All Kinds of Prayer
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” – Ephesians 6:18
There are different kinds of prayer mentioned and modeled throughout the Bible. They are discussed in different places in the Bible and in different ways.
All prayer is communication with God, but as with communication with people, there are many ways and methods of communicating. To really understand what the Bible says about prayer, one must keep in mind the kind of prayer that is being discussed in each passage of God’s Word.
1. Prayer walking
“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” –Joshua 1:3
Prayer walking is the practice of praying on location and is a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying. It can be defined as praying on site with insight.
Prayer walking is prayer that is targeted for the place you are walking and is simply praying in the very places where you expect God to answer your prayers.
The concept of prayer walking brings the person who is praying into direct contact with the community for whom they are passionately praying.
Actually seeing your prayer target can also inspire you with the right way to pray so that your prayer will be the most effective.
Prayer walks are taken by individuals, groups, and even whole churches.
This is an exciting way of stimulating prayer within the congregation and is a way of taking prayer to the people.
It can break down the walls between the church and the community.
Prayer walking is a relatively new phenomenon, the origin of which is not clear. There is no Biblical model for prayer walking. But since walking was the major mode of transportation in Bible times, clearly people must have walked and prayed at the same time.
Prayer walking helps sensitize you to the issues. The sounds, sights, and smells will help to engage your spirit in intercession.
It can include walking around your neighborhood or city wide. This is usually organized and participated in by several churches.
2. Corporate prayer
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing- Life forevermore.” – Psalm 133:1-3
Corporate prayer is probably one of the most neglected and misunderstood forms of prayer we find described in the Bible. Usually, when Christians gather together to pray, a whole array of prayers are offered by each individual instead of the group simply bringing a few focused prayers in complete unison before the Lord.
Despite some of the misconceptions that exist, proper corporate prayer is extremely powerful when we truly appreciate its value and perform it correctly.
On the Day of Pentecost, God poured out His Spirit mightily on a group of believers who had been praying together for ten days. The Bible tells us that they were also in one accord, which means they were in agreement and passionate about the same thing.
Each individual musical instrument on its own may make a wonderful sound. However, when all the instruments are played together, they form one beautiful harmonious sound carrying with it much deeper emotion and meaning.
The same happens when we agree together in corporate prayer. When we all pray together at the same time for the same thing, the power of the Holy Spirit is released in a much greater way, bringing swift breakthroughs and answers to prayer.
As Christian believers, we must seek the Lord corporately and apply the principles of corporate prayer diligently and accurately.
Corporate prayer for all people will bring the presence of God into manifestation on the earth and bring change and revival where religious and demonic strongholds have held cities, nations, and continents captive for thousands of years.
Corporate prayer is an important part of the life of the church, along with worship, sound doctrine, communion, and fellowship. The early church met regularly to learn the doctrine of the apostles, to break bread, and to pray together.
This is why every single Bible-based Spirit-filled Christian church should have intercessory prayer teams who are mighty and powerful prayer warriors and who know how to powerfully and effectively pray to God the Father.
These kinds of mighty prayer warriors can pull down major miracles from heaven and every church should identify and utilize them.
The effects are very positive when we pray together with other believers. Corporate prayer edifies and unifies us as we share our common faith. The same Holy Spirit who dwells within each believer knits us together in a unique bond of fellowship found nowhere else in life.
3. Prayers of praise and worship
“I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” – Psalm 138:2
Praise and worship go hand in hand. David was a man that spent a lot of time in the presence of God ministering to God in prayer. Most of the Psalms he wrote expressed his love and devotion for God through praise and worship.
One of the beauties of Christianity is the personal relationship we have with God. To praise and worship God is to have intense love and admiration for Him and to express admiration and thanksgiving to Him.
Praise and worship brings us into the presence of God. When we praise God in the midst of seemingly negative situations, we are affirming our faith in Him. This pleases God and helps our faith.
Praising and worshiping God is not about a ritual or prayer repetition but requires a total commitment of our body, mind, and spirit. It is about exalting, adoring and acknowledging the God of the Bible. To praise and to worship God is to express our love and awe of who He is.
