How To Pray Biblically

We are to pray to the Father

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Luk 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 

We are to pray in Jesus’ name.

Joh 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].

 

We are to pray in the Spirit

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Rom 8:26 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.

In Scriptural prayer all three members of the Godhead are involved. We should not leave anyone of them out when we pray.

The Father grants our prayers

Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That 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.

Joh 16:23 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.

 

Jesus mediates for us

Joh 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

Jesus is our High Priest and gives us access to God.

Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.

What Jesus did for us on the cross gives us the boldness to pray.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Spirit guides us in prayer.

Rom 8:26 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.

 

All three are interested in, and are involved in our prayers. We need to pray as the Bible instructs us to pray. We need to pray to the Father, in Jesus’ name, and in the Spirit.

Sounds pretty simple and straight forward you say. I didn’t know there was any other way you say. Why have a lesson on this you ask?

One time I was sitting in a church and heard a Pastor preach that you should not pray to the Father. He taught why would you want to pray to a God that is a billion zillion miles away. Instead pray to the Holy Spirit that is in your heart. Of course he had no scripture to back up his teaching and he had to ignore much of the Bible to teach it.

What he taught is wrong on so many levels.

One it denies God’s power. Distance is nothing to God. He hears no matter how far it is.

Second the Bible tells us to pray to the Father not to the Spirit. Praying to the Holy Spirit is praying in disobedience and rebellion to the clear teaching of the Word of God.

Third granting answers to prayer is not the Holy Spirits part in prayer. His part is in guiding our prayers. Praying to the Holy Spirit is a misdirected prayer.

A part of getting your prayers answered is praying in obedience to the way God instructs us to pray, and not in some new way that you invented out of pride.

Jam 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Instead of praying your way, pray Gods way. To the Father, in Jesus’ name, and in the guidance of the Spirit as opposed to praying in the flesh.