Prayer is one of the most important weapons of a Christian. It can actually make or break someone’s destiny. It can shift the course of lives. It can create lasting impacts, not just in the life of the praying person, but of everyone that he or she touches upon when he or she prays. However, some of us still don’t know how to pray. In this article, we’re going to be talking about the basics of prayer.

What do we pray for?

1 John 5:14 (NIV)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

It is natural to pray to God about our own wants, needs, etc. 1 John 5:14 doesn’t necessarily say that this shouldn’t be nor is it unimportant to God. But, sometimes, in the process of focusing on our own will, we forget to trust God’s will, however absurd, long, or deviating it is from our will. 

The basic implication of this verse, furthermore, is that we must align our will to God’s will. Prayer, in this case, can be an act of a medium of surrender and re-alignment to God’s plan and purposes for our lives and that’s what matters. 

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Remembering that God is a good God helps in the process; that surrender is not a bad thing, but a thing that is liberating. His will is what’s best for us.

How do we pray?

Matthew 6:5-14

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

There is a certain sense of exclusiveness on how one should pray. According to verses 5-8, prayer is a conversation mainly between a person and God. It should not be done for the sake of showing off or so that you could say that you’ve prayed. It’s an expression of the heart to God. It’s a weapon to bring heaven down to earth. We must have a proper stance and perspective on prayer.

Over the years, the Christian community was able to coin the ACTS prayer method: A for Adoration or giving praises to God, C for Confession or asking forgiveness from God, T for thanksgiving to God, and S for Supplication or presenting one’s requests to God. This is patterned on Matthew 6:8-14. Personally, this pattern has helped a lot in maintaining or forming a humble heart. It shifts the focus from our usual routine of highlighting us, our needs, wants etc to seeing God and recognizing His work in our lives.

Why should you pray?

I believe God is looking for authentic prayer warriors. He is looking for people who would pray for His will, not just people who try to bend His will to their will. There is a certain sense of submission to God that must take place in order for real transformation to take place. There must be surrender to God.

Personally, by experience, prayer can be mainly for us. Yes, it can be to co-sign what God wants to do. But with dilemmas thrown to us by life, it is also very easy to be overwhelmed and feel helpless. It’s easy to be clueless on what to do- on which direction to take. But God says in 

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for us”

And the medium for casting our anxiety on God is sometimes through prayer. Praying can be difficult when one is still at the beginner stage. But, when you let the Spirit lead you and surrender to the voice or will of God when you pray, there will be a sense of peace that can overtake you. 

It’s easy to worry and it’s easy to let life run you over, but one of the weapons of a fighting Christian is prayer. So, fight with a weapon.