As the disciples of Jesus beheld Him praying one day, they were awed with the intensity, and the earnestness of His appeals to God, The Father, and in response, one of them was moved to ask Jesus to teach us to pray. Christ responded immediately by outlining the basic way in which we should pray to God, even though He never intended that it should be repeated verbatim.
There are important highlights in the model prayer of which we should be cognizant. Firstly, we are shown the way to address God, then we are to pray for the interests of His kingdom, and then we are to recognize His sovereignty, asking that His will, and not ours be done. After submitting ourselves to His will, then our requests should be presented.
The spiritual and temporal concerns of life are also addressed, as are the issues of forgiveness of others and our own sins. Then Christ once again recognizes God’s sovereignty, by stating that all things come of Him, before closing. But Christ also warns us against using vain repetitions, as well as praying to impress others, including God, for God is not impressed with style or perfect language, for He looks on the heart, which makes all the difference. Let’s read:
Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
As the Bible teaches, prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian, the breath of our souls, by which we may communicate with God throughout the day, and in any given situation in which we find ourselves. And there are many mega-promises given us, which are intended to encourage everyone to pray. Some of these promises should be understood against the backdrop of other passages, so that our expectation in prayer will be in harmony with what is written.
One of the issues which should be very clear in our minds when petitioning God, is that whatsoever He has promised will certainly be fulfilled in due time, according to His will, and therefore, we should not pray in a manner that savors of doubt, ifs or maybes because the promises, and assurances God gives us are rock solid, and can be depended upon, where any pre-conditions are met. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
1st John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
And the response time is important too, for it’s not God’s will that our prayers should be hanging in limbo, with no expiration date. When everything else is in place, and any preconditions are met, God promises to grant us a speedy answer where He sees fit. Especially in cases of emergency, or when faced with situations which require a decision on our part. The Lord will not have us waiting in vain, for indefinite periods of time. Let’s read:
Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
But although millions of prayers are made daily, in very many cases they go unanswered, because of various reasons which we will address in the Bible. We all will like to know that God hears, and answers us when we pray, therefore, if are not getting any results, we should not sweep the matter under the rug, by using the age-old reason, God’s will be done, but we should rather ask ourselves why there is no answer.
In the model prayer, Christ prayed that God’s will be done in heaven and earth, and it is at this particular sticking point where many prayers fall flat. There is often a pulling and tugging between our will, and God’s will which then causes our prayers to fail, and there are other reasons given in the Bible of which we should be cognizant, for the stage must be set right to facilitate the answers to prayers. Let’s read:
[1] Misguided requests.
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
[2] Despising reproof and counsels from God.
Proverbs 1: 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own
way and be filled with their own devices.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
[3] Harboring cherished sin.
Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
[4] Practicing known evils.
Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
[5] Deliberately despising God’s law.
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Conversely, if all the preconditions are met, and one approaches God’s throne of grace with the correct attitude, God is certain to hear and answer. Of this sort was the prayer of Abraham for his son Isaac, as marriage was being contemplated. And just as it is in our day, there seemed to be a scarcity of good persons to choose from. Thus, Abraham prayed to God, and it will be worthwhile for us to observe his attitude, and mindset as he prays. Let’s read:
Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh.
3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she
saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife.
And they lived happily ever after! However, even though Abraham and Eliezer prayed, Isaac’s prayer, his mindset, and attitude were critically important, because it was necessary for him to be walking in harmony with God’s instructions, not only on the issue of marriage, but also in all other issues. Let’s read:
Genesis 25:20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife.
At forty years of age, we are not sure how many of us would have left the matter up to God, let alone having our parents have any say in the matter. The disposition to take advice from one’s parents, and from those who are advanced in years, means very much to God, especially when such individuals are God-fearing, and give counsel in harmony with His word.
In fact, the right attitude means so much to God, that a request may be presented unintelligibly, with bad English, incorrect language, or green verbs, and God will still hear and answer. The reason why we keep saying that God is A Spirit is because He is much more concerned with the heart, than with the variables that come with mere externals.
In other words, a humble person who can’t speak proper English will get answers to their prayers, while a person who may be puffed up with a sense of their self-importance, but who displays brilliant oratory, will walk away empty-handed. Thus, the attitude with which we pray often makes all the difference.
Now we turn to the other side of the issue, where many, if not most young adults believe that their parents should not interfere in their choices. Some become engaged in their teens to someone who has captured their affections, and because many do not know the difference between love and infatuation, they seal the deal before their parents can make any meaningful input.
And in many cases, even if the parents were to make some reasonable observation or objection, it is viewed as an encroachment on one’s freedom of choice. Such was the case with Samson, who was infatuated with a good-looking philistine, and since man looks on the outward appearance, he allowed externals to override sound judgment, as is so often the case.
Then, as his parents tried to make an observation, he asserted his right to choose, and demanded that they go along with his plans, for his song was “It’s my life”. Those who would not honor their parents in their decision-making processes, will most likely not honor God too, and as a result, many pray along selfish lines, hoping that God will sign off on what they have already determined to do anyway.
Such prayers are usually answered according to the person’s own will, and not according to God’s, for He sees that they have already made their minds up, with no wiggle room for additional guidance or instruction, and thus, like the Hebrews of old, He gives them their own desire. Our attitude in prayer has a whole lot to do with the answers we receive, for if we come with a childlike, submissive attitude, God can and will do great things for us.
But if we try to bully God into accepting what we have predetermined, then our decisions will take precedence, for God never inhibits a person’s freedom to choose. Never! Acknowledging God in all our ways does not mean informing God about what we have already planned to do, regardless of His input, and asking Him to sign off on our plans.
It means, asking His guidance on courses of action, with the attitude, and willingness to surrender our preconceived ideas, if they are not in harmony with His will. Prayers made with this attitude are always answered. Always. Let’s read:
Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Samson might have prayed about his engagement, but if he did, there were several issues present that would have caused his prayer to reach no higher than the roof. First of all, his choice was motivated by external beauty, not moral character, and being infatuated and charmed by her good looks, he did not acknowledge the claims of God pertaining to marriage.
His infatuation caused him to forget that a humble God-fearing Christian woman is better than a good- looking philistine with no character. And there are many such philistines roaming about nowadays. He also failed to honor his parents by even considering their advice, for the tenor of his response to them was more of a command than an inquiry. And if one abhors advice from God-fearing parents, they are most likely to refuse guidance from God.
Therefore, if Samson had prayed with these mixed up attitudes, he would most likely receive the go ahead to do as he pleased, for it’s obvious he was bent on doing his own thing. If we are dead set on having our own way, it’s best not to pray, for we will become even more frustrated when our prayers aren’t answered.
Thus, as stated before, an attitude of humility and a child-like submissive spirit is of utmost importance when seeking God’s guidance and His blessing. Also, if we are aware of God’s instructions in any matter, it’s important that we seek to align ourselves in His will, instead of asking Him to bless that which He has proscribed, for God never blesses what He has told us not to do.
In closing, let our prayers ascend to God in sincerity and in truth, and may our attitudes be of such that we are willing to listen to His voice, as it is in His word, or by any other providence He may choose to guide us. Whenever and wherever these essentials are put in place, God will hear and answer every prayer that comes from such persons. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
God Bless!