Prayer is another way of saying; ‘speaking to God’. In many respects, there is a likeness between praying and our conversations with our fellow humans.
We would hold a conversation with a child in one way and an adult in another. We adopt one approach when discussing a serious matter and another in telling funny stories.
In asking our parents for something that we want or permission to go somewhere or simply telling them how much we admire and respect them and their wisdom, we speak in a certain manner.
Speaking to a partner with whom we are sharing a romantic relationship, calls for certain language, that we would not use when speaking to a sibling or friend.
In a very simple way, it is the same when we address God. We will use different language for different circumstances in our conversations with Him.
| What are the Main Forms that our Prayers might take? |
* Request Praying
* Mediation Praying
* Adoration Praying
| Request Praying |
Request praying is similar to when we were young and approached our parents for a something that we wanted or permission to do a particular thing.
The only difference is that now we are approaching God and asking Him to give us something or make it possible for a particular event to happen in our lives.
This form of praying is probably the most common of all human communication with God. It doesn’t require a close relationship with Him or understanding about who He really is.
You ask and He either gives or doesn’t give – simple.
| Mediation Prayer |
Mediation Prayer means prayer that intervenes, or speaks on behalf of a person/s or situations in life around you. You may want to ask God to help someone who is ill, dying or in a very difficult position or groups of people suffering in some way. In other words, you are making a request to God for someone or something other than yourself, or you might be asking on behalf of a difficult situation (a war, crop failure, drought, tsunamis, floods – the list is endless).
This is a less common prayer than the Request Prayer, but in order to be effective, requires the person praying to have some understanding of God’s plan for humanity and His personal nature. It also requires some knowledge of His nature.
| Adoration Prayer |
Finally, what I consider to be the highest form of prayer is Adoration Prayer. I always compare this to people who are having a romantic relationship with another.
Those sharing a romantic relationship with one another look for the finer parts of each other’s characters, personalities and physical appearances and share these with one another. They share what mutually attracts each one to the other. These words that they share with each other could be referred to as the language of love or romantic expression.
I feel quite confident, from my own personal experience, that no one is able to pray to God in this way unless the Spirit of God is present in the channel of their human spirit.[1]
Therefore this becomes one of the less simple forms of praying.
Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. ”[2]
The Greek word for ‘know’ in this passage is the same as the Greek word for the human sexual relationship, between husband and wife. Meaning, that eternal living (life in the presence of God after the death of our bodies) comes about as result of knowing God. In other words, as a result of knowing God intimately.
Adoration prayer is possible as we begin to know God.
Effective prayer to God – the kind of prayer that ‘brings results’ (to use more modern terminology) is prayer after the way God wants us to pray. Said in another way; praying according to His will
I will give you an example:
If I were in relationship with you, whether it be romantic, marriage, friendship or business; I would first consider what I am about to do or ask, in terms of our relationship, before I take action or speak. In other words, how would what I do or say effect our relationship? So, what we are really doing is considering the interests (or will) of the one we are in relationship with, before we speak or take action.
It’s no different with God; in praying we need to consider His Interests (His will) before we pray.
Not that we might upset God because we are praying outside of His interest, but rather that we cause our prayers to be unproductive, by doing so.
You might now understandably ask – how will I know what God wants me to pray in that case?
The answer to this question is very simple: Our ability to pray God’s will is in direct relation to how well we hear Him speaking to us and that in turn relates to how much we know and spend time with Him.
In the following teachings in this series on prayer, I will expand on the answer to this very important question.
To end off then, let me share this last important point; God will, as we get to know Him more and understand His nature better, guide us to pray for something that he wants prayed for and he will also show us how to pray what He wants us to pray.
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[1] The Holy Spirit and Gifts of The Spirit
[2] John 17:3
Ad Crucem Christi - The Cross of Christ 