Lord, Teach Us to Pray, Part 5
As I continue this series, today I will talk about the importance of asking God for our needs.
We all encounter major decisions, crossroads, and sometimes evil in life. Learn to cherish quality time with God in prayer to hear from Him, gain His perspective, and receive His guidance.
Gordon Lindsay, a twentieth-century minister and co-founder of Christ for the Nations, wrote about the importance of prayer.
“A successful life is shaped in the crucible of the daily hour of prayer.” 1
Jesus promised us abundant life. Prayer helps us live in Jesus’ abundant life and achieve success as we walk with Him.
Often, we pray for breakthroughs when we’re at a crossroads. Maybe it’s a situation that feels impossible. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Petitionary prayer is persistent!
God has always answered the prayers of His people and continues to do so in every unimaginable situation. God does not want His people to give in to fear, defeat, or failure!
God wants us to see results from prayer, just like the people in the Bible, such as Daniel, who received answers to their prayers. Whether it’s for family, guidance, wisdom, provision, healing, or freedom from oppression—God responds and provides in answer to believing prayer.
Jesus said, 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matt. 7:7-8 NIV
What does this mean? It means that God’s supernatural, invisible power is working within us, capable of solving every problem, meeting every need, and providing whatever is necessary. His power is so great that it can move mountains and overcome impossible situations!
Since God is true, so is His promise. Your prayers can also be answered—it’s important to take time to learn the principles of answered prayer!
As we have discussed in this series, Jesus shares fundamental principles of prayer, not just a single prayer, when teaching about prayer. Luke 11:1-4
In response to the disciple’s question, “Lord teach us to pray,” (Luke 11:1) Jesus replied, “When you pray…” and began to outline principles for effective prayer.
Throughout God’s Word, we are encouraged to learn how to grow in faith and succeed in prayer. Mature faith fosters confident prayer—prayer that receives answers.
Because prayer was central to Jesus’s ministry, He wanted it to be a foundation in His disciples’ lives. What we call the “Lord’s Prayer” might better be called the “Disciples’ Prayer,” as it serves as an outline or blueprint for prayer.
Throughout the Bible and Church history, we see numerous examples of the power of prayer. God chooses to work through humanity, through prayer, to move mountains and alter the course of history.
Nineteenth-century minister, prayer warrior, and author E.M. Bounds stated,
“God yields to the persistency of a faith that knows Him.” 2
God anoints men and women of prayer. What our world needs is the Church to dedicate itself once again to this ministry. More programs, organization, and marketing won’t reach a hopeless world. An empowered Church will—it begins and is sustained by daily committed prayer.
Let’s analyze petitionary prayer within the framework of the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer should involve petition and be consistent.
Luke 11:3, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” (NKJV)
Petitioning God is essential to prayer! Jesus taught us to pray for our daily needs.
Prayer lifts our life in Christ beyond the temporary. In prayer, we find new depths of connection with our Savior—prayer is primarily communion. We make a daily choice to gather spiritual bread from the Father through prayer and meditation on His Word.
The children of Israel were commanded to collect the manna they needed for each day in the wilderness. They couldn’t gather enough for the entire week in a single day! The Sunday worship service is wonderful, but … it’s a daily commitment to seek God’s spiritual manna.
God’s plan is daily reliance on Him. Just as our body needs food to survive, our Spirit needs daily communion with God to stay strong.
Jesus, facing the temptation of the devil as in Matt. 4:4, quoted from Deuteronomy, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
We need to daily gather spiritual bread to live an overcoming life in Christ. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6); seek Him and choose to abide in Him daily!
Effective prayer is fueled by unwavering faith. His faith, alive within, empowers prayer. It’s a faith that perceives through the darkness because it sees Him. Faith anchored in Jesus and His Word is a faith that prays until mountains move.
Faith that moves mountains and sees obstacles overcome is a faith that grows stronger through a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Jesus is the source of our life and faith—He is the origin and perfecter of our faith. Confident faith happens when we understand Jesus’ desire in every situation. When, like Jesus, we can see what the Father is doing in each moment, confidence and faith grow.
Faith also grows through God’s Word, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17)
Both the written Word (logos) and Spirit-inspired word (rhema) build confidence in the heart to believe in what God promises.
The Word of God can inspire strong faith, a faith that is never discouraged and never gives up. Prevailing prayer begins with those who trust in God’s Word and His revealed will. Faith produces powerful prayer, and prayer strengthens faith!
The core of prayer is fellowship with God, rooted in His Word. A Christian cannot flourish without a continual love relationship with the Father through Jesus. To overlook the importance of relationship is ineffective at best and almost selfishly using God.
