Are You Praying Biblically?

A few days ago I wrote about “praying big.” I have been convicted that my prayers are too small. This revelation has made a big impact on me.

I am also convicted that I must pray in ways which are consistent with the teaching of Scripture. The Bible tells us very much about prayer. We are encouraged to pray, to always take everything to our Father in prayer. We are encouraged to remember that we can cast all our cares on Him because He truly does care for us (1 Peter 5:6-7).

What would biblical prayer look like? The following are a few prominent themes found in Scripture about prayer.

First, we should pray believing. Jesus talked about this repeatedly. The Bible tells us without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 4:6). Therefore, believing prayer must be at the first of the list about those areas that matter to God. Prayer without believing is nothing more than quiet meditation. Believing prayer is a way of trusting God, knowing that He truly cares for us and that He has our absolute best interest at heart.

Second, prayer should be positive. While this is not explicitly stated in Scripture, it seems to be a part of everything about prayer. As you pray positively, you do pray knowing that God is there. You do you pray knowing that God hears and that He will do everything we ask in His name (John 14:14).

Therefore, pray based on what you want not what you don’t want.

Third, pray fervently. The apostle James gave us the example of Elijah as a man of prayer. After telling us what Elijah did in the days of Ahab and Jezebel, James reminded us that the fervent prayer of a righteous person is effective.

Fourth, we must pray urgently. While we obviously want to pray daily and be in a constant attitude of prayer, we also want to pray seeking God to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Praying urgently shows that we need and trust Him.

Finally, pray continually. Let God be a part of all of your life. Live and act as if God is with you right now– – He is. Live that way and give God the prominent place in your life.

As we seek God in these ways, we will see a renewed emphasis on God and on our constant communication with Him. The person who prays will be a blessed person.

If you would like to receive all of my daily looks at life and Scripture, you can receive my free devotionals in your inbox each morning by subscribing in the box below or at Waylonbailey.com.


 

Share this post

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on email

4 Responses

  1. Pastor Waylon,
    I am Benji Cowart’s Dad. Your thoughts today regarding prayer are very relevant. Several weeks ago, Benji asked that I pray for him to find a part-time worship pastor role. As parents, we prayed much bigger for God to use him, Jenna, and their family to advance the Kingdom. We are delighted to see our prayers have been answered and look forward to meeting you. Blessings!

    1. Mike, You and your wife have done a fine job raising Benji. We are tremendously blessed to have Benji and Jenna and the family. I look forward to meeting you as well. Thanks for reading the blog, and thanks for “praying big.” Tomorrow’s blog will contain the announcement to the church.

    1. Dixie, I want to encourage you to keep praying. The passage where Jesus said to ask, seek, and knock literally says to “keep on asking.” Be faithful to God and you will be blessed by your time with Him.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *