What Does the Bible Have to Say About Prayer?

The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. The first mention of prayer is found in Genesis, chapter 4.

Genesis 4:26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

What is the Correct Posture for Prayer?

There is no correct or certain posture for prayer. In the Bible people prayed

On Their Knees

1 Kings 8:45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

Bowing

Exodus 4:31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

On Their Faces Before God

2 Chronicles 20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.; Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Standing

1 Kings 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven

You may pray with your eyes opened or closed, quietly or out loud -- however you are most comfortable and least distracted.

Should I Use Eloquent Words?

Your prayers need not be wordy or impressive in speech.

Matthew 6:7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again."

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

Why Should I Pray?

Prayer Develops Our Relationship with God.
If we never speak to our spouse or never listen to anything our spouse might have to say to us, our marriage relationship will quickly deteriorate. It is the same way with God. Prayer - communicating with God - helps us grow closer and more intimately connected with God.

Zechariah 13:9 I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.' "

John 15:7 But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!

The Lord Instructed Us to Pray.
One of the simplest reasons to spend time in prayer is because the Lord instructed us to pray. Obedience is a natural by-product of discipleship.

Matthew 26:41 "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

1 Timothy 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Where to Pray

In your private room or secret place

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

In church

Psalm 26:12 My foot stands in an even place; in the congregations I will bless the LORD.

1 Kings 8:22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward the heavens.

Everywhere and anywhere

1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore, I desire that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

When to Pray

In the morning

Psalm 5:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct my prayer to You, and I will look up.

Morning, noon and night

Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning, and at noon, I will pray and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice.

Day & Night

Psalm 88:1 O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before You.

Every day of the week

Psalm 86:3 Be merciful to me, O Lord; for I cry to You daily.

Do you get it? God is "on duty" to hear YOUR prayers 24/7/365! You will NOT be put on hold.

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart

How To Pray

Pray boldly

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (for an example of bold prayer, see Genesis 18:22-25)

Pray with an attitude of deep love and respect for God

Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.

Pray "conversationally."

God is a person -- namely, your Father. Prayer is a deeply personal, intimate CONVERSATION with your Father -- not some *magical incantation* or religious babbling.

Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

What to Pray

In "the Model Prayer," Jesus taught you to...

• Pray to the Father.

• Acknowledge God's holiness.

• Seek God's kingdom and God's will.

• Request God's daily provision.

• Confess your sins, and seek forgiveness.

• Request strength to resist evil and temptation.

• Offer praises unto God.

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye...Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespassess, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Share your sorrows and joys with God.

James 5:13 Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Pray for spiritual and physical healing for yourself and others.

James 5:16b Pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Pray for those who govern your nation and the world, that we may live in peace and godliness.

1 Timothy 2:2 for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity.

Pray for wisdom and discernment.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (see also 1 Kings 3:5-14)

Pray for Your Enemies

Matthew 5:44 I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

Pray for all your needs. Give thanks always unto God. Seek and receive God's peace that surpasses all understanding.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

What If I Don't Know How to Pray?

The Holy Spirit will help you in prayer when you don't know how to pray.

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Are There Requirements for Successful Prayer?

Yes, there are some requirements found in the Bible for successful prayer.

Successful prayer requires:

A humble heart

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Wholeheartedness

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Faith

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Righteousness

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Obedience

1 John 3:22 And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him.

Does God Hear and Answer Prayer?

Yes, God hears and answers prayer. Here are several examples of this promise from the Bible.

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

Psalm 91:15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

Psalm 4:3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him.

Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Isaiah 58:9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

Luke 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Why are Some Prayers Not Answered?

Sometimes our prayers are not answered. The Bible gives several reasons or causes for failure in prayer:

Disobedience

Deuteronomy 1:45 You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you.; 1 Samuel 14:37 So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day.

Secret Sin

Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

Indifference

Proverbs 1:28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.

Neglect of mercy

Proverbs 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

Despising the Law

Proverbs 28:9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

Bloodguiltiness

Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;

Iniquity

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.; Micah 3:4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.

Stubbornness

Zechariah 7:13 " 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty.

Instability or Doubt

James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Sometimes our prayers are refused. Prayer must be in accord with God's divine will.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Deuteronomy 3:26 But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.

Ezekiel 20:3 "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.'

Should I Pray Alone or with Others?

God wants us to pray together with others believers.

Matthew 18:19 Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Luke 1:10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

God also wants us to pray alone and in secret:

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 5:15-16 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Prayer is Effective

1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

James 5:16 …The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures

The Teachings of Jesus

Matthew 6:5-8 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Luke 18:9-14 "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Mark 11:22-25 "Have faith in God,' Jesus answered. 'I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

John 14:13-14 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

How to Pray When Your Situation is Desperate

What if you feel backed into a corner? Your job, finances, or marriage may be in trouble and you wonder how to pray when danger threatens. David, a man after God’s own heart, knew that feeling, as King Saul pursued him across the hills of Israel, trying to kill him. The slayer of the giant Goliath, David understood where his strength came from:

Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Desperation seems more the norm than the exception in the Bible. The night before his death, Jesus told his confused and anxious disciples how to pray at such times:

John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

When you feel desperate, trusting in God calls for an act of the will. You can pray to the Holy Spirit, who will help you overcome your emotions and put your trust in God instead. This is hard, but Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit as our Helper for times like these.

