TYPES OF PRAYER

Marilyn Hickey

 
I EXHORT, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men (Timothy 2:1)

     The Apostle Paul had a good understanding of the different types of prayer. In 1Timothy 2:1, he mentions supplications, prayers (which indicates prayers other than the ones listed), intercessions, and thanksgiving. Jesus also demonstrated different types of prayers during His earthly ministry. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed a prayer of thanksgiving; and in Matthew 18, He taught His disciples the prayer of binding and loosing and prayer of agreement.

Prayer of Agreement:

 …if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:19,20).

     The prayer of agreement is a prayer in which two or more people set themselves in agreement with God’s Word, one another, and Jesus, Who, according to this scripture, is in the midst of them.

     Harmony is important. If you or the person (s) you’re agreeing with in prayer are out of fellowship with the Lord or one another, or there is un forgiveness or strife in your life, it will bind the hands of God, hinder your prayers, and leave a door open for Satan to come in and steal, kill, or destroy (see Mark 11:25, 26; Galatians 5:6; James 3:14, 16).

 Prayer of Binding and Loosing:

        Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever  ye shall on earth shall be bound in heaven; and  

       whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).

       The extent to which God is free to move in the earth and in your prayer life depends upon YOU! The prayer of   binding and loosing can stop Satan in his tracks. This is ”cause and effect“ praying. Because you have the name of Jesus, which has authority over every thing that is named (cancer, lack, rebellion, etc.) you can hinder Satan’s ability on earth to interfere with the will of God.

Prayer of Petition and Supplication:

   Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6, 7).

     The Amplified Bible says, Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace shall be yours….

      The only requirements for the prayer of petition and supplication are that you know what your request is before you approach God in prayer and that your request is based on the Word of God. It is so encouraging to know that you don’t have to be nervous, worried, or uptight about anything. You can simply petition God, and He will keep your heart and mind at peace.

United Prayer:

    And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God  with one accord,…And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:23,24,31).

     The believers in the New Testament church knew the power of united prayer. Acts 12, describes a prayer meeting of a group of believers who were praying for the release of Peter who had been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. Verse 5 says… prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. The power of their united prayer was so great that God dispatched an angel to rescue Peter out of King Herod’s clutches and an iron gate opened of its own accord. There is power when the Body of Christ comes together to pray, which is why believers are admonished to fellowship and attend church on a regular basis (see Hebrews 10:25).

Thanksgiving and Praise:

   Enter into His with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise…. (Psalms 100:4).

       Have you ever noticed how in effective your prayers are and how burdened you feel when you do nothing but complain to God during your prayer time? When you enter into His courts with thanksgiving to present your petitions, like yeast causes dough to rise, thanksgiving makes your prayer requests rise into the presence of the Father, and it lifts you above the heaviness or hopelessness of your situation.

Prayer of Commitment:

       Then cometh Jesus with them unto place called Gethsemane…And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt  (Matthew 26:36,39).

        From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is clear about what is and is not God’s will. In Matthew 26, Jesus is praying a prayer of commitment. It took three times for Him to totally submit to the will of God. He said, oh Lord, I don’t want to drink this cup…If you will, let it pass from me. And finally, Nevertheless, You will be done. Jesus agonized in prayer over this until He submitted to the will of His Father (See verses 36-44). The prayer of commitment is the only time you should pray, ”If it be Thy will.“ Otherwise, you should find a Scripture to support your need and pray, ”Your Word says…“

Praying in the Spirit:

       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,…(Ephesians 3:20).

      Praying in the Spirit releases the power of God to bring your prayers to pass. The Greek word for power in this Scripture is ”dunamis“; it means ”miracle-working power.“ When you are endued with miracle-working power you can go forth in prayer and attack the world for Jesus Christ because of the power at work within you.

       Romans 8:26-28 says you do not know how to pray for things as you ought, but the Holy Spirit prays through you with groanings and utterances that cannot be thought out. Because the Holy Spirit searches the hearts of the people who are going to be involved in your situation, He makes intercession according to God’s will. When you pray in the Spirit, God makes everything (including the hearts of men) come together according to His will.

Praying God’s Word:

      But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

         Jesus defeated the devil with the Word. You also must pray God’s Word to defeat Satan. For every problem, you should pray a promise because it’s the promise (the Word) that does not return void (see Isaiah55:11). Praying God’s Word accomplishes three things - it reminds God of His Word, it reminds the devil he is defeated, and it increases your faith because…Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Praying the Word brings the provisions that you need.
 
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*Used with permission