Various Kinds of Prayers
When we pray, not all praying is the same, and not all praying is prayed in the same way. In the Amplified version of Ephesians 6:18, the Word of God tells us that there are manners, or kinds, of prayers.
Eph 6:18 (Amplified) Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).
There are different kinds of prayers with different kinds of rules. The root reason for discouragement in prayer is because people use wrong rules for different kinds of prayers. As an example: In sports there are different rules for baseball, football, soccer, and bowling. The question is then - what would happen if you took a football and ran around the bases of a baseball field and expected a goal as you rounded home plate. Or what would happen if you tried to pass a bowling ball down the 50 yard line. This may sound preposterous – but the results are the same. You can’t expect to have answers in prayer by praying the wrong kinds of prayers.
Base your prayers on the Word of God
We need to base our prayers on what God says in His Word. This article will center on eight different kinds of prayer. Each prayer is based on Scripture - how to pray in various situations.
The Prayer of Petition - or - The Prayer of Faith
The Prayer of Petition can also be referred to the Prayer of Faith. When you ask God for something, which is petitioning to Him, you must also believe that you receive what you are petitioning. When you ask of God, you MUST believe He will answer your prayers. Faith means you believe you will receive what you ask for.
“If it be Thy Will”
Many people have prayed to God saying "if it be Thy Will." What they don’t realize is they have negated their prayer before they finished with their sentence. There is only one time in all of Scripture where this kind of prayer was prayed. It was prayed by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His death. Jesus was not asking God for something in faith. He started out by pleading with God to remove the burden of having to go to the cross. But while He prayed, He knew within Himself that He came to this earth to die for the sins of humanity.
After relinquishing His will, Jesus accepted His God-given task toward mankind. He then prayed the Prayer of Consecration, stating “not my will, but Yours be done.”
You can't say that you believe God will provide your needs, then tag that prayer with "if it be Thy will." That prayer then becomes a prayer of "I'm not sure what God is going to do, but I sure do hope it is His will to provide me with what I have asked.” That kind of prayer is filled with doubt and unbelief. It certainly is not a prayer of faith.
Base your prayers on the Word of God
To have belief that your prayers are going to be answered, you have to have a foundation of truth to your requests. In other words, you need to base your prayers on what God says in His Word. Your Bible is filled with promises – promises that you can depend on for your life. God wants you to find a promise that applies to you and then stand on it. That is what faith and trust is all about.
Promises to lean on
There are over 200 promises that you can lean on that God wants to answer for you. Some of the wonderful promises given to us are:
- Salvation - Rom 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.
- Healing - I Pet 2:24 By Jesus’ stripes you are healed
- Various petitions – John 14:14 Ask any thing in Jesus’ name, He will do it.
- Receiving greater faith – Rom 10:7 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” – the more we hear it, the more we build up our faith to believe it.
- A solid more mature Christian life – 2 Pet 1:3 God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
It is important that you pray according to the Word of God, believing - praying it in faith, and then trust that you will receive. When you believe – you then receive.
You are a righteous saint
So many Christians feel they are not worthy of what God has already provided for them. Some may think that God can heal others, but not them. They consider themselves a sinner, because that is what they have been taught. That kind of dogma is not based on the Word of God, only the opinion of man.
In every book of the Epistles, which are the books in the Bible that are specifically written to and for the Church-at-large, believers are always referred to as saints. Believers are never called sinners, they are called "saints."
- To the church at Rome: Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...
- To the Church at Corinth: 2 Cor 1:1...unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia...
- To the church at Ephesus: Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus...
- To the church at Philippi: Phil 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons...
- To the church at Colosse: To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ..
