“For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you…”
1 Samuel 12:22-24…
As I sat down to study my Bible on a subject that I’d been asked about earlier this morning, without thought my head bowed and my hands clasped gently in front of me as words started to flow out of my mouth, “Father in heaven, all glory and praise to You…”. After starting my Bible study the same way countless times, it’s become second nature to pray as soon as I sit down and open my Bible. I had to laugh out loud though because the subject I sat down to study was PRAYER. So, if you’re one who struggles with prayer or starting to pray, remember that consistency will create a natural habit. The more you pray the easier and more comfortable it will become.
for unto thee will I pray.” Psalm 5:2
The first question is “How do we pray?” Well before that we must understand who we are praying to and what our relationship is to Him. We pray to God the Father, the Holy and True, The God of Creation… our creator and King eternal. As it says in 1 Timothy 1:17, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”, God deserves honor and glory. We are to approach Him with awe and fear, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” – Exodus 15:11
We are humbled to call ourselves his servants and we recognize our need for grace as we all fall short of the glory of God. And by doing so we admit that we are sinners as it says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Because of this, we understand that God has a penalty for sin, “For the wages of sin is death…”, Romans 6:23. But we believe as Christians that Jesus Christ (Yeshua of Nazareth) died, was buried, and rose again to save us! And so concludes Romans 6:23, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
John 1:11-12 tells us, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…”, so by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ we have become children of God. Now that we know our relationship to the one we’re speaking, we approach prayer with Adoration for God and Confession of our sinfulness while Thanking God for his grace and the intersession of our Lord Yeshua. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” – Colossians 4:2
“…But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.”
…1 Samuel 12:25
Find a quiet, private place, get down on your knees with humility and thanksgiving, reflect on the awesomeness and glory of God, repent and ask forgiveness of sins, and ask with faith in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Faith can move mountains and toss them into the sea. Even though God knows what we need before we ask, He wants us to pray for each other in supplication in order for the Holy Spirit to shape us as we communicate and have a close relationship with Him. We pray as His children and creation with faith in His promises.
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
James 5:16-18
The second question, “When do we Pray?” I saved for last because it’s easy to answer, ALWAYS. In every circumstance, in every moment and situation we are called to have a relationship with and to pray to our Creator. It is mentioned and repeated throughout the bible countless times, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!
“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth…”
Colossians 1:3-7…
Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” – Acts 12:5
“I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.” – 2 Timothy 1:3
“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.” – Romans 1:9-10
“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” – 1 Timothy 2:8
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:13
“…For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
…Colossians 1:9-17
Jesus of Nazareth tells us in detail how we should approach God in prayer,
“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. 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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
– Matthew 6:5-15
And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
Revelation 8:3-4
Mortal Metamorphosis 
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