To many, praise and worship is associated with singing. However, it should become part of our everyday lives and especially during times of prayer. In praise and worship, you will sometimes need to resort to prayer in order to do battle with the enemy. True praise and worship involves faith, hope, and love. These are powerful weapons in the Christian armory.
God alone is worthy of our devotion, praise and worship. He is God our Creator, and we are commanded to praise and to worship Him. A life of praise and worship fills our deepest needs and brings great joy to God.
The best way that we can praise and worship God is with our every thought and action. Many people think that praise and worship is only singing songs at church, but it is so much more. It is important to spend time praising and worshipping God when we separate ourselves in the presence of God.
Prayers of praise and worship are considered to be very effective because it is all about God. During this time of devotion, our praise and worship is directed to God. We ask for nothing and focus on nothing but God Himself.
4. Prayers of binding and loosing
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” – Matthew 16:19
“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” – Mark 3:27
Only true Christians have this power and authority to bind evil and loose God’s purposes in the name of Jesus. Jesus explained that we must first bind the strongman before we can plunder his house.
Everything that is loosed or bound must be in accordance with God's Word.
When something is loosed on the earth, its activities and presence are permitted and declared lawful. It is important for Christians to know what areas of their lives are in bondage and they should identify any open door that allowed the enemy to move into that area of their life.
It is always a good idea to become familiar with the various ways the enemy can gain access into your life. Most times a person can identify what caused the bondage and when it started.
Christians are taught that they must take authority over demon spirits in the name of Jesus. They must renounce any activities that opened the door through which they have been able to enter they must and bind their activities. We have the power and authority to bind evil and loose God's plans in any situation.
5. Prayers of agreement
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:19-20
The prayer of agreement is another real powerful one to add to your arsenal of prayer strategies that you can apply to your Christian life.
Two people have to be in perfect agreement with one another on the specific prayer request that they want to put before the Lord. This means that two people are approaching the throne of God and they are praying for the exact same thing.
Jesus promises that He will personally be in the midst of two or three believers who come together in His name to pray about a particular matter.
God can release many powerful miracles when individual believers approach the Lord in their own personal prayer life with Him. It is not always necessary to call on other Christians every single time you have something to pray about.
However, there is also a definite time and place for united group prayer. There will be times that you will want to call on other believers to storm the gates of heaven with you.
Jesus Himself says that He will literally be in the midst of any two or three believers who are praying in unity and agreement with one another. That is a powerful prayer secret!
God will team you up with other believers from time to time and you will need good Christian friends who you can approach and ask to pray with you in unity and agreement.
6. Prayers of intercession
“He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for him.” – Isaiah 59:16
“Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.” – Psalm 106:23
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” – Acts 12:5
Quite simply put, intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. Praying for others is at the root of our Christian faith. Jesus Himself prayed for others.
Prayers of intercession are to be offered on behalf of other people and by interceding we reach out to God on behalf of others.
The background for understanding prayers of intercession is found in the Old Testament example of the Levitical priesthood. The priest's responsibility was to stand between a righteous God and sinful man bringing them together at the place of the blood sacrifice.
Under the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is our model for intercessory prayer. Jesus stands before God between the Father and sinful man, just as the Old Testament priests did.
Jesus brings sinful man and a righteous God together at the place of the blood sacrifice for sin. No longer is the blood of animals necessary as it was in the Old Testament. We can now approach God on the basis of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary for the remission of sins. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can approach God boldly and without timidity.
Jesus was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for those who were sick and possessed by demons. He prayed for His disciples. Jesus continued His ministry of intercession even after His death and resurrection when He returned to heaven. He now serves as our intercessor in heaven.
The Bible records many cases of people standing up for others before God.
Abraham pleaded with God for the well-being of the people of Sodom. Instead of being overcome with his own needs, Abraham prayed for those around him. He took the initiative to step forward before God on behalf of his neighbors in Sodom. He cared enough to do it, even though he knew how thoroughly wicked Sodom was and how angry God was about it.
Moses also stepped in when God was angry by standing in the gap and offering his own life for that of his nation.
Isaiah prayed with King Hezekiah to save the nation from defeat and destruction at the hands of Assyria. The armies were suddenly turned back.
Nehemiah prayed to God to bring about the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of his people.
Stephen's last words were an intercession on behalf of those who were killing him.
The church prayed fervently for Peter while he was imprisoned.
