Prayer Series: What is Prayer?
Prayer isn't as complicated as you might believe. It's all about relationship. We speak to God, He listens. He responds, we listen.
The simplest definition of prayer is this: talking with God. It is expressing your heart to Him and spending time in His presence. God speaks, and we listen. We speak, and God listens.
It is sometimes just as helpful to ask, What is not prayer? Christian prayer is not the mindless chanting of memorized words to a distant god in the sky. It is an active engagement of your spirit, soul, and body with the living God. In turn, God gives His attention to His children. He designed prayer to be fulfilling, exciting, and rewarding.
While this series will focus primarily on intercession, it is helpful to begin with a brief overview of several different types of prayer. My hope is that this introduction will encourage you to study the subject of prayer more deeply.
Common Expressions of Prayer
A. Thanksgiving
B. Petition
C. Prevailing Prayer
D. Intercession (Praying for Others)
A. Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is giving thanks to God for all that He has done in your life. Scripture commands us to give thanks in every circumstance. Thankfulness flows from a heart that recognizes His protection, provision, and blessing—and above all, the gift of His Son.
B. Petition
Petition is bringing specific needs before God.
When Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” He showed that we can ask our Heavenly Father for the things we need to live—food, shelter, employment, and every other daily necessity.
Petition includes both personal and corporate needs, brought before God in faith that He provides. He welcomes specific requests. Avoid praying vague prayers such as, “God, bless the whole wide world.” God is interested in the details of our lives.
C. Prevailing Prayer
Prevailing prayer is fervent, consistent, and persistent prayer that refuses to quit until breakthrough comes.
Prevailing prayer often carries a breaker anointing, bringing lasting emotional healing or even physical healing from chronic illness.
Biblical Example
Luke 18:1–8
Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
D. Intercession (Praying for Others)
Intercession is sacrificial love expressed through prayer. It is standing in the gap on behalf of another person, a family, a church, a business, a school, a city, or even a nation.
Intercession often includes identifying with the sins of those you are praying for, offering prayers of repentance as though you were part of the situation yourself. Rather than standing in judgment over others, the intercessor humbly asks God to extend His mercy and bring transformation.
Biblical Example
Nehemiah was a godly and upright man, yet he identified himself with the sins of Israel rather than distancing himself from them. He confessed the nation’s sin as his own and asked the Lord to show mercy and restore Israel.
Nehemiah 1:4–10
I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant that I now pray before You day and night for the people of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.
We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make My name dwell there.’
They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.”