How to Pray When Your Heart is Broken

Despite our heartfelt prayers, things don’t always go the way we want. A loved one dies. You lose your job. The outcome is just the opposite of what you asked for. What then?

Jesus' friend Martha was brokenhearted when her brother Lazarus died. She told Jesus so. God wants you to be honest with him. You can give him your anger and disappointment.

What Jesus told Martha applies to you today:

John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Of course, we should not expect Jesus to raise our loved one from the dead, as he did Lazarus. But we should expect our believer to live eternally in heaven, as Jesus promised. God will mend all our broken hearts in heaven. I don’t know how he will do that, but I believe with all my being that he will.

Jesus promised in his Sermon on the Mount that God does hear the prayers of the brokenhearted:

Matthew 5:3-4 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

We pray best when we offer God our pain in humble sincerity, and Scripture tells us how our loving Father responds:

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

How to Pray When You Are Ill

Clearly God wants us to come to him with our physical and emotional illnesses. The gospels, especially, are filled with accounts of people coming boldly to Jesus for healing. Not only did he encourage such faith, he delighted in it.

When a group of men couldn't get their friend close enough to Jesus, they made a hole in the roof of the house where he was preaching and lowered the paralyzed man down to him. First Jesus forgave his sins, then he made him walk.

On another occasion, as Jesus was leaving Jericho, two blind men sitting by the roadside shouted at him. They didn't whisper. They didn't talk. They shouted!

Matthew 20:31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!'

Was the co-creator of the universe offended? Did he ignore them and keep walking?

Matthew 20:32-34 Jesus stopped and called them. 'What do you want me to do for you?' he asked. 'Lord,' they answered, 'we want our sight.' Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him."

Have faith in God. Be bold. Be persistent. If, for his own mysterious reasons, God does not heal your illness, you can be sure he will answer your prayer for supernatural strength to endure it.

How to Pray When You are Thankful

Life has miraculous moments. The Bible records dozens of situations where people express their gratitude to God. Many forms of thanks please him.

When God saved the fleeing Israelites by parting the Red Sea:

Exodus 15:20Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.

After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, his disciples:

Luke 24:52-53 ...worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

God desires our praise. You can shout, sing, dance, laugh, and cry with tears of joy. Sometimes your finest prayers have no words at all, but God, in his infinite goodness and love, will understand perfectly.

Is it Okay to Pray, "If it Be Your Will, Lord?"

Answer:

Even Jesus prayed to the Father, “Your will be done,” in the Lord’s prayer:

This verse in Matthew 26 again shows Jesus praying in a similar way:

Matthew 26:39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.

Some churches teach that God will only hear and answer our prayers if we pray with confidence and complete faith, according to his will. They base this teaching on the following verses of Scripture:

1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Yes, the Bible teaches us to pray specifically and without doubting when we know God's will. What the above verses don't say is that God only hears our prayers when we pray specifically, knowing his will. What they do reveal is that God won't answer prayer contrary to his will. So, if you are praying for God to make you wealthy so you can give more money to missions, but he knows you will end up falling into temptation and sin as a result of that wealth, he may not grant your request.

How Should We Pray?

The problem of unanswered prayer is not God's fault, nor is it due to our imperfect prayer techniques. The problem could be that we are asking for the wrong things, or not praying according to God's will. The problem may simply be that we don't know God's will.

In many instances, God's will is clearly revealed to us. The more we know Scripture, the more we can be sure of God's will when we pray. But the fact remains, we are human, imperfect, weak. We won't always know God's will. His infinite thoughts, ways, plans and purposes can't always be understood by our finite, limited minds.

So, when we don't know God' will, there is nothing wrong with praying, “If it be your will, Lord.” Prayer is not about phrasing everything perfectly, or using the correct formula in the exact right way. Prayer is about communicating with God from our hearts, in an honest, loving relationship. Sometimes we get too concerned about technique and forget that God knows our hearts and understands our human imperfections.

We even have this promise of help from the Holy Spirit when we don't know how to prayer in Romans 8:26, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Encouraging Bible Verses on Prayer

1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

Psalm 4:1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 5:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct my prayer to You, and I will look up.

Psalm 17:1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer--it does not rise from deceitful lips.

Psalm 25:1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 50:15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning, and at noon, I will pray and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice.

Psalm 65:1-2 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.

Psalms 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Proverbs 15:8 The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the rrighteous.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Matt 5:43-44 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:5-12 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

Mark 9:28-29 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

Mark 11:17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'

Mark 11:22-25 "'Have faith in God,' Jesus answered. 'I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins'"

Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Luke 11:1-13 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'" Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 18:1-10 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 about men. 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 about men, 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?"

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

John 14:13-14 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

1 Corinthians 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind

Ephesians 6:18-19 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,

Phillipians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Colossions 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 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.

1 Timothy 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

James 1:7 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 5:13-16 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him

Revelations 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Written by :

Worldwide Prayer Chain