What are the Elements of Prayer?

1. What are the Elements of Prayer?

2. Elements of Prayer • Since prayer is our only method of communicating to God, knowing what to include in our prayers is essential to the most effective communication. • The Bible mentions at least six purposes for speaking to God.

3. Elements of Prayer • All of these are necessary for the fullest expression of our deepest thoughts, needs and desires. • Learning more about the diversity of prayer will also help us to better understand the importance of conversing with our Heavenly Father on a regular basis.

4. Praise • Praise is speaking to God about God—relating to Him the effects that His character and acts have had upon us.

5. Praise • He is marvelous, therefore we marvel at Him. • He is magnificent; therefore we magnify Him. • He is glorious; therefore we glorify Him.

6. Praise • The prayer of praise gives to God both honor and glory for the greatness of His: • Creation • Blessings • Attributes • Justice

7. Psalm 147:1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

8. Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

9. Revelation 4:9-10 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

10. Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

11. Revelation 5:11-12 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

12. Confession • Confession, according to the old adage, “is good for the soul.” • This is certainly true with regard to our relationship with God.

13. Confession • Prayer gives us an opportunity to admit to God that we have sinned and that we need His help to overcome the burden and guilt of sin.

14. Confession • We cannot afford to allow sin to taint our lives. • We must petition God for forgiveness so we can be pure in His sight.

15. 1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

16. Psalm 51:1-2 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

17. Psalm 51:3-4 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

18. Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

19. Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving has been defined as “an attitude of gratitude.” • But the attitude must express itself in prayer if we wish to continue receiving blessings from God.

20. Thanksgiving • That is, we must thank God for the favors already received as we petition Him for a continued supply of the same. • Primarily, we should be grateful for His most majestic gift—His only begotten Son, and our Savior Jesus Christ.

21. Thanksgiving • Thanksgiving should be a part of our every prayer, because there will never be a time when we do not have something for which we should be thankful.

22. Psalm 116:12,17 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.

23. Psalm 136:1-2 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.

24. Supplication • Supplication is a seeking, asking, or entreating. • It is used in the New Testament of the requests addressed by men to God, in which men primarily implored God—with piety and humility—for assistance in a matter.

25. Supplication • This implies that we can approach God, not merely in general terms, but with specific requests. • As our faith in God to answer prayer grows, our supplications will become more and more specific.

26. Supplication • Of the two words translated “supplication” in the King James Version, the one in Hebrews 5:7 appears nowhere else in the New Testament. • The other word is more frequently translated “prayer.”

27. Supplication • The distinction between them is put into plain words by Robert Milligan, in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews—“The Greek words rendered prayers and supplications . . . are often used interchangeably for prayers in general.

28. Supplication • “But when used together, as in this instance, the former denotes such petitions as flow from a sense of our wants; and the latter, such as are prompted by a deep sense of our own helplessness” (page 194).

29. James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

30. James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

31. Intercession • Intercession, praying for others, is one of our most solemn responsibilities. • In praising God and giving Him thanks we express our love for Him. • In supplication and confession we express our love and concern for self.

32. Intercession • But in intercession we express our love and concern for others, as well as our belief that they need the help that God alone can and will give them. • Therefore, we should pray for one another’s health, and for one another’s safety while traveling.

33. Intercession • We should pray not only that religious freedom might continue in our land, but also that it might extend to other lands.

34. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

35. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

36. Imprecation • Imprecation is a prayer in which one petitions God to defeat one’s enemies. • The Old Testament prophets used this type of prayer quite extensively with reference to those who vexed the Israelites from time to time.

37. Imprecation • In the N. T., imprecations seem to have been made concerning those who hindered the cause of truth.

38. Luke 18:1-2 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.

39. Luke 18:3-5 "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "

40. Luke 18:6-8 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

41. Imprecation • At the conclusion of the parable Jesus asked, “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” • He then answered His own question, saying, “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”