One thing that keeps us from consistency and dedication in our prayers is that we often don’t see results. When we don’t seem to get answers, it is easy to feel a bit unmotivated toward more attempts that may prove just as pointless. However, prayer should be the hallmark of our Christian lives. After all, we are told that we should pray everywhere (I Timothy 2:8), all the time (Ephesians 6:18), for everyone (I Timothy 2:1), about everything (Philippians 4:6) with every kind of prayer (Ephesians 6:18). That doesn’t seem to leave much “wiggle room.”
In order to have a more effective prayer life that will, in turn, motivate us to have a more consistent prayer life, I believe that the best place to start would be right at the very foundational teaching on prayer — the Lord’s Prayer. I’d like to take a fresh look at the prayer as it is presented in Luke’s gospel because this version of the prayer was given as a direct answer to the request of the disciples who must have found themselves in the place we are today – needing to know how to become more consistent and meaningful in their prayers. Even though this is the shorter version of the prayer, it holds some powerful keys to getting answers to our prayers.
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (verse 6:2-4)
The first key to a successful prayer life is having a confident relationship with God. Jesus’ first directive was that we must be able to relate to God as our father, an analogy that He develops a few verses later when He asks if any human father would give his child a stone when he wanted bread, a serpent when he asked for a fish, or a scorpion when he needed an egg. Jesus even advanced the issue when He qualified our human relationships as “evil” when comparing us to the Heavenly Father to whom we are addressing our prayers. If none of us would be so cruel, how could we even think that our Heavenly Father would be so sinister as to ignore our prayers or answer them in some pitiless way? On the contrary, Jesus insists that God will “much more” give us positive answers to our prayers.
One problem that many people have in relating to their Heavenly Father in prayer stems from a story that Jesus told in this same dialog on prayer — the story of the man who had to wake his friend in the middle of the night to ask for bread for an unexpected guest. In the story, the friend was unwilling to get out of bed and assist by providing bread that he obviously had. It was only after much persistent knocking and begging that the man got up and helped his friend. Jesus noted that it was not their friendship — but the importunity (clamoring insistence) of the friend — that got results. Because we often misinterpret Jesus’ intent in this story, many people feel that prayer must be pleading, begging, bargaining, and travailing intercession in order to be effective. Quite the contrary — the whole point of the parable is to present a black canvas upon which to paint that message of God’s generosity and love. The message of the story is that if we can eventually get what we need from an unconcerned friend, now much more readily can we expect to get an answer from a loving father.
If we can’t relate to God as our loving, caring father, we can’t expect to get ready answers to our prayers. Here are just a couple verses that can help awaken us to the true nature of the God to whom we are to address our prayers. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11) “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (III John 2)
The next key that we see to getting answers to our prayers is that we make sure that we are praying for things that God wants us to have and that we are willing to have Him answer in His chosen way. First John 5:14-15 tells us, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” If we are simply making up our own minds as to how God should run His universe and trying to impose our program on Him through our prayers, we will be in for a long silence after our “Amen.” However, if we first find out what His will is concerning the petitions we are making, we can expect that He will speedily answer as soon as we can say, “in the name of Jesus.”
We may be questioning whether the problem is knowing God’s will. Actually, the whole idea that God’s will is mysterious is one of the devil’s ploys that he has used successfully to cripple believers throughout history. As far back as the Garden of Eden, the devil made Eve question the will of God concerning the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil even though it had already been clearly declared. The scriptures are the record of God’s will concerning every aspect of His creation. All we need to do is take the time and put forth the effort to study them and we will find out exactly how He intends to answer every situation.
