Prayer & The Holy Spirit

Part 7

 

Famous Prayers

Perhaps the most important prayers ever recorded for us to learn from were from the lips & heart of Jesus, but we also want to clarify points from Abraham, David and Elijah. After all, this is the heritage Jesus grew up with in his prayer life, which shaped his direction in prayers.  Jesus did not anticipate his prayers being verbally repeated verbatim by us. The prayers we have from him are filled with insight into what and how God wants us to pray. They should fill us with ideas on how to pray and what we should pray about.

Before we look into the major points of famous prayers, we should not ignore the postures of prayer. This should help us in gaining the right attitude before we speak to God. A certain position is never mentioned in the Bible as gaining God’s attention or getting us a merited answer. These positions are mentioned to help us gain insight into the pleasing attitudes God desires to see, because these positions of posture tend to influence us as humans.

Jesus in John 17:1, ‘lifting his eyes to heaven’.
Jesus in Luke 22:41, ‘went a little distance away from them and, falling on his knees in prayer’
Jesus in Matthew 26:39, ‘falling down on his face in prayer’
Jesus taught in Mark 11:25, ‘when ye stand praying, forgive.’ (KJV), Standing here is used in the sense of a steadfast attitude. As used in 1st Cor. 16:13.
Notice Jesus teaching on prayer and attitudes in Luke 18:13, ‘the tax-collector, afar off, standing,—would not so much as lift up, his eyes, unto heaven’
Exodus 34:8, ‘Moses quickly went down on his face in worship’

If you made a list of scriptural occurrences of posture in prayer, you will find in the New Testament, the “knees” are mentioned twice. In the Old Testament, it is the head or face that is mentioned most often. The apostles are on record twice using their knees. It is recorded in secular history that when the apostle James died, he was buried with the nick name “camel knees” because of his continual use of knees in prayer. Every position of famous prayers indicates humility & submission.

Abraham: Gen. 18:23-33. His prayer seems to look like a bargaining plea, but rather than look at the wording, should we not ask ourselves, what was the point? Compassion and Justice for the righteous. Abraham couldn’t find 10 righteous people, but God still showed compassion by sending the angels and helping Lot’s family escape. What if Abraham had not prayed? Our job as children of Abraham is to pray for God’s compassion and justice on the righteous, Hebrews 13:3, Gal. 3:7, Jn. 8:39.

David: 2nd Sam. 7:18-29. For the King of Israel to submit and present himself as a sinner before God, is inspiring for us. This is truly the only appropriate way to approach God, when pleading for blessings on our family and nation. David is the only King mentioned in Hebrews 11, the chapter of heroes with an honourable faith.

Elijah: James 5:16-20. We are taught that STRONG prayer is needed, as Jesus taught from Mk. 11:25.  James teaches this in the context of tackling sin in our life. If Elijah’s strong prayer can affect the weather as God said it would to him, then our strong prayers should affect our minds and bodies to repent and be strengthened with God’s power to overcome temptation.
1st Kings 19:4, states the same honourable humility every Christian should adopt as Elijah displayed in prayer.

If you had one last prayer to pray before you died, what would it be about?

If you were going to be remembered for praying by your children, what would it be about?

If you could have published one last work of literature, would it contain a prayer?

The Spirit’s Work in Prayer

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness, Acts 4:31

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:14-19

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.  Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
1st Corinthians 14:14-16

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:17-18

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:19-20

…as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 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; Colossians 1:7-9
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,   Jude v20

“To Ask”, Deomai, Acts 4:31.
“Requesting Needs” or Supplication, Deesis, Eph. 6:18, Php. 1:19.
“Making Prayer”, Proseuchomai, Acts 8:15, Rom. 8:26, 1st Cor. 14:14-15, Col. 1:7-9, Jude v20,  or Proseuche, Eph. 6:18, a prayerful place situated by a bank of a stream or the shore of a sea, where there was a supply of water for washing the hands before prayer. The Greek word Proserchomai, in Mat. 9:14, means to physically or literally “come or go near somewhere”. So the most common word used for ‘prayer’ is connected in thought to spiritually going near to speak to someone.
Also in 1st Tim. 2:1, Intercession is Enteuxis, meaning, “Coming Together To Meet For An Interview or Request”.
“Giving Thanks”, Eucharistia is a very common word used in prayer as it’s an emotion we should find in every aspect of our life, 1st Thes. 5:17-18.
It seems obvious in these references that the Spirit’s desire in working with us in prayer is to draw us closer to Christ, as if we are on a journey with Him for the purpose of becoming more like Him and doing His will, not our own. The distance you are from God depends on the amount of time you spend in prayer. This is want the sanctification of us and our prayers is all about.