HOW TO PRAY

HOW TO PRAY

1. Disciples asked Yeshua to teach them how to pray? So Yeshua told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. (Luke 11:1,2)

2. Relational: By calling God, “Our Father”, the entire relationship becomes fraternal and intimate. We become his children. There is no other religion where this equation exists. (John 1:12) 

3. Focus: The central focus of the prayer must be to bring the Kingdom our Father here on earth, with kingdom values of love, joy, peace and justice. 

4. No Titles: All biological children know that their fathers are strong and all knowing and always there at the time of need, but they never call their fathers with big titles like almighty, omni-potent, omni-scient and omni-present etc. They simply call him Father, Abba, Papa, Daddy and so on. So, when we pray to Father God, we do not have to use big words, but as his children we have the privilege to have close fellowship and commune with our Father with simple words. 

5. What to ask, what to seek and where to knock: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)

6. Children ask for wrong things: As children we are bound to ask for the wrong things, like a child asking for chocolate or ice-cream or some sugary things but the Father will only give what is good for the child. (Luke 11:13) 

7. First things first – Ask for the Holy Spirit: “So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:9,10)

8. Then you will ask for the right things like: “Ask me and I will give you nations (Gentiles) for your heritage and the ends of the earth for your possession.” (Psalm 2:8)

9. You will seek the right things: Like Yeshua came to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) 

10.You will knock at the right door: of the Person of Peace and he will open the door and sup with you, and you will transform his house into a house of prayer for all nations. (Rev. 3:20; Luke 10:5-9; Mark 11:17) 

11.You must know that you do not know how to pray: “For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26,27) 

12.But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can intercede for the 1. saints and 2. for those who have rule and authority over us and 3. for the peace of our city and 4. healing of our land that was cursed. 

13.Who are saints: Saints are those who have made a covenant with Father God by sacrifice (Offering themselves for the service of Father God and then offering lost souls as living sacrifice).” (Psalm 50:5; Romans 12:1,2; 15:16; James 5:20)

14.God hears the prayers of the saints: Because they not only pray but also, “Go out weeping (interceding), bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing their sheaves with them.” Rev. 8:3; Psalm 126:5,6 

15.There are several types of prayers mentioned for rulers in 1Tim. 2:1-4: 

1. Request (Techinnah) – when a repentant soul requested God to accept the sacrifice he was making at the altar. 

2. Prayer (Tafillah=self-examination) - which the priest did while he was washing his hands and feet at the basin before entering the Holy Place. 

3. Intercession (Bakkashot) - when the priest interceded for the nations at the altar of incense, as the incense came from many nations. 

4. Thanksgiving (Hodayah) – the people standing in the outer court raised their hands and gave thanks to God for accepting their offering. 

5. Communing (Davening) - When Jesus prayed, he did not ask for anything but communed with His Father. 

16. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. (Jeremiah 29:7) 

17. Praying for the healing of the Land: Solomon offered a huge sacrifice after God declared Jerusalem Temple as “House of Sacrifice (Beth Zebach)” and then declared “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (Genesis 3:17; 2Chron. 7: 5,12,14) 

Result: “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the water covers the sea” and “All the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ and He will reign forever. And we will shout “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!” (Hab. 2:14; Rev. 11:15; Psalm 33:12)

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