Differences: Different Ways to Pray
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Intro:
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
For the rest of this month, I want to speak about [Differences]. The subject of my message is [Different Ways to Pray].
I have been thinking a lot about differences and how something that appears different can describe the same thing.
For instance, I have seen people who were happy express their joy in different ways:
laughter
tears
I have also seen people who were angry express their frustration through:
laughter
tears
Two different emotions can describe the same feeling.
This is the same concept when it comes to sickness. I remember when they first began to talk about Covid three years ago. It seemed each passing week they added new symptoms.
Most everyone I know had some symptoms, but not all of the symptoms of the same illness. Bekah and I got it at the same time:
I had a high fever
She had a low fever
I was fatigued for two weeks
She was not very tired
I lost my smell
She lost her taste and smell
I didn’t really cough
She coughed a bunch
We had different symptoms, but the same situation.
Each week we have looked how this is a common theme throughout Scripture and in our walk with God.
For instance, fasting draws us closer to God, but there are different ways and types of fasting.
Praise is a vital part of our Christian experience, but praise can be vocal, physical, and musical.
With that being said, I do want to restate that though there are different ways we can draw closer to God, there are some parts of our following Jesus that does not allow for differences.
There are not different ways to get to heaven. It is ONLY through the Jesus, no one comes to the Father except by Him.
There are not different holy books, there is ONLY one Bible that holds all authority for it is without error.
There are not different initial evidences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, the evidence is speaking in tongues.
There will not be different raptures when Jesus returns, He is coming back for the Church that is without spot or wrinkle.
However, from here to there, God:
speaks to us in different ways
moves us in different ways
touches us in different ways
And we respond to God in different ways. Today, I want to look at one of the most important aspects of our walk with God—prayer.
Who has ever struggled praying?
Who has ever felt inadequate in your prayer life?
Who has ever thought you were not very good at praying?
Sometimes, I think we get an image in our mind of how a good “pray-er” looks I have found that I used to compare my prayer life with others.
When I did, I always felt that I came up short when I imagined how much and how effectively they must pray.
Once I was visiting with a lady who is a strong intercessor. If I need someone to touch heaven, she is one I would contact. I mentioned to her, I know you are a strong intercessor, I bet you pray four hours a day.
She responded, I have before, but that is not an everyday experience. I have felt a burden to pray that long, but when I do not, I might pray fifteen to twenty minutes. Then I pray throughout the day.
Suddenly, I felt my eyes were open to what Paul expressed:
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Instead of comparing my walk with others, I realize there are different ways, different methods, and different skills in drawing closer to God.
With these differences in mind, our desire should be to have all of them at work in our lives at various times.
We need to fast privately and corporately!
We need to praise God vocally, physically, and musically.
And today, I want to look at three different ways we pray. Let me first say, this is not a complete or full list, just three ways I felt directed by the Lord this morning.
When it comes to prayer, we must always remember that prayer is simply a conversation with God. It is us talking to God and Him talking to us.
When we pray, what we do in secret, God sees in the open!
I have three points, [Prayer is Unceasing], [Prayer includes Supplication], and [Pray in the Spirit].
Let’s begin
1. Prayer is Unceasing
1. Prayer is Unceasing
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 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.
The Lord’s Prayer is memorized and quoted around the world. We just did it together. But we need to think of how revolutionizing this was for the followers of Jesus.
Jesus referenced the religious leaders who were hypocritical in their prayers. It was all about the attention of people and NOT the attention of God.
The average person did not know this. So they would listen to the pharisees pray and think, I could never be as spiritual as them.
Jesus shows that God is their Father in heaven who knows all about them and wants to hear from them.
Within the Lord’s prayer, Jesus covers everything we need. His focus was not on reciting ten lines, but each line deserves special attention.
Our Father, hallowed be your name— opening prayer with praise and worship.
Your Kingdom come—ask for God’s will in our lives.
Give us this day our daily bread— believe that God will meet every need for that day
Forgive us our debts— repent and receive forgiveness of sins and then release forgiveness to those who’ve hurt us.
Lead us not into temptation—pray for victory over the enemy’s attacks.
For your’s is the Kingdom—end prayer with praise and worship.
Jesus shows that God is concerned about every aspect of our lives. There is NEVER a moment throughout the day when God is not concerned about us.
He always watches us
He always listens to us
He always cares about us
He’s always there for us
He always pays attention to us
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
He watches over us. With this in mind, we have this confidence that in prayer, we can ALWAYS talk to Him, every day and throughout each day.
17 pray without ceasing,
When Paul wrote this, he did not envision us on our knees with our eyes closed all day. Instead, he encourages us to develop a prayerful attitude all day.
When we live with that type of thinking, then we will have ongoing conversations with the Lord.
Every day we should pray and commit everything to God. But throughout the day, He is ready to listen to us and we need to listen to Him.
For instance, something good happens through the day, take a quick second and pray, giving God thanks.
Something difficult arises, take a moment and ask God for His help.
