray in order to learn to pray. It is not important that you say deep, resounding words with different rhythms! Rather, begin like a little child who is learning to speak and is not proficient. His parents desire to hear his simple words, because they know he will learn to speak in time. It is the same with prayer; God rejoices in our prayers which flow from the heart and not merely from the lips.

One of the important means by which we learn to pray is the reading of Scriptures. It is through God's words that we shall find many things about which to thank and praise God. We shall also read great promises for us, promises which we can claim from God. Thus, it is good to understand what God is saying to us in his Word, the Holy Bible, in order that we may learn how to talk with him.

One believer said, "Pray when you read the Holy Bible, and read the Holy Bible prayerfully."

There is an important fact that encourages us to pray. It is the help which we receive from God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Romans 8:26-27)

There are other reasons which encourage us to pray. One is the faithful promise that God hears the prayers of his children and answers their requests. "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous." (Proverbs 15:29)

Also Christ, the Redeemer, said, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (John 14:13,14)

Are we not glad and delighted when God answers our prayers?! Christ, our Redeemer, wants us to rejoice at God's answer to our prayers. Therefore, he said, "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:24)

In the past, the Law required that man wash his body before approaching God. But with the coming of the Lord Christ, the relationship between God and man was restored. Consequently, Christ concentrated more on the spiritual relationship and the cleansing of the heart from inner evils and hidden sins than on the washing of the body. This cleansing is achieved through the confession of our sins on the basis that Christ has already paid the price for these sins. Then we must live by faith, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) It is, however, evil if I keep my sin. The prophet David says, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;" (Psalm 66:18) Wise Solomon says, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

Prayer includes several important elements all of which may sometimes be present. At other times, though, one element may be predominant. Thus, prayer is a daily spiritual activity which fits the circumstances and situations through which the believer passes.

We have previously seen that the first condition for God to accept prayer is faith in Jesus Christ. Purity of heart is also very important. Purity of heart means confession of every sin and repentance.

The other conditions for prayer are closely linked to this basic condition. Christ, the Redeemer, told his disciples, " 'If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.' " (John 15:7) Remaining in Christ and his words is necessary if we want answers to our prayers and requests. "Remaining" means clinging to him and maintaining a close spiritual relationship with him through prayer, reading of the Holy Bible and obedience. Then, we can pray in the name of Christ and on the basis of what he did. Christ said, " 'In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.' " (John 16:23) We should also have faith that he hears our prayers and answers them, " 'If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.' " (Matthew 21:22)

It is also important that our requests agree with God's will as it is revealed in the Holy Bible, for he says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:14-15)

But the Holy Bible also warns us about asking selfishly, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3)

With regard to the time of prayer, the Holy Scriptures urge us to pray at all times. "Pray continually;" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) This means that we are to pray in every opportunity we have, or whenever we feel the need for it. Many believers prefer to pray in the early morning so that prayer to God may be the first thing they do before getting busy in other activities. It is also desirable to spend some time in prayer before sleep so that you may come to God and speak with him about anything that has happened to you during the day. Many also find it helpful to spend time in prayer in the middle of the day, during break time from work, so that they may lift up to God their heart concerns and think about his wonderful character, even for a short time. This helps you to be confident of God's presence with you during the entire day! Of course, when any problem arises, you do not have to wait; you can pray to God in your heart wherever you are.

Long ago, God's people used to go for prayer to a specific place, namely, Solomon's Temple in the city of Jerusalem. But with the coming of Christ, we now have the right to talk to God in prayer wherever we are and we do not go to a specific earthly place. The genuine believer can pray anywhere or any time, even as he walks down the street. The thoughts of his heart are "given" to God by knowing that God hears everything and desiring that God hear and answer what is on his heart.

There are many different postures of prayer in the Holy Bible but they always show reverence to God. This reverence may be accompanied by sorrow or by joy. Kneeling and prostration as well as standing or sitting respectfully are some of the postures. If these are not a sincere expression of the believer's reverence for God, they are nothing but hypocrisy. People pray sometimes with their arms stretched out to heaven, and other times with their arms folded; or they pray sometimes with their eyes closed, and other times with their eyes open. The posture which helps you to concentrate your attention on God and helps you to speak to him with reverence is the right posture for you.

As to the language of prayer, the Holy Bible tells us, in Romans chapter 8 of the Injil, to call God "our Father." This means that he wants us to talk to him just like we talk to the person dearest and closest to us. We need to have sincerity and honesty. We do not need high-sounding words to influence God. We can speak to him with the language of our hearts. We can use the same language which we use to speak with our parents, for God knows all languages.

Sometimes prayer is accompanied by fasting, especially in times of trial. The purpose here is to humble oneself in prayer before God, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7) Fasting should be in secret and should be accompanied by prayer and reading of the Holy Bible. " 'When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.' " (Matthew 6:16-18)

In closing, the subject of prayer is a wide and deep topic which cannot be confined to a few pages. As believers in Christ, we should all continue to study the Holy Bible and should pray constantly. This will help us increase our learning under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and do what glorifies God in our life. "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever more! Amen." (Jude 24,25)

* * * * *

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE.
NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
I.B.S. All rights reserved.