The life of the Spirit, available to believers through Christ, sustains enduring faith and prayer. Jesus clearly stated in John 15 that He is the vine and we are the branches—remaining in Him is crucial for producing fruit and experiencing the divine life flow, which only He can provide through the Holy Spirit living within us.
There is no quick formula for becoming a person of great faith and prayer. However, God’s Word contains principles that will help you grow in prevailing faith and prayer.
Jesus promised, “ask, and it shall be given you,” (Matt. 7:7 NKJV), which means He wants you and me to be confident when asking.
Notice the Amplified Version translation of a similar verse in Luke:
“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.” Luke 11:9 AMPC
In Greek, it is expressed using the present imperative and present participle. In other words, keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking! Pray until you see the answer or experience a release from the Holy Spirit that the answer is on its way.
The first reason for unanswered prayer is not asking. “You do not have, because you do not ask God” (Jas 4:2). We are encouraged to ask, seek, and knock so that God will open His storehouse of spiritual blessings and give to us. 3
Often, our prayers are vague and general. It is the person who prays specifically who sees prayers answered, and this encourages more specific prayer.4
God is our Father; He loves giving to His children. A child has rights within a family. God is a good God! He wants to give us all good things if we simply ask Him.
Jesus said that we should rest assured that God cares for us more than our natural father. No father would think of giving his son a snake when he asked for a fish or a scorpion when he asked for an egg (Luke 11:11–12).
If earthly fathers are kind enough to know how to give good gifts to their children, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). When we ask, seek, and knock for more of the Holy Spirit—God will not fail to answer that prayer, and quickly. 5
Jesus calls us to embark on a journey with Him into a life of bold faith, trusting in the impossible and making an impact on the world through prayer. (My book, Our Eyes are On You: Principles to Prevail in Faith and Prayer, explores this topic in much greater detail.)
Jesus promised the power of petition,
“How much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him.” (Matt. 7:11 NKJV) That which is in character with His nature and Word.
Jesus said to ask the Father in His name to receive answers to prayer,
23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. John 16:23-24 NLT
In John 16:27 Christ shows why this works—we believe in Him, “for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.” NKJV
Therefore, we share in the inheritance of the only begotten Son of God. As Paul stated in Romans 8, we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ!
Jesus commanded us not to fear, but to be expectant for answers and kingdom inheritance,
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32 NKJV
Daniel, a man of prayer.
Daniel exemplifies a person of prayer, faith, and perseverance. His life lasted a century, during which kingdoms rose and fell. It was one of the most turbulent times in history.
Daniel faced suffering, persecution, and threats to his life. Once, he was sentenced to death along with all the wise men of Babylon. Another time, he was thrown into a den of fierce lions. Still, God miraculously saved his life.
Daniel’s integrity and wisdom earned him favor with each new ruler. Because the Spirit of God rested on him, he was admired and respected by kings, queens, and their people. During times of crisis, they looked to Daniel for help and advice.
What was the key to Daniel’s favor and wisdom? Prayer was his top priority. Three times a day, he met with God in prayer and expressed gratitude. He made sure nothing disturbed his daily routine. He didn’t only turn to God in times of crisis. No, Daniel spent time each day gathering strength from God through prayer.
Ruthless men plotted to take Daniel’s life by persuading King Darius to prohibit petitioning any god or man—except the king—for thirty days. Anyone who broke the decree would be thrown into a den of lions.
Daniel didn’t panic; he kept praying and trusting God.
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Dan. 6:10 NKJV)
Daniel was caught praying to God and was thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel had favor with King Darius.
“So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” (Dan. 6:16 NKJV)
And just as the king declared, God miraculously delivered Daniel! (See Dan. 6:18-23, 24-28).
Final Thoughts
Nothing is impossible with God! The significance of consistent, daily petitionary prayer cannot be overstated. Learn to value your prayer time with the Father, anticipating responses!
Remember, God desires us to see results when we pray, just like the people in the Bible, such as Daniel, who received answers to their prayers. Whether it’s for family, guidance, wisdom, provision, healing, or freedom from oppression—God listens and responds to faith-filled prayer.
Jesus said, 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matt. 7:7-8 NIV
What does this imply? It indicates that God’s supernatural, unseen power is active within us, capable of resolving all problems, fulfilling every need, and supplying whatever is required. His power is so immense that it can move mountains and conquer impossible situations!
Since God is true, His promise is also trustworthy. Your prayers can be answered too—it’s important to take time to understand the principles of answered prayer!
FootNotes
1 Gordon Lindsay, Prayer That Moves Mountains (Dallas, TX: Christ for the Nations, 1998), 35.
2 E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982), 56.
3 Ken Heer, Luke: A Commentary for Bible Students, 169 (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007).
4 R. C. Sproul, A Walk With God: An Exposition of Luke, 240 (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1999).
5 Heer, 169.