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. (Ephesians 1:9)
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. (Ephesians 4:17-18)
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:17)
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. (Ephesians 6:6)
Furthermore, He has made even more provision for us if we have difficulty finding exactly the right passage to define His perfect will concerning our requests — He has promised that the Holy Spirit would do the praying for us when we can’t figure out what to ask for or how to say it: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:26-28)
Jesus described the keys that open the windows of heaven in Matthew 16:19, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” But before we jump to any conclusions as to what He was intending to say here, let’s take a minute to look at some more modern translations of this passage:
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of the Heavens; and whatever you bind on earth shall remain bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall remain loosed in Heaven. (Weymouth’s New Testament)
And I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to you. And whatever you may bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven, and whatever you may loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven. (Modern King James Version)
And I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens. (Young’s Literal Translation)
Notice that the wording in each of these renditions of the passage suggests that what happens in heaven is not the result of what is done on earth; rather, it is actually a pre-existing condition. Weymouth’s Translation uses the word “remain,” implying that the determination is already made and that our use of the key to heaven’s window is essentially a spoken affirmation in agreement with what is already predetermined. The Modern King James and Young’s Literal Translation both use the wording “having been,” which again reflect the idea that the outcome is already determined prior to the prayers or proclamations of believers. All these translations are making an attempt to convey the actual message of the Greek text, which implies that the key Jesus was giving us was not the ability to self-determine destinies and outcomes. Rather it is the ability to know the mind of God well enough that we are actually speaking out His mind on the matter whenever we pray or proclaim anything. (I Corinthians 2:16) To get a clear vision of what Jesus was trying to tell us, let’s look at a very familiar — yet often misunderstood — passage on intercession:
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. (Ephesians 6:17-18)
In these verses, Paul seems to be making an intentional connection between prayer and the Word of God in that he lists both of them as being connected with the Spirit. The Word of God is defined as the sword of the Spirit, and prayer is specified as being in the Spirit. Remembering a few other biblical truths, we can begin to see the message behind this connection. According to Psalm 119:89, God’s Word is forever settled in heaven. Even though His ways are much higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and His judgments beyond finding out (Romans 11:33), He has made a way through the work of the Holy Spirit for us to know all the benefits He has prepared for us (I Corinthians 2:9-10, John 14:26). When the Holy Spirit reveals to us the specific promises from the Word of God that we need to use as the sword of the Spirit when He is directing our prayers, then we develop a confidence in our prayers (I John 5:14-15) and an assurance that everything is going to work out just right (Romans 8:26-28). In I Corinthians 14:15, Paul gave us a hint as to how all this can work in our prayer lives, “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” I apply this principle to my prayer time by spending some time in prayer in the spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken in me some specific needs and also some specific promises related to these needs. Then I shift to prayer in the understanding, interceding that these biblical promises would be fulfilled in the lives of those for whom I am praying. God already has our success determined in heaven, but we need the ability to pray under the direction of the Holy Spirit so that our prayers are not off base — but in total alignment with what God has already bound and loosed in heaven. Certainly this is why Jesus made the prayer that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven a major point in His model prayer. (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2)
If we are praying incorrectly and do not know how to pray or what to pray for, then we will have ineffective prayer. Years ago, just before the dawn of the computer age, a student of mine told me that she had been praying for a very long time for a new typewriter. She had a certain kind in mind and asked very specifically for that kind of typewriter. After I counseled her concerning praying in the will of God, she asked the Lord to just give her whatever He wanted her to have. Within a couple days, she was given a computer that was an incredibly better typing system than even the best typewriter she had been wanting. She could have gotten a much quicker response had she known how to pray from the beginning. Generally, there are two ways to know that our prayers are in the perfect will of God rather than in our own human will: to pray according to the Bible (because the scripture is the express will of God) and to pray according to the Holy Spirit (because the Holy Spirit is the revealer of the express will of God). It is important to search the scriptures and know exactly what God’s Word says about our specific request. Once we find a promise or a principle that speaks to our need, we should lock into that scriptural truth and use it as an anchor for our prayers. In addition, we should always pray in the Spirit over our needs. The Holy Spirit always prays in accordance with the will of the Father and, therefore, prays a perfect and effectual prayer. (Romans 8:26-28)
Another type of knowledge needed for effective payer is the knowledge of the nature of God. Sometimes we may not know the exact will of God, but we could determine it by knowing what is in alignment with the personality and character of God. For instance, the lady who was praying for the typewriter had no way of knowing that God’s will was to give her a computer rather than a typewriter. However, she finally decided to pray in accordance to the nature of God, which is that He is the giver of all good gifts. (James 1:17) Because she prayed in confidence that whatever He would give her would be the best thing that she could get, she received a gift that was far better than what she would have picked on her own!
