HOW DO WE PRAY?

How the Bible tells us to Pray

I am asked quite often how one can pray effectively. This article will show you the way the Word of God tells us to pray.

We are going to look at the Greek word pray (prayers, praying and prayed) proseuche and proseuchomai but only in the Mystery Epistles of Paul, Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians.

The Greek word proseuche appears in the New Testament 37 times in 37 verses and proseuchomai appears 90 times in 82 verses, this is quite an abundance of uses so I want to limit the study to just the three books of the Apostle Paul also know as the Prison Epistles.

We must first start our study with some Greek grammar lessons, very basic for now. When the words proseuche or proseuchomai are used as verbs, or as nouns the verbs that are used with them, are always in the present tense. The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time and in most cases this correspond directly with the English present tense.

Another characteristic of these verbs are that they are in the middle voice. The middle voice indicates the subject performing an action upon himself (reflexive action) or for his own benefit. E.g., "The boy groomed himself." Many verbs which occur only in
middle voice forms are translated in English as having an active sense; these are called "deponent" verbs, and do not comply with the normal requirements for the middle voice.
A different way to look at “deponent verbs” is that they occur with passive or middle voice forms but with active voice meaning The Greek middle voice meaning is still applicable, action is done for ones own benefit, this is very apropos to prayer.

The third characteristic of these verbs is the mood. These verbs for the most part are in the participle mood. The Greek participle corresponds for the most part to the English participle, reflecting "-ing" or "-ed" being suffixed to the basic verb form. The participle can be used either like a verb or a noun, as in English, and thus is often termed a "verbal noun."

We must therefore conclude that even when the word prayer is used as a noun it is a verbal noun and indicates some action by the subject. This being said let us now take a look at the verses where these words are used and it will become clear as to how prayer is to be done.

Eph. 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making (present tense, middle voice) mention of you in my prayers; proseuche (verbal noun).

Eph. 6:18 Praying proseuchomai (present tense, middle voice, participle mood) always with all prayer proseuche (verbal noun) and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Phil. 1:9 And this I pray proseuchomai (present tense, middle voice, participle mood), that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment;

Phil. 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer proseuche (verbal noun) and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Col. 1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying proseuchomai (present tense, middle voice, participle mood), always for you,

Col. 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray proseuchomai (present tense, middle voice, participle mood) for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col. 4:2 Continue proskartereo (present tense, middle voice, imperative mood) in prayer proseuche, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Here the mood of the verb “continue” changed from participle to imperative. The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding.

The Apostle by virtue of the God breathed Word is commanding the Colossians to actively pray with thanksgiving.

Col. 4:3 Withal praying proseuchomai (present tense, middle voice, participle mood), 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:

Col. 4:12 Epaphras, who is [one] of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers proseuche, (verbal noun) that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Lastly I would like to share with you a verse that uses another Greek word, dessis for the English word prayer.

Phil. 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer deesis, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Dessis has its roots in the word deomai which is a verb and guess what the characteristics of this verb are; you got it, present tense, middle voice, participle mood. Is the Word of God incredible or what?

So when it comes to prayer and praying we see a theme; that is that pray is something we should do consistently and constantly.

Paul Griffitts a Bibical Researcher for over 30 years
Currently Paul is the Editor of The Good News Letter for Believer.com

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION - IS IT BIBLICAL

Prayers of intercession - Are there biblical examples?

Prayers of intercession are to be offered on behalf of other people - your friends, family, co-workers, and so on. Do those around you have needs, concerns, or health problems? If so, cry out to God on their behalf. The Bible gives us several examples of intercessory prayer. Here are a few:

One of the earliest examples of this type of prayer is found in Genesis 18 when Abraham pleaded with God for the well-being of the people of Sodom. Instead of being overcome with his own needs, Abraham prayed for those around him.

