Great Doctrines of the Bible
Lesson 17
Prayer
Its Nature, Purpose and Power

Introduction
It is impossible to exaggerate the value of prayer in a Christian’s life. It is the key that unlocks the door to heaven’s resources. It is that which makes God operative in our souls. It releases the power of the Holy Spirit, which in turn makes the Bible a burning fire in our bones, and makes the presence of Christ a pulsating reality. Prayer humbles the spirit, opens our eyes to the truth and enables us to see and to walk in the will of God. It not only removes mountains, it strengthens resolve. By it, our cares are cast upon the Lord, and grace is found to resist the relentless battering of sin and Satan. It is frightening to estimate the tragic loss suffered by the one who fails to pray. The yearning of my heart is that all who study this lesson will give themselves continually to a life of prayer and learn for themselves its great purpose and power.

Importance of this Lesson

• If God has willed to respond to the prayer of faith (Mark 11:24), then it becomes exceedingly sinful not to pray (1 Samuel 12:23). If prayer is that which releases the power of God; makes Christ a reality; turns the tide; changes situations and puts into operation the machinery of the Christian life, then learning HOW to pray is of the utmost importance.
• The great value and importance of this lesson, therefore, is to teach all who study it the nature of prayer, its purpose in the Christian’s life and its enormous power with special instructions as to how to pray effectively.
• The goal of this lesson is to guide you to a more consistent and productive prayer life which in turn will open to you fountains of spiritual blessings.

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The Lesson

I. WE ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY
Prayer is not something toward which the Christian can assume a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. We are COMMANDED to pray! Being weak in the flesh, we are all prone to negligence. So God, knowing its importance to Christian stability and growth, commands us to pray.

1. Old Testament Illustrations
   1. Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”
   2. The Lord to Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:14), “If my people…pray…then will I hear from heaven….”
   3. Samuel in 1 Samuel 12:23, “…God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you….”
   4. The Psalmist David in Psalm 55:17, “ Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud….”
2. New Testament Illustrations
   1. The Lord Jesus in Luke 18:1, “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” (Also read
      Matthew 7:7; 26:41 and John 16:24.)
   2. The Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing”; Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit….”
      (Note also Romans 12:12; 15:30; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Timothy 2:1; Colossians 4:2.)
   3. The Apostle James in James 4:2, “ye have not, because ye ask not.” (Also James 1:5 and 5:16-17).

II. THE SIN OF FAILING TO PRAY

1. IT IS A SIN OF DISOBEDIENCE. The prayerless Christian is a disobedient Christian who ignores the command of the Lord and robs his soul of essential spiritual nourishment.
2. IT IS A SIN DIRECTLY AGAINST GOD (1 Samuel 12:23). Since God has chosen to respond to believing prayer, prayerlessness binds His hands and limits His power.
3. IT IS A SIN AGAINST THE CHURCH (Ephesians 6:18), “Praying always – for all saints.” Since the absence of prayer binds God’s hands and limits His power, it also deprives the church of the glorious manifestation of His grace and power.
4. IT IS A SIN AGAINST OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS (1 Timothy 2:1), “I exhort, therefore, that…prayers…be made for ALL MEN.” Who can measure, for example, the blessing of God upon America due to the vast amount of prayer that rises daily to His throne from the lips of the saints on behalf of the nation and its leaders? God help us to pray daily for “all who are in authority.”
5. IT IS A SIN AGAINST ONE’S SELF (James 4:2), “yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” The tragic loss to the soul that fails to pray is indescribable. It is safe to say that all the emptiness, defeat, sin, and failure in the lives of believers can be traced directly to the absence or neglect of prayer.
6. IT IS THE SIN OF UNBELIEF (Mark 11:23-24) “…and shall not doubt in his heart…and when ye pray, believe….” Faith draws us to prayer – Doubt drives us from it. Faith makes God real – Doubt questions His ability and power. Faith enriches the life – Doubt impoverishes the spirit and robs the life of needed blessings.

III. THE NATURE OF PRAYER
Most of the following thoughts are born of my own experience, observation, and practice through many years in the service of the Lord.