Once a gentleman challenged me, saying that the Word of God did not speak to him about whether or not to buy a new car. I quickly responded that it was God’s will for him to own a Triumph because II Corinthians 2:14 says that God always causes us to have triumph. I then suggested that would also be acceptable for him to own a Honda because the apostles had their Accord with them on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1) On a more serious note, we began to turn to scriptures that talk about money. When we had established that buying this new car would not interfere with his financial obligations to God in tithes, offerings, and alms, then we turned to other scriptures about letting material things come before God. Having settled that issue, we discussed a few passages about God’s plan to bless his children with good gifts. Finally, my friend looked up and said, “Yes, the Bible does say a lot about my decision to buy a new car!” The scriptures had laid out a general pattern of life, and as he moved into that general flow, he could see his specific path emerging.
Unfortunately, many people are begging God for personal direction in their lives when they are not even following the general instructions God has set forth for the Body as a whole. There are two Greek terms used in the New Testament that are both translated “word” in English. One is logos which speaks of the general idea behind a thing. Our English term “logic” comes from this word — and it is easy to understand the connotation. The logic or reasoning of any study is the general principle behind it. The other term, which refers to a specific spoken word, is the Greek word rhema. This term refers to God’s individual direction for each person at each juncture of his life. It is important to live in the center of God’s logos word so that He can speak to us with His rhema word. The scriptures reveal enough general principles of the will of God to keep us so busy that we really need very little rhema direction. In fact, we often find that God simply takes the logos and confirms to us that this is actually His rhema for us.
When we do get a rhema direction from God, we must be determined to follow it explicitly. We can see a tremendous example of this in the life of Dr. Lester Sumrall. When he received the rhema word to go to the Philippines to raise up a ministry there, God promised him, “I will do more for you there than I have done for you anywhere else in your ministry.” Knowing that there had never been any major Protestant revival in the Philippines during the history of the country and that there were very few Christians in the city, Dr. Sumrall went to Manila with great anticipation of what God was going to do. For the first several months, there were only a handful of people in his church. About the time that his congregation had grown to fifty people, the Lord began impressing him that he was to build a barn to hold the coming harvest. So, Dr. Sumrall started building a church that would seat twenty-five hundred people. He reasoned that he needed a building of at least that size since he had left a church in the States with over a thousand adults and a thousand children in Sunday school each week, and the Lord had promised something bigger in the Philippines. Everybody begged him not to do it. His denomination thought he would make them the laughingstock of the entire world — building a church to seat over two thousand when he only had fifty members. Protestant missionaries and prominent church leaders came to Manila to stop him because they were afraid he would take their members to fill his church. But he refused to be swayed by their arguments because he knew that God would bring a revival such as the Philippines had never seen.
One night while he was getting ready for bed, Dr. Sumrall and his wife listened to the evening news. Suddenly, bloodcurdling screaming and horrifying howls come across the airwaves. The news feature was the story of a young girl incarcerated in the Bilibid Prison in Manila who had been mysteriously bitten by unseen teeth. Medical doctors and prison wardens observed as tooth marks and blood mysteriously appeared on her body. From his previous missionary work, Dr. Sumrall recognized that this was demon power tormenting her; so, he got out of bed and lay on the floor praying and travailing, asking God to send somebody to deliver her from the demon power. But the Lord answered him, “If you don’t do it, it won’t happen. You are the only one in this city who knows how to cast the devil out of her.” At that point, Dr. Sumrall had no way of knowing that this was the key that would unlock the gate of hell in the Philippines.