Once we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are no longer referred to as sinners, but saints. Christians sin, obviously, but that doesn’t make them a sinner. God’s people are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and God sees His people through the blood. Fortunately, when we do sin, we have 1 John 1:9 to rely on.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you, as a Christian use the word “sinner” over yourself or other Christians – you end up with a sinner’s mentality. “Woe is me, I am a worm, a sinner - all I ever do is sin.” That kind of thinking brings one’s faith down and causes one to sin more. We need to have the right mentality about ourselves – seeing ourselves as Christ sees us. We are saints in Christ. We need to concentrate on who we are in Christ, not what the devil did to us before we came to believe in Jesus. When we see ourselves as righteous, this causes us to sin less, and be more conscious of who we are in Christ. As you stand before God as a righteous saint, claiming the promises that He has given us in His Word, our spoken prayers bring us to stand firm. That is exciting news!
2. The Prayer of Consecration
The Prayer of Consecrations is when you dedicate, or consecrate your life to God - for God to work His life in you. Let’s take another look at the phrase “if it be thy will.”
Luke 22:41-42 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.
It was in the Garden of Gethsemene on the night before His death that Jesus prayed to His Father, asking that He not have to go to the cross. He was so distraught that He got to the point of sweating drops of blood. Jesus knew that He had to go through with the painful agony of crucifixion, but after working through His prayer, He conceded by saying, “not my will, Father, but Yours be done”. What Jesus then did was consecrate His life over to the will of His Father.
Jesus is not asking us to go to the cross. He already did that for us. What He is asking us to do is submit our will over to our heavenly father, and consecrate our lives to Him. Sad to say, most Christians accept Jesus as their Savior. They believe in Who He is, and what He has done for them - they ask Him into their lives, but they still want to live their life their own way. Their concerns are that by submitting everything over to God, they will miss out on having their own desires. But God is asking that we make Jesus the Lord of our life. God is asking us to submit our every part of our life over to the will of God.
1 Cor 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
We no longer are masters of our lives. We belong to God, and God wants us submitted totally to Him. This is only time you would ever pray “if it be Thy will…” When you dedicate your life to the Lord, telling him that you give all to Him, saying, “whatever You desire for my life, Lord, I desire. Whatever Your will is – that is my will. Not my will, but Yours alone. Lord, I consecrate my life to You.” In that submission, God can then offer you the highest potential for your life - not settle for 2nd or even 10th best. He wants to give you His best. God has a plan and purpose for every one of His children.
God desires yieldedness to His purpose. What He has for His children is far greater than you or I could ever imagine. As we yield daily to His purpose for us, our prayers become what God wants, not what we want, and then our desires become what God had desired for us all along.
3. The Prayer of Commitment
The purpose of the Prayer of Commitment is to keep you free of anxiety, and fear that strangles the Word of God in your life.
Matt. 6:33-34 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you
It is important to pray this kind of prayer daily so the cares of this world won’t enter in. Cares are like thorns that choke out the seeds of the produce. The cares of this world choke out the seeds of Gods Word, attempting to sprout in our hearts. Commit your family and personal concerns over to the Lord every morning. It would be so easy to worry about them, but when you commit them over to the Lord, you can then live in peace knowing He is caring for them. It is critical to your spiritual growth that you make the decision everyday to give all of your cares to God so the prayer of faith will work for you.
4. The Prayer of Praise and Worship
The Prayer of Praise and Worship is most often done in church in a group setting, set to music. It can, however, be done, and should be done in private as well.
The purpose of praise and worship is to praise God for what He has done - you are telling Him and others How good He is. Worship, on the other hand, means to worship the Lord - it is something that is done just between you and Him. You are pouring out your love from your heart. God wants us to come into His presence just to love and worship Him. It is also a time for the Lord to prepare our hearts to receive His Word. People can be set free, healed, and delivered during praise and worship.
Years ago I did a lengthy study on prayer. I wanted to know why some Christians lifted or clapped their hands in praise and worship at church. I wasn’t satisfied with just a few scripture verses. I knew that God was trying to tell me something important. Here is my findings:
How to praise and worship the Lord
I came out of a denominational background where outward charismatic jestures were not accepted. When I became spirit-filled, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, I found myself automatically lifting up my hands in prayer. I needed to know why I did such a thing because it seemed foreign to me, but yet it seemed the right thing to do.
