Talking with God

Some of us view prayer as a chore. We don’t enjoy doing it, but we do it anyway to keep the air clear. We assume that God will be satisfied if we go through an occasional prayer ritual. However, prayer should be the combination that unlocks the door to all the riches of the kingdom of God. Lack of understanding about the purpose of prayer and failure to pray are barriers that keep that door shut. On the other hand, the consistent practice of prayer will open wide the door of God’s work in our lives.

I want to share some things that might help us:  1) The Purpose of Prayer, 2) The Motivation for Prayer, 3) God’s Answers to Prayer, 4) The Promises of Prayer, and 5) Different Aspects of Prayer.

THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER

• Through prayer, we learn to converse with God.
• As we talk with Him, we get to know Him more personally.
• Soon we will discover that we have the power we need to do whatever God asks of us.
• What kind of power results from prayer? John 14:12-14
• What is a major reason for not receiving answers to prayer? John 16:24
• Sometimes we don’t even bother to ask God for the things we want, and then we complain when we don’t get them. In an average week, how much time do you spend in personal prayer?
• Do you feel like you are spending enough time in prayer, or would you like to spend more?

 THE MOTIVATION FOR PRAYER

• Why should we pray? For what should we ask? Are there conditions that you must meet to obtain an answer?  What are the results of prayer? 
• Until we answer some of these basic questions, we may not be motivated to pray. Here are some Scriptures that help answer these questions:

John 15:7-11

James 5:13-16

2 Chronicles 7:14

Matthew 6:5-13

Matthew 26:41

GOD’S ANSWERS TO PRAYER

• God wants to give us the things we need as we pray for them. But prayer is not like a quarter spent in a vending machine to automatically get what we want. God wants us to have what will be best for us. 
• Prayer involves: 1) Putting ourselves in the position to know God, 2) receiving what God has to give us, and 3) doing what He wants us to do.
• When we ask God for something, He will respond to our request in one of three ways:
  1. He might say Yes.
     1. When we pray for something according to God’s will He promises an affirmative answer. He loves us and wants to answer yes to our requests.
     2. 1 John 5:14-15
  2. He might say Wait.
     1. God always has a good reason for not giving us what we ask for right away. We may not always understand why He chooses to let us wait, but we can be sure that He is doing what is best for us.
     2. James 1:2-4 gives one reason God might have us to wait.
     3. Psalm 27:13-14 tells us what our attitude should be while we wait.
  3. He might say No.
     • Just as good parents must sometimes say no to their children’s requests, God must also refuse our prayer requests from time to time.
     • God told David no when He asked to build the temple because David had shed too much blood in his lifetime (2 Chronicles 22:7-10).
     • 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 -- God said no to Paul.
     • James 1:6-8 gives one reason that God sometimes says no.

 THE PROMISES OF PRAYER

• God’s Word provides hundreds of promises about prayer. But they won’t mean much to us if we don’t apply them to specific areas of our life. As we look quickly at 4 scriptures, think about how they apply to you.

Matthew 7:7-8

James 1:5

Philippians 4:19

Philippians 4:6-7

 DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF PRAYER

5 basic types of prayer:

1. Praise—Hebrews 13:15
2. Thanksgiving—Psalm 118:1
3. Confession—Proverbs 28:13
4. Petition—John 16:23-24
5. Intercession—1 Timothy 2:1-2

I would be happy to talk more with you about any of these things. You can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..