He spent that night in prayer and fasting. The next morning he called the contractor who was building the church. Since he was a personal friend of the mayor, the contractor got Dr. Sumrall an appointment to see the mayor of the city who granted permission for Dr. Sumrall to go into Bilibid Prison and pray for the girl. The story of the girl had already hit the international news, and the city had sent out appeals for church leaders, psychiatrists, or somebody to come and help her — but no one was able to deliver her. Dr. Sumrall went to pray for her, but he did not get a total victory the first day; therefore, he went back again the second and third day. After three days of fasting and prayer, he spoke to the spirit, and it left. Not only was the girl set free, a remarkable thing happened in the city. Unbeknownst to Dr. Sumrall, the demon spirit that was controlling that young girl was the principality spirit that ruled the entire Philippines. As soon as its power was broken, the entire spirit realm of the Philippines became defenseless against the attack of the gospel.
When Dr. Sumrall was ushered back into the mayor’s office with the good news that the girl had been freed, the mayor was so pleased that he asked what Bro. Sumrall wanted in return. His request was for permission to have large open-air revival meetings every night on the main plaza of the city. Within a six-week period, one hundred fifty thousand people were converted to Christ. When construction of the church was complete and the dedication service was held, the church was so jammed that a large mass of people could not get inside.
The next hurdle that causes many of us to stumble in our prayer lives is lack of understanding the timing of God. The whole idea of daily bread is a bit disconcerting to me. I would personally prefer that God just give me a whole bakery full of bread so that I could take what I want at any time that I want it. However, in His wisdom, He has decided that I should receive my substance on a day-by-day program that will keep me dependent upon Him rather than upon the warehouse where the provisions are stored. In other words, my focus should not just be on the bread but also on the timing in which the bread is to be delivered.
Consider the example of the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. Certainly, Jesus had passed by that poor beggar many times because the man had sat there every day for more than forty years. (Acts 3:2, 4:22) In fact, Jesus may have even seen him when He visited the temple as a twelve-year-old lad! So why didn’t Jesus heal him during one of the many visits He made to the temple? Even though it was His will to heal the man, it wasn’t His timing. Had the man been healed during Jesus’ ministry, he would have been just one more footnote to the seemingly endless list of miracles in the life of Jesus. Jesus knew that if the man could wait just a few more months, his healing would bring about the salvation of five thousand new believers. (Acts 4:4) None of the healings in the gospels had that massive effect! The end result was worth the delay. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. (Mark 4:26-29)
My roommate in college had felt a call into the ministry and was really struggling with finding God’s direction — should he continue his secular college education, should he drop out and begin Bible college, or should he go immediately into evangelism? So many questions and so few answers! In the middle of his flood of questions, he was invited to speak at an out-of-town church for their Sunday evening service. On his way back home that night, he continued to badger the Lord for some answers. Suddenly, the Lord spoke to him with crystal clarity, “I could lay your whole life out before you with exact detail — just like the map you used to find this church today — but if I do, you’ll worship the road map rather than Me.” The scriptures confirm that we must be led by the Lord in a step-by-step fashion — that’s what is meant by the Christian’s walk of faith. It may be a bit more disturbing than having the whole thing spelled out in advance, but the faith walk certainly is interesting — and fun!
The Greek wording used in the next phrase of the Lord’s Prayer — if literally translated — would read, “Forgive us for missing the mark.” It does not refer to outright rebellious sin, but to the human inability to always do the right things or to do things the right way. I believe that this hindrance to answered prayer may actually be an outgrowth of one of the previous hindrances. Our human failures may be the most prominent reason that God’s will is not always done. Even when we try our best, we often still “screw it up.”
Perhaps Moses actually caused the people of Israel to spend an extra thirty years in Egypt. Genesis 15:13 predicted that they would be there for four hundred years; however, Exodus 12:40-41 tells us that they were actually in Egypt for four hundred thirty years. Perhaps Moses’ failed attempt to free them from oppression was ten years premature. The resulting forty years he spent in exile cost his people an extra three decades of suffering. When he finally overcame his blunder, God was able to answer his prayer that the people be freed. Esther 4:13 suggests that the Jewish queen in Persia almost missed the mark in delivering her people when she entertained the thought that she might be immune from the genocide planned against the Jews because of her position in the palace. It was only after she corrected her attitude and perspective that the prayer of Mordecai could be answered. Even Jesus had to deal with His own human tendencies when He faced the gruesome death on the cross. (Matthew 26:41, Luke 22:42) Being human, He could have “opted out” and totally destroyed God’s plan and voided the prayer of every human who as ever cried out for salvation. Second Peter 3:9 makes it explicitly clear that it is God’s will that no one should perish; however, we see people die everyday without having found eternal salvation. Why? Because the church has missed the mark in getting the message to them.