It is Paul's regular intercession for the church and its people which sets the usual pattern for our own intercessory prayers.
As they took their concerns to God, the key motivation behind these giants of faith was compassion. They loved the people so much that they dared to take on God on their behalf.
The Bible is clear that all Christians are called to be intercessors and just as He intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will, we are to intercede for one another. This is not a privilege limited to an exclusive Christian elite but a command to all.
God calls all Christians to be intercessors. It is God’s desire that every believer be active in intercessory prayer.
Intercessors also pray for world, national, and local political leaders. This follows in the tradition of the early church's prayers for the Roman authorities.
7. Prayers of petition
“The Eli answered and said” Go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked Him.” –1 Samuel 1:17
“And we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have.” – 1 John 5:15
A petition is a formal written request addressed to a higher authority having the power to grant it. A petition prayer is a formal written request to God regarding a situation you need help with. The petition is written down on paper and presented to the Lord.
It is used for special prayer requests which you should always bring with you when you pray as a reminder to the Lord until that prayer is answered.
Prayers of petition are also referred to as prayers of supplication.
Believers are encouraged to write their prayer requests down. Every time you pray, present these requests to the Lord until they are answered.
Write down the date when you made the request and record the date the Lord answered that prayer. It serves as a wonderful testimony and builds a history of the miracles you have experienced through answered prayer.
I was at the bedside of a wonderful woman of God after she passed away. Next to her bed was her prayer book that had many pages of prayer requests which she had written down over a number of years. I was really blessed to see that next to almost every prayer request she had written the words “answered” with the date.
When we implement prayers of petition, it keeps our faith alive knowing no matter what our need is, we have a prayer history with the Lord and the results are positive.
8. Making war with prophesies
“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.” – 1Timothy 1:18
“Then the Lord answered me and said:” Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.” – Habakkuk 2:2-3
Paul encouraged Timothy to wage warfare with the prophecies he received until they come to pass. It is important to write your prophecies down, because they define your spiritual future. They are very important and sometimes have a lot of details which are impossible to remember.
The most powerful prayer anyone can pray is to pray in accordance with God’s will. Prophecies which have been confirmed and which we are assured of, define God’s will and purpose for our lives.
I have received many personal prophecies over the years. I have a prophetic journal and write all my prophecies down with the date I received them. I always bring my journal with me into my prayer room.
At times God has given me a prophetic dream. When I wake up I write down all the details, because dreams normally fade away very quickly. I have had many instances where pictures and images were involved. I have sketched these images so that they represent what I saw in my dream.
Taking your prophecies and praying them into manifestation is a powerful prayer that every Christian should pray. If you have never received a prophetic word from the Lord, do not go looking for one. The Lord knows when and where to bring every resource to you that is necessary for your divine purpose, especially when you pursue an intimate relationship with Him.
9. The Lord’s prayer
“In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.” – Matthew 6:9-13
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray Jesus responded with what we know as the Lord's Prayer.
The fact that the disciples requested a model for praying shows us that we do not have to feel guilty when we do not understand prayer and need help with it. We seem to think we should have a built in instinct when it comes to knowing everything about prayer. The disciples were with Jesus every day and saw how He prayed. Yet even they needed help with prayer.
Though we memorize it as a set formula, the Lord's Prayer should not be repeated mechanically or without thought. Its purpose is to awaken and stimulate our faith.
We generally pray this prayer word for word, which is good, but it mainly teaches us what our own prayers should include when we go before God. Always remember that prayer is a personal relationship with God.
a. Our Father in heaven
Here we recognize that this prayer is to God. He is the Father of all and He resides in heaven. We are linked through God to one another as one family.
By telling us to call God “Father" Jesus moves us from images of a remote God to an image of a God who is with us constantly.
God sees us as if we were a daughter or a son. And we, on our part, can approach God in the familiar confident way a child approaches a loving parent. What is more, we approach God through Jesus Christ.
b. Hallowed be Your name
This is another word for holy. We are telling God that we know He is holy. He then becomes our standard of holiness.
c. Your Kingdom come
This is acknowledging that Jesus will come again to earth one day and His Kingdom will be marked by peace and justice. It will one day be established in visible form. The centrality of the Kingdom message is clear in the New Testament.
d. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
This is stating that we know God is in control of all things in and under heaven.