Over 25 years ago I took two Bibles of the same version and cut out every verse I could find on prayer and put it into a tablet in the order of the contents of Scripture (this was before the days of computers). What I discovered was God taught His people how to pray in the Old Testament. The physical positions in prayer were prostrating, kneeling, standing, and in only one scripture verse I read that David sat before the Lord. Hands were lifted toward the heavens or clapping in praise. I learned that eyes were always open, and never were hands folded. Arms were always stretched upward toward heaven.
The New Testament doesn't say much about the way to pray because it had been taught throughout Scripture for over 2000 years. One of the few New Testament scriptures to support the lifting of hands was 1 Tim 2:8, and it totally supports what is taught throughout the Old Covenant.
1 Tim 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
As mentioned earlier in this lesson, you are not required to pray in any specific position. Scripture points out many ways, but God looks at the heart. Pray in a way in which you are comfortable so that you can focus on the things of God . You will discover that you will pray in various positions at different times.
5. The Prayer of Agreement
The principal governing the Prayer of Agreement underscores the power of unity and harmony among Christians. Taking the faith of at least two believers brings power to prayer.
Mat 18:19-20 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The Bible says that when we pray in unity, we are loosing up the powers of heaven through our prayers. When we pray the Prayer of Agreement with faith, our prayers reach the throne-room of God, and God dispatches His angelic powers to fight on our behalf.
Continuous war in the heavenlies
There is a continuous war being fought in the heavenlies. Satan and his host of angels are working against you because you now belong to God, and you are purposing to do God’s will for your life. Because you do, Satan’s plans are thwarted. It is good news to know; however, that God has a much greater army fighting on your behalf that what Satan and his cohorts would try to do.
God states that when one person prays, He will put 1000 angels to flight on your behalf. With two people agreeing, He will put 10,000 to flight to work for you. That means you are more than 10 times more effective when you pray in unity with just one other person. There is power in agreement. Power in prayer doesn’t add when another person agrees with you, it multiples.
Deu 32:30 (KJV) How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
The devil's principle thrust in everything he does ultimately brings division to the body of Christ. If he can't bring division, he will try and stop the flow and power of God any way he can.
Selecting a prayer partner
If you are pursuing a prayer partner to agree with you in prayer, be very choosy. Be sure to get one who can agree with you so you two can stand together. Pray with someone whose basic viewpoints and doctrines are the same as yours. What you want is a double-barreled prayer of faith. If you are standing for healing, you don’t want a prayer partner with whom you will have to spend your time defending your faith on what the Word of God says on healing. You know he or she won’t be agreeing with you “in faith” for your healing. They will be simply “hoping.” You are no longer praying in agreement at that point. Select a prayer partner who completely agrees with you.
6. The Prayer of Intercession
The prayer of intercession in its simplest form is “praying for others - standing in the gap.” All believers have this ministry. Right now, Jesus is sitting next to the Father in heaven interceding for you. We are Christ's body here on earth. He is our head and we are His body. Our ministry of intercession is an extension of Jesus. Jesus is interceding for us, and we need to intercede for others.
The Bible says that we are to pray for two different kinds of people – the saved and the unsaved.
1 Tim 2:1-2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God wants us to pray first of all that people get saved. The Word teaches us how to pray for them.
Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
It is God who draws men to repentance to believe and want Jesus, but it is man who tells a person about the Lord. The person(s) will then have to make the decision to receive Christ. So if we pray for other people to cross our loved ones paths, then we must be willing to be laborers in someone else’s prayers.
Praying the Word of God over people is the best kind of praying that can be done – both for believers and unbelievers. The following scripture passages are good prayers to pray over people. Just add their name as you pray these prayers.
Eph 1:16-19… do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
Eph 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Col 1:9-12 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
God doesn’t change – circumstances change
It must be pointed out that prayers do not move God. The truth is, God has already moved on our behalf. God always remains the same. The Word of God tells us that there is no variation of change in Him. Circumstances, however, can change. Prayer is one of those things God has given us to accomplish the changes in circumstances. It is our faith that brings those things that have already been accomplished in the spiritual realm and manifests them in the natural realm.
