HOW TO PRAY – James 4:2
James 4:2 yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
In this passage you see a very important element of prayer, asking. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus told you “Ask, and it shall be given you”. He went on to say in verse 8 “For every one that asketh receiveth”. Christ taught the importance of asking when HE promised you in Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
It is important to ask, but just as important in asking is making sure you are asking for the right thing. James went on to tell you in verse 3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Thus it is not only important that you ask but that you ask for the right thing. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus analogized our relationship with God to that of a son asking his father for bread. Jesus explained that a father would not give his son a rock when he asked for bread. Jesus then said in Matthew 7:11 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
Prayer is an important tool that you have as a Christian. In Ephesians 6, Paul speaks about the armor of God. Paul mentions only two offensive weapons, the word of God and prayer. Paul tells you that you are to be “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”.
Prayer changes things. However, if you are going to change the world, then you need to learn how to pray. Jesus taught you how to pray when HE showed the pattern of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. However, you must remember that the words in the Lord’s Prayer are an outline for how you are to pray. Praying the Lord’s Prayer in vain repetition is not pleasing to the Lord. In fact, just before Jesus taught HIS’ disciples in what manner they were to pray, HE warned them by saying “when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7).
In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus laid out six elements that should be apart of your prayer life. The six elements that should be in your prayers are as follows: praise to God, yielding to God’s will for your life, ask for provision, ask for forgiveness, ask for deliverance from temptation, and then return to giving God the glory.
Jesus started the Lord’s Prayer by saying “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9). The word “hallowed” here means to make holy, purify or consecrate. You have a duty to God to sing forth HIS praises. Once when the Pharisees tried to have Jesus rebuke those who were singing HIS’ praises, Jesus replied “if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40).
When Solomon was dedicating the temple to the Lord, he started out his prayer by saying “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart” (I Kings 8:23). Solomon understood the importance of giving God the glory. Solomon had seen the glory of the Lord and his heart just naturally sang forth the Lord’s praises when he prayed.
The night that Solomon was given a blank check by God to ask whatever he wanted, Solomon had started that night by offering a thousand burnt offerings. There was nothing in the law of Moses that required Solomon to make a thousand burnt offerings unto the Lord but Solomon did so because he desired to bring honor to God’s name. Because Solomon sought to honor the Lord, the Lord desired to exalt Solomon and HE gave Solomon that which he asked for.
The second element of the Lord’s Prayer that needs to be implemented into your prayer life is that of yielding your rights to God. Jesus taught “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus not only taught the principle of praying the Lord’s will be done but HE actually lived it. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39).
Jesus was able to pray that the Lord’s will be done in HIS’ life because Jesus understood what the Lord’s will was. One of the most powerful prayers that you can pray as a Christian is one in which you are praying that God fulfill HIS will in your life. David actually prayed this prayer when he prayed “Therefore now, Lord let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.” (1 Chronicles 17:23).
Do you want to see your faith grow, then simply start taking the time to understand God’s will for your life and start praying God will fulfill HIS plan. When Abimelech was cursed for taking Sarah, Abraham’s wife, God told Abimelech to have Abraham pray for him. Abraham prayed according to God’s direction for Abimelech and the curse was lifted from Abimelech’s household. The same thing occurred in Job’s life. God told Eliphaz, Eildad and Zophar that HIS’ wrath was kindled against them (Job 42:7). God told them to have Job pray for them. In the case of both Abraham and Job, the will of God was made known, all they had to do was pray that the Lord’s will be done and their faith was increased.
Samuel was once faced with a difficult problem, the people desired a king. Samuel came before the Lord regarding the Lord’s will for Israel to have a king (1 Samuel 8:6). God showed to Samuel what HIS’ will was regarding Israel having a king. Because Samuel understood the will of God, Samuel was able to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. Samuel’s obedience to God’s will was directly connected to his understanding of what God’s will for his life was.
If you do not understand what God’s will is for your life, then you need to ask God for direction. How can you come to God in prayer yielding your life to do HIS will if you have not first ascertained HIS’ will for your life? “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:8).
The third element of prayer that you need to implement into your prayer life is the requesting for daily provision. Jesus taught that you were to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11). You are not a self-made man; you cannot live on this earth with your own strength. You need to learn that all things come from God and that you need to cry out to HIM for your daily provision.
Your daily provision is more than just food. In Matthew 6:31 Jesus commands us to “take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Instead you are commanded to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
Rather than worry about those things that you think you have need of, you need to take them to the Lord in prayer. Hannah and Rachel both desired children however their response to their need for children differed greatly. Hannah “was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.” (1 Samuel 1:10). Hannah turned her request over to God and God heard her prayer and gave her the desire of her heart. Rachel on the other hand did not turn to the Lord and instead she came to Jacob her husband and “said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” (Genesis 30:1).
Asking for the Lord to provide is an important part of your prayer life. King Asa had the Ethiopian army coming against him. Asa “cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude.” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Asa understood that deliverance would come from God. Because Asa cried out to God, God showed HIMSELF strong in the life of Asa.
However, later on in Asa’s life, he relied upon his own strength and did not cry out to God to provide his daily substance. God was disappointed with Asa and sent Hanani the seer to remind Asa that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
The fourth element that needs to be apart of your prayers is to ask forgiveness for your violations of God’s perfect law. Jesus taught you that you are to pray “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12). David is a good example to us of how we are to have a repentant heart. David was always quick to come to God and seek the Lord’s mercy when David saw that he had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
However, if you study prayer, not only do you have an obligation to confess your own sins, but you will notice that many great men confessed the sins of the people. When Daniel prayed in Daniel 9, you learn that Daniel started his prayer by making confession. Daniel prayed “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled” (Daniel 9:5).
Nehemiah also confessed the sins of the nation of Israel when he had heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. Nehemiah prayed “I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee, both I and my father’s house have sinned.” (Nehemiah 1:6). Ezra also had a similar experience when he rent his garments and prayed “I am ashamed … for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6).
Yes, it is important for you to confess your own sins to God, but it is also important that you intercede on behalf of the nation that God has placed you in. Moses often interceded with God on behalf of the nation of Israel, why shouldn’t you pray for those whom God has placed in your life that they will see the iniquity of their sin?
The fifth element of prayer that is often overlooked is that you are to pray that God will deliver you from temptation. Jesus taught you to pray “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). How many trials and temptations would you avoid if you simply asked God to give you the strength to avoid falling short of God’s perfect law.
Everyone likes to pray Jabez’ prayer. They fall in love with the concept of praying for God to bless them and to enlarge their borders. However, Jabez also prayed that the Lord “wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” (1 Chronicles 4:10). Jabez understood the consequences of violating God’s perfect law and it was his desire that he live a life pleasing unto the Lord. If he sinned, God would have to punish him and the consequences of God’s punishment would be grievous.
God has promised that “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God has given you the ability to avoid the temptation of sin. However, if you are not willing to take the time to ask God to deliver you from sin, why should you be surprised when you find your spirit willing but your flesh week.
The sixth element of prayer as taught to you in the Lord’s Prayer is another element of praise to God. Jesus understood that it is our natural human reaction to simply ask for those things that we desire. However, you need to become God focused with your prayers and as such, Jesus taught that you should end your prayers with another session of praising God. Jesus taught “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” (Matthew 6:13).
Daniel was faced with a decree that he was not allowed to pray for 30 days. Daniel may have been a captive in Babylon but when Daniel prayed, he “gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel understood that God was in control and as such, Daniel was not afraid of the king’s decree. Daniel praised God because God deserved to hear Daniel’s praises.
The question then arises how often is one to pray. Paul taught that you are to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus told a parable in Luke 18 about a widow who desired to be avenged of her enemies. The widow was persistent and eventually the judge granted her request. Jesus asked whether when HE returned whether he would “find faith on the earth.” (Luke 18:8). It is clear that Christ expects HIS’ followers to be faithful in prayer especially since they know how they are supposed to pray.
James tells us that Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17-18). Elijah understood the importance of earnest prayer. Scripture shows us that Elijah had to pray seven times for it to rain again. Elijah knew that it was the Lord’s will for it to rain, but seven times Elijah had to send his servant to go look and see if the Lord had answered his prayer yet. (I Kings 18:41-46).
Prayer is a time when you seek God’s face. It is not a time where you seek the praises of man. Jesus warned that “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:6). Jesus is not saying that every time you pray your prayers must be in secret. While there were times in Jesus’ life where HE went up onto a mountain alone to pray, there were two specific times where Jesus brought Peter, James and John with HIM to pray with HIM.
The important thing is that you have a right attitude with God. The purpose of your prayer should be to talk with God, it should not be to reveal to others your spirituality. Jesus told another parable about a Pharisee who stood up to pray in the temple and expounded to God all his virtues. Jesus told us that “for every one that exaleth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:14).
If you feel that God is not hearing your prayers, it might be important to examine your prayer life. Solomon tells us that the Lord “heareth the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29). However, Solomon warns that “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9). Thus if you are not willing to hear God’s will for your life, do not be surprised when God does not answer your prayers.
Paul instructed Timothy that “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1 Timothy 2:8). It is important to understand that if anger is in your heart, your prayers will be hindered. Jesus taught that “if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24).
In addition to ensuring that your conscience is clear of anger, you must also approach your prayer without doubt. You must be like Abraham’s servant who was willing to ask God a very specific prayer in what the young virgin had to do in order to qualify as the Lord’s chosen to be Isaac’s wife. Abraham’s servant did not doubt God’s ability to answer specific prayer because he had seen God answer prayers for his master Abraham. Because he did not doubt, Abraham’s servant had a powerful testimony of seeing God work through him.
In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter instructs husbands to “dwell with them [their wives] according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” God made the husband and wife one, if husbands were not loving “their wives as their own bodies” then they were not one with their wife and Peter was warning that this would have a consequences upon the man’s prayer life. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman with God, if man does not honor his relationship with his wife, he is not honoring God and thus his prayers will suffer.
Prayer will change your life. When Jesus prayed “the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” (Luke 9:29). When Moses spoke with God “the skin of his face shone” (Exodus 34:30).
The New Testament church understood the importance of prayer. When Herod put Peter in prison, “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” (Acts 12:5). God worked a miracle that night and allowed Peter to walk free. The church saw first hand the power of prayer because they joined together to intercede to God on behalf of Peter.
The disciples had walked with Jesus and they understood the importance of prayer. As the church grew, murmuring arose because the widows were being neglected. The disciples appointed seven men to serve the Lord while they continued to “give ourselves continually to prayer” (Acts 6:4). The church was growing because the disciples understood that prayer had to be a priority. The disciples were faithful in their prayers and God was faithful in using them to expand HIS’ church here on this earth.
You may not always know how to pray but “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26). It is not all about you, you must always remember that “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8).
It is time for you to come to God in prayer. It is time that you humble yourself and ask HIM to show HIMSELF strong in your life. It is time that you seek the Lord’s will for your life so that God can increase your faith as you see HIM answer your prayers. You have not because you ask not. It is time for you to learn how to ask God to give you the desires of your heart.