1. Prayer is the flow of communication, audibly or inaudibly, between the believer and God.
2. Prayer begins as an oratory, but becomes an observatory. It is a time when we orate, telling God what concerns are on our hearts. But as we pray, we begin to see God more wonderfully and clearly than at any other time.
3. Prayer is the cry of earth for the blessing of heaven. Psalm 65:2 says, “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” God is not oblivious or deaf to the needs and cries of earth for divine intervention.
4. Prayer is an unveiling and a revealing. It is that time when we fling back the curtain of our hearts for Him to view the depths of our need, and it is then, that God reveals His love, grace, wisdom, and power as at no other time.
5. Prayer is like the persistently expressed desires of a little child who loathes to take “no” for an answer.
6. Prayer is the match that ignites the Word and sets it ablaze within us, the key that unlocks the door to heaven’s resources, the switch that turns on the light of truth and the release that opens the gates so that rivers of divine blessings can flow.
7. Prayer is a two-way street. We not only talk, but we listen and wait as well.

IV. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PRAYER
The communication of the believer with God is expressed in five ways: ADORATION, SUPPLICATION, INTERCESSION, THANKSGIVING and ASKING (Philippians 4:6-7; Ephesians 6:19; 1 Timothy 2:1).

1. ADORATION – Adoration is our audibly expressed love for God in praise.
   1. Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise….”
   2. Hebrews 13:15 “By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually….”
2. SUPPLICATION – The Greek word is “deesis,” signifying a wanting or need. It is always addressed to God. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as, “To humbly beg.” It relates to the tenderness and earnestness by which we pray.
3. INTERCESSION – (Hebrews 7:25; 1 Timothy 2:1). This is a legal term. It is pleading in court for or against another. Romans 11:2 – “Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel….” It is seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others. In Romans 8:27, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. In Hebrews 7:25 Christ makes intercession for us. What a privilege we have – we can intercede for others.
4. THANKSGIVING – 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 says, “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks….” Philippians 4:6 says “…in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God….” A vital part of our praying then is the expression of our gratitude.
5. ASKING – Prayer is asking, and the answer is receiving. (Note the emphasis in the New Testament on the word “asking.”)
   1. Matthew 7:7-8 – “Ask and it shall be given you…for everyone that asketh receiveth….”
   2. Matthew 18:19 – “…if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them….”
   3. Matthew 21:22 – “And in all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
   4. Luke 11:13 – “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
   5. John 14:13-14 – “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do…If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
   6. John 15:7 – “…ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
   7. John 16:24 – “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
   8. James 1:5-6 – “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”
   9. James 4:2-3 – “yet ye have not, because ye ask not…Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss….”
   10. 1 John 5:14 – “if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.”
       • Numerous references could be added, but these should prove adequate to show the predominant
       emphasis upon asking.

V. HOW TO GET ANSWERS TO YOUR PRAYERS
What is the secret? What keys unlock the door? After listening to Jesus pray, one of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). Oh, that we all might make this same request. Here are eleven keys, eleven secrets, eleven ways the Bible tells us to pray in order to get results. (Memorize these keys to answered prayer.)

1. PRAY ABIDINGLY – John 15:7 – Answers to prayer result from our abiding in Christ and letting His words abide in us. Live in Christ and let His Word live in you.
2. PRAY OBEDIENTLY – 1 John 3:22 – Answers to prayer result from our keeping God’s commandments and doing that which is pleasing in His sight.
3. PRAY COMPASSSIONATELY – Hebrews 5:7 – Christ was heard because He prayed with “strong and crying tears.” May God give us tears to weep as He wept.
4. PRAY IMPORTUNATELY – Luke 11:5-8 – The friend in this parable received the bread he needed because of “his importunity.” He knocked on the door relentlessly. He refused to take “NO” for an answer. He prayed with dogged determination.
5. PRAY INCESSSANTLY – 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Luke 18:1 – Effective prayer is the incessant cry of the heart for the blessings of God.
6. PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS – John 14:13-14 – We are told repeatedly to pray in Jesus’ name. Oh what power is in that blessed name.
7. PRAY IN FAITH – Mark 11:24; Matthew 21:22; James 1:6 – We receive from God that for which we BELIEVE Him. Mountains cannot be moved when doubt fills the heart. BELIEVE when you pray.
8. PRAY FERVENTLY – James 5:16-17 – It did not rain for three years because Elijah prayed fervently and earnestly. This kind of praying is effectual. May God save us from passionless dry-eyed prayer.
9. PRAY BOLDLY – Hebrews 4:16 – When our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence toward God (1 John 3:21) and boldness at the throne of grace. Washed in the blood of Christ, clothed with His righteousness, and coming to God in the name of Jesus—what more do I need to be bold?
10. PRAY IN THE WILL OF GOD – 1 John 5:14 – Fruitful praying is prayer in harmony with the will and purpose of God. God hears and answers when we ask for that which will honor and glorify Him.
11. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT – Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:26-27 – God the Father answers prayer that God the Holy Spirit inspires. Yield fully to the Spirit’s control. He will teach you how to pray and what to pray.