The world will be transformed into a place where God reigns and where things are done in accordance with God's standards.
e. Give us today our daily bread
God provides for our physical needs. He provides food to sustain us, gives us shelter, and provides ways for us to take care of ourselves. We depend on God's grace to give us what we need.
Like the Hebrews gathering manna each day in the wilderness, we cannot store up what we need from God. Yesterday's experience with God cannot nourish us today.
f. Forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors
Not everyone is able to pay back a debt. It is in this way that we can never repay Jesus for the sacrifice He made for us, but He died for us anyway.
But He asks that we forgive other people when they cannot or will not pay us back for something we have lent to them, no matter what it may be.
Forgiveness often does not come easily. Many of us find it difficult to forgive others.
Jesus said that if we do not forgive others, we cannot experience God's forgiveness ourselves.
Nursing hurts from the past takes energy and forgiving frees us to use that energy to live fully and abundantly in the present.
g. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one
Here we are asking God to keep our hearts pure and to help us stay away from the things that tempt us to do wrong.
Life is not easy and can at times be a daily battle. Trials like sickness and failure can crush our spirits.
Temptations can entice us and even destroy us.
We ask God to keep us from failing when we are tested, to help us to know the right thing to do, and to deliver us from the evil which awaits us in life.
10. The prayer of Jabez
Jabez prayed a four-part prayer that changed his entire life. Not much was said about Jabez but his prayer, which is recorded in only one verse in the Bible, has had a great impact on the entire body of Christ.
“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.’” – 1 Chronicles 4:10
Here are his four requests:
* Bless me
* Enlarge my territory
* Keep your hand upon my life
* Keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain
Jabez’s goal in his prayer was to live free from sorrow. We only have a brief account of who he was and what he did. But we do know that he was a man who believed in prayer. His prayer is recorded for us as an outstanding example of a man whose life was changed by the power of prayer.
All we know about the birth of Jabez is that he was from the tribe of Judah and that his mother named him Jabez because she had a very painful birth with him.
The prayer of Jabez discusses the important place of prayer in the Christian life. All Christians should pray.
It also encourages Christians to focus on prayer for spiritual blessings, expanded outreach, guidance, and protection from evil. Jesus touched on all these things in His pattern of prayer.
At the end of the verse it is clear that God approved of this prayer by granting Jabez’s petition.
11. Quiet time
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” – Mark 1:35
Quiet time is one of the most essential aspects of our Christian experience.
Without daily regular quiet time, our spiritual lives can be seriously malnourished just as our bodies can be malnourished without proper food and water.
The Bible teaches us how to spend quiet time with God. Jesus gave us examples in the Gospels where He stepped away from the limelight and retreated to a quiet place to commune with His Father. These quiet times spent with God had some very important elements in common.
Each time Jesus wanted to spend time with His Father, He always retreated to a secluded area free from distractions. He could talk with God and listen to Him as well. The same is true of us. Our quiet times with God should be in a place where we are alone with no distractions. Quiet time with God is also a time to read God’s Word.
Jesus often quoted from God’s Word in His quiet times. It is through daily prayer and reading God’s Word that we will grow in our walk with God.
It is important to set time aside each day to talk with God because this is the best way to draw close to Him. It is a time we spend with God and no one else is with us.
A quiet time is a way of maintaining fellowship with God and evaluating our lifestyle. It is a way of building spiritual strength, becoming more sensitive to God's leadership, and applying His Word to our actions.
Jesus withdrew from the crowd and then withdrew from His disciples to spend time alone with His father. Jesus spent time with His heavenly Father seeking fellowship, strength, and guidance. If God's Son needed to spend time with Him, how much more do you and I need to spend time with Him? Having a quiet time means you will become more like Christ as you follow His example and as you receive His power through prayer and the Word.
Moses spent many days alone with God on the mountain. His assistant Joshua walked up the mountain with him to a certain point. Moses then told him to wait as he carried on up the mountain to be alone with God.
Just a thought…..
There are so many kinds of prayer and so many aspects to prayer. God is good and has helped us by giving us so many different resources to know Him more. But remember, prayer is not a formula. If you pursue intimacy you will catch everything.
