Guidelines for Prayer
Let us look at the most famous prayer ever recorded in the Bible. John chapter 17 verse 1 "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." The first issue I want to address is the posturing. Some people kneel when they pray, some lift Holy hands unto the Lord, other's bow their heads. In this case Jesus "lifted up his eyes to heaven." It does not say if was kneeling or standing but that really does not matter. There is a different posturing I want to speak about here. It is not the physical position that he ascribed to that is significant; it is the posturing of his heart that is important. 2 Timothy 2:22 "follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." We learn something from reading John 4:34 "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." Jesus postured his heart to be in the perfect will of his Father. John 6:38 "For I came down from heaven, not to do my will, but the will of him that sent me." Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." We are encouraged to pray to God. This is our way of communicating with Him. Jesus' prayer is based on Sonship. He was the Son of God. We are heirs of this salvation and have been adopted into this same family by being grafted into the Olive Tree, which is Christ Jesus. Galatians 4:5 "To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." We who have received this Spirit of Adoption into the family of God now have full rights to that inheritance. We now have a special relationship with the Father that was not possible until Christ came. We now have been placed as Son's at the same table through the redemption of the law. It is the same principle that is applied in 2 Samuel chapter 9 and Romans chapter 11. Jesus addressed his prayer to the Father. He did not pray to Old Testament saints or angels, he prayed directly to the Father. How do we know the Father? Matthew 11:27 "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matthew 6:9 is the most frequently recited prayer ever recorded in the Bible. It begins by saying "Our Father which art in heaven." We must direct our prayers to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ who reveals the truth and the will of God to his children. The prayer of Christ in John chapter 17 was a prayer of glorification. Jesus knowing that this prayer would indeed cost him his life most assuredly was praying in confidence and faith. Jesus did not pray his own will but it was for this cause that he came that the Father would be glorified through the Son. If we pray that God will have his way in every situation then we indeed have submitted to His will and surrendered our own strength to his. Jesus fully understood what he was praying about in this instance. 1 Corinthians 14:15 "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." This is referring to speaking in tongues but can be applied in our every day prayer life also. Timothy spoke of in 1 Timothy 2:8 of lifting up Holy hands and not doubting when we pray. James 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." So yes God does hear our prayers and does answer them. Jesus said in Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive." In the 17th chapter of John, Jesus was praying without disbelief. Matter of fact he was praying not for the things that would soon come upon him and tear his flesh apart on the cross but was looking forward in time as if the crucifixion had already occurred! John 17:4 says "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." When Christ was praying to be glorified he was already looking at the cross as a victory! He was already in thanksgiving mode to the Father knowing assuredly that the cross would not be a defeat but a spiritual victory! Jesus desired the same things the Father desired and he postured his heart toward God. He prayed believing that God the Father would hear him and answer. Since he was praying in the full will of God he knew what the answer would be before he submitted it. He then thanked the Father and received what he asked for. By saying in verse 1 "glorify thy Son," he was in essence praying that he would be crucified. Jesus only came to do the will of the Father. He understood fully that his death was imminent but he was not afraid. By posturing his heart toward God's will he did not lean upon the fear or borrow any negative emotion from the flesh. He trusted in his Father. Here are some examples of prayer, which you can examine. Genesis 18:23-32, Genesis 32:24-29, Exodus 32:32, Deuteronomy 9:25, Judges 6:38-40, 1 Samuel 1:10-18, 1 Kings 8:22-30, Ezra 9:5-6, Nehemiah 1:4-6, Psalms 55, 141:1-2, Daniel 9:3-19, 10:1-3, Matthew 15:22-28, Luke 18:1-8. This is a simple outline for prayer. There is much more I could add. The attitude of prayer is simple. Ask (with a forgiving spirit Matthew 6:14), receive (Mark 11:24) and then be thankful Philippians 4:6). This can only happen if one first is desiring what God desires in their life. Praying and not doubting, and be prepared for the blessing.
In Christ Jesus,
Dale Thompson