When God arrested Dr. Lester Sumrall and directed him concerning the final stage of his lifetime assignment — the establishment of a compassion ministry to feed hungry people around the world, He quoted from the Lord’s Prayer. God told Dr. Sumrall that there was one thing that really concerned Him — the fact that millions of His children prayed to Him each morning asking for their daily bread but then looked again to Him each evening, asking why it never came. The Lord then continued that the only answer He could give them was that their brothers and sisters had it but had refused to pass it on to them. We must ask God to forgive us for such sins and move forward with determination to do His will if we anticipate seeing our prayers answered.
The King James translation renders this part of Jesus’ statement about deliverance from evil in rather nebulous terms; however, a number of other versions follow a more literal interpretation of the Greek by saying, “Deliver us from the evil one.” By doing so, they personify the problem. It is no longer evil in general, but a specific evil individual, that we must ask God to spare us from. That evil one is, of course, the devil. First Peter 5:8-9 tells us that the devil is actively seeking opportunity to destroy our lives and that we must resist him steadfastly in faith. Paul confessed that some of his plans were disrupted because the devil stepped in and obstructed his course. (I Thessalonians 2:18) The prophet Daniel experienced a three-week hiatus in receiving an answer to his prayers because one of the devil’s agents blocked the answer. Even though God sent an angelic messenger with Daniel’s answer the instant he prayed, there was a twenty-one-day standoff in the heavenlies that tied up the whole process. (Daniel 10:12-13)
Our prayers, as well, may be hindered when the devil interrupts. Remember, the problem is never on God’s end. He answers immediately. In fact, He actually answers more quickly than immediately. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24) The problem is in the delivery system. We must recognize when the devil is interfering, and we must move him out of the way. God has given us the spiritual armor necessary to go into spiritual conflict with the evil one and to be able to defeat him. (Ephesians 6:10-18) When we make the decision to resist him, the devil will have to flee — literally turn tail and run from us in terror. (James 4:7) At that point, the answer that God has intended for us to have will suddenly manifest in our lives. How encouraging is this biblical truth — that we don’t have to go into this spiritual struggle alone. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to rely upon God Himself to deliver us from the effects of the devil upon our lives and prayers. (Jude 1:9)
A number of years ago, I experienced a physical illustration that demonstrated what happens in the spiritual dimension when we rely upon this promise from the Lord’s Prayer. I went to see the prehistoric pagan shrine Stonehenge in England on June 21, the only day of the year that the British government grants permission for people to go inside the fence surrounding the monoliths. The sun-worship cults demanded their religious rights and convinced the government to open the gates on this one day so they could do their ceremonies on this particular day when the sun rises over the central altar. As I was touring the site, one of the sun worshipers stood up and began threatening our group because he felt that we were desecrating the sun worshiper’s event by talking. One of the guys in our group — a huge hunk of a man — walked around to the man who was making all the threats and started cracking his knuckles as if he were ready for a fight. The sun worshiper whimpered and went back to his devilish chants trying to pretend that we weren’t there. Our “hero” never had to do anything physical to anybody. He just walked toward our opponent and stood there. His massive presence demonstrated that he was in authority. When he cracked his knuckles, he sent out such a strong message that the challenger simply left us alone. The sun worshiper knew that he had met more than his match. Our friend defeated the enemy the same way Jesus defeated Satan during His temptation when He stood firm on His authority — in Jesus’ case, the Word of God — until the devil left Him. Imagine how much more authoritatively we can stand now that we have the New Testament to add to the Old Testament authority on which Jesus stood.