Man has a free will to choose or reject God
When we pray for other people, we must remember that God gave everyone a free will to choose or reject, so must we do the same thing with other people. You cannot expect God to change the mind of people. God can reveal, but people still make the choice. If you are praying for someone’s salvation, you can’t force salvation upon them with your prayers. Everyone has a free will to choose or reject God. Our prayers go to the Father. The Father does a work in his or her heart. He brings laborers in their path to show them the way, but that person ultimately has to make the decision to accept or reject.
If you are praying for someone’s healing, and that person refuses, or is struggling to believe that God can heal them, chances are, short of a miracle from God, that person will not get healed. That person has to choose to believe that God can heal them. God can brings people or circumstances in a person’s life to assist them in their belief process, but that person still has to make the decision to choose or reject.
White witchcraft prayers
If you think you can change a person by the very prayers you pray, you border on what is often referred to as white witchcraft prayers. Always remember, God created everyone with the gift of choice. A person may not be making the right choices, but it is their right to choose. God provides opportunities, or circumstances, and the Holy Spirit can work on their heart for them to make the right choice, but it is still up to the individual to choose or reject God and His ways.
7. United Prayer
United Prayer is coming together corporately to pray, whether it is in church or a prayer group setting. The results often are spectacular because of the power of unity and harmony. The Prayer of Agreement is in force here in multiple numbers.
The Bible says we are to pray for kings, or in our case president, and people in high places who govern over us. Our prayer is for peace in our land, for the governing officials above us to be submissive to God's will in their lives, as well as our country.
1 Tim 2:1-3 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.
God says that "If my people will humble themselves and pray...I will heal their land. As Christians, we are His people. We are in a time where our nation needs a lot of prayer.
2 Chron 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.
8. Praying in the Spirit (praying in tongues)
There are times that we have burdens, and desire to pray but don't know what to pray. Here's where we can pray in the Spirit, meaning praying in other tongues. Praying in the Spirit prays the perfect will of God. Praying in the Spirit should be prayed out throughout our day because it is the Holy Spirit praying through us.
Rom. 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Do we understand what we are praying when we pray in tongues? For the most part, we do not. It is the Holy Spirit praying through us, and it is the perfect prayer to your heavenly father. The Apostle Paul stated he spoke in tongues a lot – far more than other people. He also tells us that praying in tongues is vital to our prayer life. He states that we are to mix praying in tongues and praying with our understanding together.
1 Cor 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
1 Cor 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Praying in the Spirit, however, is more than just praying in tongues. Praying in the Spirit means you are praying with your human spirit and praying in the Spirit of the Holy Ghost – in other tongues. (More will be discussed in later articles).
The blending of different prayers
Many times different prayers will blend together, flowing together, as you are praying more than one kind of prayer at the same time. For instance: You can be praying to God with someone, petitioning God, using the Prayer of Faith, but because you are in agreement with another person, you are also praying the Prayer of Agreement. If you are in a group or church setting, praying in the Prayer of Faith, you are also praying with the Prayer of Unity.
The Prayer of Consecration is dedicating yourself to God, for God to do His will in your life. If you are praying alone, you are simply praying in that kind of prayer. If you are praying with someone, consecrating yourself to the Lord, and the other person is agreeing, you have two kinds of prayers in operation.
The prayer of Praise and Worship is loving God for Who He is. You are not interceding for anyone then, you are not petitioning God for any of your needs then - you are just loving Him. But you could be praying in the Spirit while interceding for someone else or petitioning for yourself. You could also be worshipping God while you are praying in other tongues.
So you can see that prayers can and do blend and flow together. But remember, not all principles apply to all prayers.
(Eight kinds of prayer – Taken from The Art of Prayer, Kenneth E. Hagin, Harrison House Publishing, Tulsa, OK 1992)