VI. HINDRANCES TO PRAYER or WHY MILLIONS OF PRAYERS GO UNANSWERED

1. INSINCERITY OF MOTIVE – James 4:3 – “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Millions ask for things out of pure self-interest and self-gratification. Much prayer is selfish. Be certain your entire desire is the will and glory of God.
2. DOUBT IN THE HEART – Mark 11:23 – “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Much praying is hindered and limited by doubts and fears. It is not enough to pray. We must believe when we pray (Matthew 21:22). The wavering man receives nothing from the Lord (James 1:6-7).
3. SIN IN THE LIFE – Psalm 66:18 – “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Isaiah 1:15) “…when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.” There are those who teach that God answers and hears all prayers. The Bible teaches that when sin is regarded in the heart, God not only fails to answer, He does not even hear.
4. UTTER DISREGARD FOR THE WILL OF GOD – 1 John 5:14 – “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.” Remember, whenever you pray in the Spirit, He makes intercession for you according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). Prayer, which foolishly demands selfish and frivolous things, and is thrust heedlessly into God’s presence, will not be answered. All prayer must be in harmony with God’s will and purpose. Our Lord was the supreme example when in Gethsemane He cried, “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done”
   (Luke 22:42).
5. OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDMENTS – 1 John 3:22 – “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.” In 1 John God’s commandments refer to His entire Word and to His will as revealed in that Word. Read 1 John 2:3-5. The heart that desires and receives answers to prayer is humbly submissive to all the will of God as revealed in His Word and earnestly seeks to do only those things that please Him.

VII. THE WONDERFUL POWER OF PRAYER
The magnitude of the power of prayer can be seen in the following ways:

1. FROM THE FACT THAT GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYER!
   1. Psalm 65:2 – “Oh thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.”
   2. Isaiah 65:24 – “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
   3. Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
   4. 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN….”
   5. 1 Peter 3:12 – “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN UNTO THEIR PRAYERS….”
2. GREAT THINGS ARE PROMISED IF WE PRAY!
   1. Mark 11:24 – “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM.”
   2. Matthew 18:19 – “…if two of you shall agree on earth AS TOUCHING ANY THING THAT THEY SHALL ASK, IT SHALL BE DONE FOR THEM OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.”
   3. John 14:14 – “IF YOU SHALL ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME, I WILL DO IT.”
   4. Matthew 21:22 – “AND ALL THINGS, WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK in prayer, believing, YE SHALL RECEIVE.”
   5. James 5:16 – “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man AVAILETH MUCH.”
3. BY THE FACT THAT THE BIBLE IS LADEN WITH DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE POWER OF PRAYER!
   1. Joshua prayed and the sun stood still (Joshua 10:12-14).
   2. Jacob prevailed with God in prayer. His life was spared, blessed and changed (Genesis 32:25-28).
   3. Moses prayed and stayed God’s hand against Israel (Exodus 32:10-14).
   4. Elijah prayed and fire fell from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-38).
   5. Hannah prayed. Her barrenness was healed. Samuel was born (1 Samuel 1:9-20).
   6. Daniel prayed and God shut the lion’s mouth (Daniel 6:10-22).
   7. Hezekiah prayed and God extended his life fifteen years (2 Kings 20:1-6).
   8. The church prayed and God shook the building and filled them all with the Holy Spirit
      (Acts 4:31).
   9. The church prayed again and Peter was miraculously freed from prison and his chains
      (Acts 12:5-11).
   10. . Paul and Silas prayed and God shook their prison with an earthquake (Acts 16:25-26).
       • SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES FOR NUMEROUS OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS.

Conclusion:

• Prayer is absolutely essential. Sustaining grace, the presence of Christ and the power of the Spirit cannot be experienced without it.
• God hears and answers prayer. It is therefore, impossible to measure its potentiality.
• Prayer cannot be treated with indifference. It is commanded.
• Productive, prevailing prayer is bold, fervent, relentless prayer issuing from a contrite, obedient heart, uttered with faith and in the Holy Spirit.
• Our prayers remain unanswered when: our motives are insincere, our hearts are full of doubt, sin is harbored, and God’s will is ignored.
• Not praying is sin. It ties God’s hands, robs the church of blessing and leaves the soul impoverished.
• If prayer can stop the sun in its orbit, bring down fire from heaven and lock jaws of lions, prayer is power. And power is the strangely missing note in the average church today. May we all, therefore, give ourselves to prayer and claim for God’s glory the full measure of His blessing.

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