Moses is also known for interceding on behalf of others throughout his life. In fact, Pharaoh requested that Moses pray for him in Exodus 8:28, "Pharaoh said, 'I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.'" Later in Exodus 15:25, Moses petitioned God on behalf of the Hebrew people: "Then Moses cried out to the LORD…" Moses prayed for others with urgency and boldness.

Several of Paul's prayers of intercession are recorded in the New Testament. In Philippians 1:9-11, Paul prayed for the believers: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God."

The church prayed fervently for Peter while he was imprisoned. Acts 12:5 says, "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

1 Timothy 2:1-5 exhorts us to pray for others: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Jesus is the greatest intercessor of all time! Here are some of His prayers:

• Jesus prayed for Peter - Luke 22:32 says, "But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
• Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him. Luke 23:34 says, "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."
• Jesus prayed for His disciples and for Believers throughout eternity in John 17.

Is it a sin not to pray for people? 1 Samuel 12:23 answers this question, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right."

Do you spend time praying for others? Prayers of intercession are powerful! The Bible records that weather changed, people were released from prison, enemies were defeated, and so much more - all as a result of intercessory prayer!

INTERCESSORY PRAYER WHAT IS IT

Intercessory Prayer - What is it?
Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another's case. One study Bible defines intercession as "holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God's intervention."
Intercessory Prayer - The Biblical Foundation
The Biblical basis for the New Testament believer's ministry of intercessory prayer is our calling as priests unto God. The Word of God declares that we are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:4), a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:8), and a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:5).

The background for understanding this calling to priestly intercession is found in the Old Testament example of the Levitical priesthood. The priest's responsibility was to stand before and between. He stood before God to minister to Him with sacrifices and offerings. The priests also stood between a righteous God and sinful man bringing them together at the place of the blood sacrifice.

Hebrews 7:11-19 explains the difference between the Old and New Testament ministries of the priest. The Old Testament Levitical priesthood was passed on from generation to generation through the descendants of the tribe of Levi. "The Melchizedek priesthood" spoken of in this passage, is the "new order" of spiritual priests of whom the Lord Jesus is the High Priest. It is passed on to us through His blood and our spiritual birth as new creatures in Christ.
Intercessory Prayer - Our Model Intercessor
Jesus Christ is our model for intercessory prayer. Jesus stands before God and between Him and sinful man, just as the Old Testament priests did: For there is one God, and one mediator (intercessor) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34). Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).

Jesus brings sinful man and a righteous God together at the place of the blood sacrifice for sin. No longer is the blood of animals necessary as it was in the Old Testament. We can now approach God on the basis of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary for the remission of sins. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can approach God boldly without timidity (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Jesus was an intercessor while He was here on earth. He prayed for those who were sick and possessed by demons. He prayed for His disciples. He even prayed for you and me when He interceded for all those who would believe on Him. Jesus continued His ministry of intercession after His death and resurrection when He returned to Heaven. He now serves as our intercessor in Heaven.
Intercessory Prayer - Effective Intercession
In intercessory prayer, we follow the Old Testament priestly function and the New Testament pattern of Jesus - standing before God and between a righteous God and sinful man. In order to be effective standing "between" we must first stand "before" God to develop the intimacy necessary to fulfill this role. Numbers 14 is one of the greatest accounts of intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible. Moses was able to stand between God and sinful man because he had stood "before" Him and had developed intimacy of communication. Numbers 12:8 records that God spoke with Moses as friend to friend and not through visions and dreams as He did with other prophets.

As New Testament believers, we no longer sacrifice animals as in Old Testament times. We stand before the Lord to offer up spiritual sacrifices of praise (Hebrews 13:15) and the sacrifice of our own lives (Romans 12:1). It is on the basis of this intimate relationship with God that we can then stand "between" Him and others, serving as an advocate and intercessor in their behalf.

Peter uses two words to describe this priestly ministry: "Holy" and "royal." Holiness is required to stand before the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We are able to do this only on the basis of the righteousness of Christ, not our own righteousness. Royalty is descriptive of the kingly authority that is delegated to us as members of the "royal family," so to speak, with legitimate access to the throne room of God.