What is one thing we want more self-discipline in? Prayer. This devotion, the first in a series, looks at what prayer is and some examples of prayer by Hall of Famers.
Nuggets
- We talk to God through prayer, and He talks back through the Holy Spirit.
- We can’t build the type of relationship Abraham had with God in one sitting.
- Moses was praying to be even more like God.
- David prayed through whatever he was experiencing.
- Jesus knew the value of keeping in close contact with God.
Devotions in the What Is Prayer? series
What Is Prayer?
When we think of things that we need more discipline in, our prayer life is usually a frequent answer. We generally know what prayer is, but we can fumble around on how to do it more and how to do it right.
If you have read my devotions before, you know I like to start off with a basic this-is-what-it-is part – whether it just be a definition or a whole devotion.
We are going to start off this series with a half and half. This first part is going to be more of definition. Then we are going to look at our people in the Bible who pray. Yes, we could have looked at more – and probably will before this year is over.
Remember, I start these devotions out because this is something I need. I don’t even pretend that I have all the answers. I share with you what God is telling me I need and the answers He tells me. Hopefully, by the end, we all will have more answers.
So, let’s start off with this.
What Is Prayer?
“Lord, hear my prayer; listen to my plea for mercy” (Ps. 86: 6 CSB)
Prayer “in the Bible involves the dialogue between God and people, especially His covenant partners” (Holman Bible Dictionary).
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they had face-to-face contact with God. That made their ability to establish a relationship with Him easy.
However, after the original sin, that contact was eliminated. We had to do something different to contact God.
One of those something different is prayer. We talk to God through prayer, and He talks back through the Holy Spirit.
Let’s take a look at how some Hall of Famers and Jesus utilized prayers to talk to God.
Abraham
“Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children” (Gen. 20: 17 CSB)
Abraham was the second Hall of Famer listed in the Bible. Remember, he was living in the land of Uz when God called him (Gen. 12: 1-2). God came to him that time.
It is interesting. In all the other encounters, it always says that God came to Abraham.
- When they established the covenant (Gen. 15: 1)
- When they reviewed the covenant and Isaac promised (Gen. 17: 1)
- When Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed (Gen. 18: 1)
- When God tested Abraham (Gen. 22: 1)
We know, though, that Abraham had to have prayed to God in other instances. We can’t build the type of relationship Abraham had with God in one sitting.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going” (Heb. 11: 8 CSB). None of us would leave out on this road trip if we didn’t already know the Person talking to us and believe that He could and would do what He promised.
We build that faith by spending time with God in prayer.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Moses
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me.’ Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people’” (Ex. 33: 12-13 CSB)
We know Moses talked to God face to face sometimes (Ex. 33: 11). I think there were other times when Moses just prayed.
Look what Moses is asking here. “You’ve promised that You know me and that I am doing okay. I just feel there is so much more I need to know. So, teach me your ways. We want to be Your people.”
God would have liked this prayer. Look what was Moses praying for — to be even more like God.
Yes, Moses had to get the “… but you have not let me know whom you will send with me …” part in there. He probably thought Aaron as a helper was toast since the golden calf episode.
But bottom line was Moses was asking God to increase his holiness. Holy means to be set apart, perfect, and pure.
That is God’s goal for everyone.
David
“Be gracious to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long” (Ps. 86: 3 CSB)
David had a solid prayer life. We can tell that by the number of prayers recorded in the Bible. Most are in Psalms, but there are some in the books of Chronicles and Samuel also.
One thing is for sure. We know that David prayed through whatever he was experiencing. Take Psalm 86 for example. It is a prayer for mercy. David, like Moses, asks for God to “teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Ps. 86: 11 CSB).
Other prayers are for forgiveness (Ps. 51) and praise (I Chron. 29: 10-20).
And that just scratches the surface. (Yep, we will probably look at some of them more closely in the future.)
For now, let’s just remind ourselves that David was described as a man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13: 14). We don’t get that title by not knowing God.
We get to know God by spending time with Him and communicating with Him. We communicate with Him through prayer.
Jesus
“After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray” (Mt. 14: 23 CSB)
We’ve talked before how Jesus would scoot off by Himself to pray. He knew the value of keeping in close contact with God.
Jesus gave instructions on how to approach prayer. “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret …” (Mt. 6: 6 CSB). He also gave His disciples a model prayer (Mt. 6: 9-13).
Besides Matthew 14: 23 and Mark 1: 35, it is mentioned at times that Jesus did pray:
- After he was baptized (Lk. 3: 21)
- After healing the leper (Lk. 5: 16)
- Before He summoned the Twelve (Lk. 6: 12)
- When He fed the five thousand (Lk. 9: 16)
- When He fed the four thousand (Mt. 15: 36)
- Before He asked the disciples who they thought He was (Lk. 9: 18)
- At the Transfiguration (Lk. 9: 29)
- Before the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (Lk. 11: 1)
- When Satan asked for Peter (Lk. 22:32)
- When eating with the Emmaus travelers (Lk. 24: 30)
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Even better yet, we have examples of prayers Jesus prayed.
The gospel writers recorded words that Jesus spoke in prayer:
- When the 72 got back from preaching (Lk. 10: 21). Note: The same prayer was given in Matthew 11: 25-26; however, different circumstances were listed.
- When He thanked God for hearing Him before He raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11:41-42)
- When He prayed that God’s name be glorified (Jn. 12:28)
- When He prayed for the disciples at the end of the Passover meal (Jn. 17)
- When He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26: 26-46)
- When He prayed on the cross (Lk. 23: 34; Mt. 27:46/Mk. 15: 34; Lk. 23: 46)
Making the Connections
“Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Ac. 2: 21 CSB)
So, what did we learn?
- We need to spend time in prayer to build the relationship.
- We need to pray about God things, not world things.
- God wants us to pray to Him about everything, not just the big things.
- We go to God once; He is going to come to us multiple times.
- God wants us to pray for others more than ourselves.
- God wants us to continually be in an attitude of prayer.
- There are times, God does not want to share our prayer time with others and other things.
Prayer is very important. It is how we access God to accept the gift of salvation.
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift” (Eph. 2: 8 CSB). We accept this gift by admitting we are sinners, believing that Jesus is our Redeemer, and confessing God as our Sovereign Lord.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
We continue praying to seek God. This is how we grow our relationship with Him. He doesn’t totally reveal Himself in the Bible. Instead, He reveals Himself to us as we little to the Holy Spirit’s promptings.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17 NLT).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3 ESV).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16 ESV).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11 NLT).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11 NLT).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
How Do We Apply This?
If we haven’t ABCDed, we need to search for God. We need to look into His gift of salvation.
Once we have become a believer, we need to grow to be a disciple. We talked about this recently and had a long list of what was expected of us.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Prayer is a major avenue we can use to grow. But it is also hard. We are going to dissect prayer for the next three devotions to see if we can make it a little easier.
Father God. We want to learn more of You. We want to grow our relationship with You. In order to do that, we need to spend time with You in prayer. Help us to discipline ourselves to meet with You consistently. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
Pingback: Devoted to Prayer – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: Watching while Praying – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: Thankfulness in Prayer – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: Paul’s Take on Children of God – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: Jesus the Liberator – Seeking God with Elaine