1. What is Prayer?
What is prayer? What is the meaning of prayer? Some people say, "It is a plea to God for one's own needs." Some people may come to God to ask for material provisions, some may ask for healing, or some may come to God to ask for a solution to their hardships. There are many promises and encouragements in the Bible: "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.", "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.", and "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (John 14:13; 16:24; Mark 11:24). However, the Bible's teaching on prayer is not an advertisement that "if you ask, you will receive," nor is it an attempt to win the hearts of the believers by "exchanging favors". Prayer is meant to be the breath of a Christian's spiritual life, an intimate interaction between human beings and God, the so-called "spiritual relationship". In today's spiritually barren society, prayer is even more vital. From prayer, Christians receive the Lord's power, seek the Lord's will, imitate the Lord's nature, and illuminate the darkness of the times like a bright light, showing the way of life (Philippians 2:15-16).
2. Purpose and Content of a Prayer
Prayer should not just be a relationship of "asking and receiving", but an expression of the innermost parts of life. Generally speaking, the content of prayer can consist of the following dimensions and be intertwined in order to achieve the purpose and the effect of a prayer, which is to "glorify God, benefit others, and benefit oneself”.
i. Praise
The God we worship is great and deserves great praise, praise that is worthy of His name (Psalm 48:1, 10). No matter what the purpose of your prayer is, it should begin with praise to God, as the first words of the Lord's Prayer are: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:9-10).
ii. Confession of Sins
Psalms 51 is David's famous prayer of repentance, in which he expressed sorrow and remorse for the sins he had committed, and prayed for God's forgiveness to cleanse his heart and to give him a righteous spirit again. In fact, human flesh is fragile, just like Paul's helplessness recorded in Romans 7:18-19. Sometimes sin is visible, but sometimes it is hidden, so we should confess our sins and repent before God through constant prayers (Psalms 19:12), so that God will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
iii. Supplication
There are countless examples of prayers and supplications in the Bible. Some prayers of supplication were made for suffering from enemy attacks and hardships, for barrenness, and for wisdom. God answered all of the prayers of supplication of those who pleased Him. The God we worship is the “God who gives us richly all things to enjoy”, and also the God who is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (1 Timothy 6:17; Hebrews. 4:15-16).
iv. Intercession
Intercession differs from supplication in terms of the subject of petition. While supplication focuses on asking for oneself, or people and things related to oneself, intercession focuses on asking for others, or people and things related to others. However, intercession and supplication are often inseparable, because other people or surroundings are closely related to ourselves, especially in the spiritual church, which is a large family of members who share in the same sufferings and honour (1 Corinthians 12:26). Therefore, we should follow the examples of the two great intercessors, Moses and Samuel, who did not stop praying for the weak, and even sacrificed their own interests while interceding for others (Exodus 32:30-32; 1 Samuel 12:23).
v. Thanksgiving
Paul encouraged us to, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2), and to, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God". (Philippians 4:6). This shows that giving thanks to God is an integral part of prayer. We should not just think about the few blessings we have not received from God, or even complain and doubt God's faithfulness. Moreover, we should not forget to give thanks for the many graces we have received from God. If we can pray with a thankful heart, or even "give thanks before we make supplication”, I believe we will be more pleasing to God and receive greater blessings.
3. Obstacles to an Effective Prayer
Some people may spend a lot of time in prayer, but they always feel like they are not getting the expected results. Consequently, they feel powerless to pray, discouraged, and unmotivated. Finally, their faith collapses. What are the obstacles that prevent us from praying as effectively as we would like to?
The first obstacle to an effective prayer is a doubtful heart. A doubting heart 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.” Instead, we should "ask with faith and without doubt: whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (James 1:6-7; Mark 11:24).
The second obstacle is a wrong motive. Some do not receive because they do not ask. Some do not receive even when they ask because they ask amiss and want to spend it on pleasures (James 4:2-3). But if we ask according to God's will, He hears us (1 John 5:14).
The third obstacle is a heart of pride and self-righteousness. Jesus told The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector to the people who despised others because of their own righteousness. Jesus said that the prayers of the proud and self-righteous Pharisees were self-serving and not accepted by God (Luke 18:9-14). However, the Lord knows the desires of the humble, and He hears them (Psalms 10:17).
Conclusion
Finally, we should walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If we look at our surroundings without fixing our eyes on God, our remaining faith will be shaken. Whether or not our prayers are answered by God will inevitably be distorted if we only look at them from the perspective of human wisdom. God is willing to fulfill our prayers, but perhaps at a "later" time than we expect or God has already answered our prayers "in secret" or "from afar" although we had not realized it.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end (Hebrews 3:14).
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