Developing Your Prayer Life Using Prayers in the Bible

Most Americans say they pray every day. However, many say that they aren’t sure how to pray. Prayer can seem mysterious, yet it has the amazing power to change situations. When you understand the power of prayer, you will pray with greater confidence and faith.

What is Prayer?

Prayer is simply entering into conversation with God – a two-way thread of communication. In prayer, you listen to God and you talk to God. People who regularly pray with heartfelt prayers normally have greater peace than those who don’t pray.

Prayer is perhaps most often a request for help. This is called supplication. God wants us to bring our needs to him in prayer. We can pray for ourselves, our loved ones, and our workplaces, churches, leaders, and country. You can pray for all the big concerns in your life as well as the smaller concerns. God welcomes all your requests for help because he promises to be your helper (John 14:26 AMP).

To deepen your relationship with God, you can add other aspects of prayer in addition to supplication. Many people use the ACTS method, which stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. When a prayer is constructed in that order, it reminds you that God comes first, then your needs follow.

With the ACTS method, you begin by praising God. You can praise him for his many characteristics as described in the Bible, such as strength, majesty, power, and wisdom. You can also praise him for all the good things he has done in your life and all the promises he has made to you as a believer.

Next, you confess your sins to God. By doing so, you humble yourself before him. You admit that you are sinful by nature and need God’s power to overcome your sin. Then, you thank him for the good things he gives you before continuing to list your requests in supplication.

You can use formal prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), other prayers in the Bible, or prayers in books such as the Book of Common Prayer. However, you can make your prayers more heartfelt and personal by simply talking with God in your own words. Prayer takes practice, and the more you pray, the better you will be able to recognize God’s response to you. You may also wish to keep a prayer journal to record your requests and God’s answers.

Prayers in the Bible

There are many examples of prayers in the Bible. God’s people demonstrated faith and perseverance when they prayed. Their prayers can inspire us. We’ll touch on just a few of them here.

In 1 Samuel 1 and 2, we learn about Hannah, a woman who was unable to have children. Through tears and anguish, she prayed that God would give her a son. If he did so, she promised to dedicate her son to full-time service to the Lord’s work. God answered Hannah’s prayer by giving her Samuel, who became a great prophet. He also later blessed Hannah with more children. Hannah’s prayer can give us hope when we feel hopeless.

Many of David’s psalms are prayers to God. In fact, Christians often use the book of Psalms as a springboard for their own prayers. David cried out to God with honesty and openness. He let all his emotions on display, which pleased God.

Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:1-3 NLT

The prayers in Psalms are models of how to pray without holding anything back. God called David a man after his own heart, perhaps in part because David was so open in his prayers. We can be people after God’s own heart when we engage in authentic prayer.

God’s Word also tells us that Jesus prayed. He regularly withdrew to have one-on-one prayer with God to refill his spiritual tank. We need to do the same even in our busy lives. Jesus also modeled how we should pray for others. The night before he died, he prayed for all believers to have unity – that includes us today! You can learn how to pray for others from Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

How to Pray to God

Perhaps you didn’t grow up having prayer modeled for you. Maybe you only prayed rote prayers at dinner or focused solely on the Lord’s Prayer in church. There is much more to the adventure of prayer, and God is waiting for you to join in!

To start praying, you may benefit from using prayers in the Bible by first reading a passage of Scripture or a brief devotion. You can use what you learned as a basis for your prayer. If it helps you feel less awkward or distracted, you can write out your prayers, then pray them aloud.

Be kind to yourself as you learn how to pray to God. Like every good thing in life, you’ll need to practice before you feel comfortable. Use the ACTS method as a simple framework and speak a few sentences in each category. If you do this every day for thirty days, you’ll see significant growth in your prayers.

Developing Your Prayer Life Using Prayers in the Bible

Many people feel like they understand how to talk to God, but they don’t understand how to hear from him. Since prayer is a two-way method of communication, you can expect God to answer you. But your answers will not come in an audible voice. You’ll have to look for other signs that God is answering your prayer.

The best way to do this is to read God’s Word every day. When you read the Bible, you begin recognizing how God’s voice sounds when he talks to his people. You’ll also learn the truth God speaks in his Word, so you’ll know the difference between what the world or Satan is using to try to deceive you. God will only speak his truth to you, and you learn the truth best by studying his Word.

God will often use other people to answer your prayers. For example, you may be praying that God will help you find a new job. As you continue to pray, you may receive an email from “out of the blue” about a new employment opportunity in your friend’s business.

A relative may call you with encouraging words at just the right time, or a friend from church may tell you that they felt convicted to pray for you that week. With discernment, share your prayer requests with trusted friends.

God loves surprising his people with answers to prayer. When you have an attitude of expectation that God will answer your prayer, your eyes will be opened to answers all around you, in places you may not have expected.

Prayer for Mental Health

When you are facing mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, prayer can be a lifeline for you. Prayer connects you to God’s strength and lovingkindness. You can use the names of God in prayer to strengthen your faith, such as Shield, Savior, Rock, Refuge, and Deliverer (see Psalm 18).

As stated above, when you ask others to pray for you in distress, you will feel uplifted and strengthened. It takes courage to share prayer requests with others, but their prayers for you can be a source of encouragement and blessing. As God answers the prayers, your faith will grow, along with the faith of others.

At Seattle Christian Counseling, a caring and compassionate counselor will be honored to pray for you. Prayer is an essential part of our practice. If you need help to overcome your mental health struggles, contact us today for an appointment.