Let me suggest that to develop a more effective prayer life that you begin to establish an arsenal of Bible promises to use as a sharp double-edged sword of the Spirit when you pray. I’ll give you a jumpstart by sharing some of my personal requests and the promises that I use when praying over them; however, your key to a successful prayer life will not be in reciting my list but in allowing the Holy Spirit to direct you in finding your own personalized promises.
Prayers for myself
That the mind and nature of Christ be formed in me
I Corinthians 2:16 — For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
That I might truly know the Lord
Philippians 3:10 — That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
That His will, not mine, would be done
Luke 22:42 — Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
That the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart would be acceptable to Him
Psalm 19:14 — Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
That my steps would be ordered of the Lord
Psalm 37:23 — The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
That I would prosper and be in health
III John 2 — Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
That the angels of the Lord would encamp around about me
Psalm 34:7 — The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
That I would accomplish all that the Lord has called me to do
Proverbs 13:19 — The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.
That I would be all that the Lord has destined me to be
Hebrews 4:1 — Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
That no weapon formed against me would prosper
Isaiah 54:17 — No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
That I will know how to love my wife and family as Christ loved me
Ephesians 5:25 — Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Prayers for my children
That they will have understanding and knowledge that comes directly from divine revelation rather than from natural instruction
Isaiah 54:13 — And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
That they will be an honor to God and their parents
Exodus 20:12 — Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
That they would rise up and call their parents blessed
Proverbs 31:28 — Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
That their hearts would be sensitive to the Lord
II Kings 22:19 — Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
That they would be healthy and in divine health
Jeremiah 33:6 — Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Jeremiah 30:17 — For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Isaiah 58:8 — Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Proverbs 3:8 — It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Proverbs 4:22 — For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Psalm 43:5 — Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
That the protection of the hedge of God would be around them
Job 1:10 — Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Ephesians 6:16 — Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
That they would be leaders of men rather than followers
Isaiah 55:4 — Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
That their days on this earth will be long
Deuteronomy 5:16 — Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
That they would be free from rebellion and foolishness
Proverbs19:3 — The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.
Proverbs 22:15: — Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Psalm 78:8 — And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
Prayers for my wife
That she would live and minister in the anointing
Isaiah 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.
That she would have wisdom in instructing the children
Proverbs 1:8 — My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Proverbs 6:20 — My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
That she would have divine understanding in counsel with others
Isaiah 11:2 — And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
That she would have health and strength
Deuteronomy 33:25 — Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Isaiah 58:8 — Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
That she would have financial insight and management and bargains
Proverbs 31:16 — She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
That she will have good time management
Proverbs 31:18 — She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
That she will be free from worry and full of faith
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.
Prayers for my extended family
That they will receive faith and healing
Matthew 9:22 — But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
That they will overcome worry
Matthew 6:31 — Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
That they will have harvest in their final years
Psalms 92:12 — The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Galatians 6:9 — And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
That all couples would have peace in their home
Romans 12:18 — If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Romans 14:17 — For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Romans 16:20 — And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
II Corinthians 13:11 — Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Galatians 5:22-23 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Ephesians 4:3 — Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Philippians 4:7 — And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:9 — Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
That all generations would really know the Lord and be free from rebellion
I Samuel 15:23 — For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
Hebrews 3:8 — Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
That they would have good health into their old age
Genesis 25:8 — Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
I Chronicles 29:28 — And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
Psalm 71:9 — Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
Psalm 92:14 — They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.
Isaiah 46:4 — And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
That the unsaved would come to Christ
Acts 16:31 — And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Prayers for all in the ministry
That more workers would respond to the call
Matthew 9:37-38 — Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
That they would receive the anointing of the Spirit and the call of God
Luke 4:18 — The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
That they would have the financial resources they need
Philippians 4:19 — But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
That the students who are supposed to be here would come
Isaiah 43:6 — I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
That missionaries would get the proper visas and the money they need for their work
Exodus 10:3 — And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
Psalm 107:14 — He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
That they find adequate and reasonably priced housing
Psalm 37:3 — Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
That thier ministries would gain recognition
Acts 2:6 — Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Isaiah 55:11 — So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
That there would be close coordination between the missionaries and the rest of the local churches
Ephesians 4:16 — From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
That the revelations that the Lord has given ministers would get into print and that they would be distributed fully
Deuteronomy 32:3 — Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Psalm 26:7 — That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
Psalm 68:11 — The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
Isaiah 52:7 — How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
That they would not experience financial lack
Luke 22:35 — And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
That all the finances for all their building projects would come in
Psalm 127:1 — Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
That the right people would join with them in their ministry work
Matthew 22:14 — For many are called, but few are chosen.