Prayer is unceasing. Let’s look at another facet of prayer...
2. Prayer includes Supplication
2. Prayer includes Supplication
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
Jesus spent three and a half years teaching and preparing His disciples and followers for their assignment to preach and teach all that He commanded them.
He instructed them, after I leave, you need to wait for the Holy Spirit. Then He ascended to heaven. The disciples, the mother and brother of Jesus, the other women who followed Him, and a host of other people went to the Upper Room and waited.
What did they do there?
They continued in unity with prayer and supplication.
I have read that passage many times, it is highlighted in my Bible. But as I prepared this message, I started thinking, what was it like for them to go from talking to Jesus in person to speaking to Him through prayer?
They would have known how it felt to be in His presence when He was on earth. Now, in prayer, they go to feel His presence again. So they would have wanted to pray every day, unceasingly, to be close to the One they knew so closely on earth.
But there is another word that is connected with prayer— supplication.
Prayer is a conversation with God it is daily and unceasing.
Supplication is a form of communicating with God, but it is in response to an urgent need.
They wanted to pray, but they had an urgent need, they needed the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised God would send.
When I think of prayer and supplication, I remember one year ago when Davis had Covid and croup. We were in the middle of a twenty-one-day fast.
We had been praying every day for seven days, then he woke up with a fever and cough. We went to Piedmont, in the middle of a snow storm, and headed down the Poplar Bluff to the ER.
By this point, his fever was near 105, he was breathing short and shallow breaths, and he was inconsolable. On top of that, the rain turned into sleet and snow.
At that point, we weren’t praying, we were coming to God in supplication. We had an IMMEDIATE need. Bekah prayed in the front seat, and I prayed in the back seat trying to take wipes and an ice pack to keep his fever down.
It wasn’t quiet prayer, we were calling on God in English and in tongues with prayer and supplication for the healing of our son!
God answered. We arrived safely, and he was treated for his illness.
Through that experience, Paul’s words make more sense:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When we pray every day, unceasingly, and then come to God with supplication for urgent needs, God will answer. And when He does, He will send His peace.
Satan cannot copy or imitate God’s peace. God alone is the Prince of Peace, and when the urgency of our need is too great to bear, we come to God in prayer and supplication, and He comes in the room.
And when the prince of peace is there, nothing is impossible.
Prayer is unceasing.
Prayer includes supplication
3. Praying in the Spirit
3. Praying in the Spirit
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
When Paul wrote these words, he was in a serious situation. He was under house arrest in Rome, awaiting a trial to determine his fate.
He situation was dire, but he knew the culprit. He understood that Satan wanted to stop him, so he daily clothed himself in the armor of God.
Through he knew that the enemy was against him, he also knew the irresistible power of prayer. Through prayer, nothing would stop him.
So he wrote to the Ephesians, asking them to pray ALWAYS, that is unceasing prayer.
To come to God with supplication, asking God to release him so that he can fulfill His assignment.
But how did he want them to pray?
In the Spirit.
Praying in the Spirit was not a new concept for the Early Church.
We read Acts 1, where they waited in the Upper Room in one accord with prayer and supplication. How did God answer?
After ten days of praying, the Holy Spirit fell upon those who waited, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues.
Throughout the Early Church, often, when they prayed, it would be praying in the Spirit, or praying in tongues.
We should never underestimate the power that accompanies praying in the Spirit.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
When we do not know how to pray, we can pray in the Spirit and He will make intercession for us. He will talk to God on our behalf!
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Also, praying in the Spirit encourages and lifts us up building our faith in God!
I can in my personal life, praying in the Spirit has taken me to depths with God that I did not realize were possible. I cannot say I understand it all, but I can verify that when I pray in the Spirit:
THE SPIRIT makes supplication through me
THE SPIRIT makes intercession through me
THE SPIRIT takes me to a new place in God
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Close:
There are many different ways to pray, but remember, regardless of the differences, we are not praying to different gods.
ALL of our prayer and focus is dedicated to the one who sits on the throne. And it amazes me that He loves us enough to take time to communicate with each of us.
We pray unceasingly
We pray with supplication
We pray in the Spirit
These are just some of the ways that God speaks to us and through us. But they are not ALL the ways we can and should pray.
Let me quickly share a few other different ways we can and should pray:
Kneeling-
54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
Falling on our face-
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
Looking up toward heaven-
41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.
Anointing someone with oil-
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Raising our hands in worship-
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
There are different ways to pray, but they all lead to the same outcome, communicating and conversing with God.
So we SHOULD pray.
Pray unceasingly
Pray with supplication
Pray in the Spirit
Pray on our knees
Pray with our face to the ground
Pray with our face toward God
Pray with our hand raised to God
Regardless of how we pray, it is imperative THAT we pray.
So my question for each of us is this, who wants God to revive and refresh our prayer life?
Who wants a fresh hunger to pray?
Who wants God to lead them into different ways to pray?
Who wants to pray?