That the proper itinerary will be set up for each project and mission
Psalm 37:23 — The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Isaiah 30:21 — And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
That many be saved, delivered, and healed
Matthew 10:8 — Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
That ministers walk and live in divine provision
Matthew 6:29 — And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
I Peter 5:7 — Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Prayers for the people who are given the Word of God
That they would truly understand what Christ has done for them
Ephesians 1:17-19 — That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
That they would be fully used of God
Luke 8:8 — And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
That they would be free from fear, backsliding, misdirection, and laziness
Colossians 4:12 — Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
That they would bring to fruition the seed that has been planted in them
Galatians 6:9 — And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Prayers for the nations
That this gospel would be preached to every nation as a witness of Christ
Matthew 24:14 — And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
That there be an open door into every nation
Colossians 4:3 — Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds.
Revelation 3:8 — I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
That the strongholds of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, atheism, Shinto, animism, secularism, the cults would be pulled down
II Corinthians 10:4 — For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.
That there would be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church
Acts 2:17 — And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Acts 2:18 — And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
That the Body of Christ would be awakened to the end-time call and receive a burden for the last, the lost, the least
Romans 13:11 — And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
That the missionaries would receive total finances for the visions God has given them
I Thessalonians 4:12 — That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Ephesians 3:20 — Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
That the Lord turn the hearts of the national political leaders
Proverbs 21:1 — The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
That local ministries would receive all the finances they need to complete their building projects and finance their ministries
Philippians 4:18 — But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
That local citizens would become Christian lights in the national government
Matthew 5:14 — Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Matthew 5:15 — Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Matthew 5:16 — Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Prayers for my city, state, and nation
That the church would rise up in holiness
Psalm 110:3 — Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
That we would get sin and compromise out of the church
Romans 6:1 — What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Romans 6:2 — God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:6 — Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:7 — For he that is dead is freed from sin.
That righteous leaders and role models would be raised up
Jeremiah 3:15 — And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
That wicked and unjust men would either be converted or that they would be exposed and removed from places of leadership in the church, the media, and the government
I Timothy 2:1 — I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.
That our nation would begin to get a conscience concerning abortion, homosexuality, pornography, adultery, fornication, violence, pride, and abuse of the poor and defenseless
I Timothy 1:19 — Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.
Prayers for my church
That pastors would be able to truly hear from God for direction for the church and that they would be able to adequately communicate that direction to their staff and the congregation
Proverbs 29:18 — Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Habakkuk 2:2 — And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Habakkuk 2:3 — For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it.
That the congregation be free in the Spirit but not given to a lack of restraint that releases the flesh and demonic activity
II Corinthians 3:17 — Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Galatians 5:13 — For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
That churches have true revival and effective evangelism with fervent love
Psalm 85:6 — Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
That ministries would be perfectly in the center of God’s will and mission with His provision
Ephesians 5:17 — Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
That lay leaders would be uncompromisingly in the will of God
Romans 12:2 — And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
As I have already suggested, I encourage you to pray these prayers simply as a “jump start” while asking the Lord to give you your own arsenal of prophetic prayers that you can use to bind on earth what He has already bound in heaven. When you do so — genuinely expecting that He is hearing and answering — I guarantee that you’ll start seeing results. And when you see these results, you’ll be motivated to pray even more. Before long, you’ll not have any problems with prayer!
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11)
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22)
For verily I say unto you, That 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. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:23-25)
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24)
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (I John 3:22)
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (I John 5:14-15)