A Theology of Prayer (Guest Author)

From time to time, some of my graduate students produce some very good work.  I thought you might like to see what Barry Jenkins had to say about prayer.

A Theology of Prayer

By

Barry L. Jenkins

Introduction

It is necessary to state the obvious at the beginning of this work entitled A Theology of Prayer; this work is “a” theology of prayer and not “the” theology of prayer. The issues addressed are from the perspective of the author and no attempt is made to create emphatic rules that apply to all. Just like each human relationship is different, prayer may be different for each individual. However, just like in relationships, there are some general guidelines that can apply to all; the same is true for prayer. This work will point out the issues and the author’s personal experiences in attempt to create “a” theology of prayer.

The work will begin with a prolegomena as the foundation for the author’s discussions to follow. Thereafter, subject headings will include: the categories of prayer, the attitude of prayer, the nature of prayer, the purpose of prayer and the expectations of prayer. In the final section, several model prayers written by the author will be set forth as a guide to assist in the development of a consistent prayer life. It is the desire of this writer that his personal journey in the practice of prayer will serve as an encouragement to all those that read this work.

Prolegomena

The author approaches prayer from a theological framework that is essentially reformed following the teachings of Martin Luther, John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards. This approach stresses the Sovereignty of God, yet not eliminating the responsibility of man. Although some passages of Scripture actually command prayer, generally, prayer is not a demand but a humble communication from a created being to his Creator. It is a request made to the mercies of God. According to the Westminster Larger Catechism, prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.” This reformed approach is further shaped by an ongoing understanding of the need to approach every Biblical issue from a Hebraic perspective as opposed to a Greek model engrained through an education system that is thoroughly Greek

There are five points that serve as a foundation of this theology of prayer:

1.     God created man to display the riches of the glory of His grace. “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” “[I]n order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.” (emphasis supplied)

2.     Therefore, man has a duty, perhaps a de facto requirement, to act in a way that calls attention to the glory of God’s grace. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (emphasis supplied

3.     God will receive the most glory when man, in an exercise of his free will, depends on God for the grace and power to serve Him. “Whoever speaks [must do so] as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (emphasis supplied)

4.     Prayer for God’s help is a way that God has provided for man to seek His assistance. The act of prayer reminds man of his dependence on God and this brings glory to Him. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (emphasis supplied)

5.     The Holy Spirit assists man in prayer and thus, God receives the glory for answered prayer. Prayer brings glory to God because when God answers prayer, and even if He doesn’t, He demonstrates His power over His creation. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (emphasis supplied)

God will assist us in prayer which will in turn bring Him the most glory. The Westminster Larger Catechism describes man’s chief and highest end as being to glorify God. As we pray, we are fulfilling our highest end and fulfilling our intended purpose. However, this does not infer that all prayer is the same. There are different categories of prayer as the next section will examine.

Categories of Prayer

When discussing categories of prayer, one must guard against the creation of legalistic classifications. In a time of prayer one might find themselves flowing across all the divisions as set forth in this section. Not only would such an approach be acceptable, it should be encouraged. I remember watching Michael Jordan dribble a basketball full court and do an amazing dunk. As he would do so, he would not be thinking “right foot left foot right foot left foot.” He would be moving toward the goal appearing to have no identifiable pattern except to stay within the rules. This section seeks to provide the categories of prayer and the principles that would apply to each classification of prayer. After the principles are learned, the one seeking God in prayer would move toward the goal of communication with the Father without an identifiable method. This paper divides prayer into seven categories:

1.     A Prayer of Consecration: This type of prayer is a prayer of dedication. I don’t know all the things that tomorrow hold, but I know who holds tomorrow in His hands. I trust His holding and therefore I can pray: “Lord, I commit my tomorrows into your hands. I trust you completely and I want my will to become your will. I want your perfect will in my life. I am Yours regardless of what comes my way.” This prayer is a prayer of trust for the uncertainties of tomorrow. In this type of prayer, it is appropriate to pray “if it be Thy will,” I shall be a missionary; a minister, or whatever You want me to be.

2.     A Prayer of Faith: Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” This verse describes the prayer of faith. One needs to grasp the idea that Jesus’ Words are spiritually alive and not dead; John wrote that Jesus spoke these Words to His disciples and He speaks them to His disciples today. The word “believe” means to “believe, have faith in, trust.” What are we to trust in? We are to have trust in Jesus’ Words; we are to believe that what He said in this verse is in fact His Words as recorded by John; and if so, they are eternal Words that can be relied on. The word “believe” is a verb in the present tense, imperative mood and active voice. This means that it is a command to do something which involves continuous or repeated action. This means that you are commanded (not requested) to believe and keep believing until you receive the answer to your prayers knowing that if they are according to His Word, the result is guaranteed. It should be recognized that it is quite impossible to command someone to have a mental belief, but it is obviously possible to command someone to act faithfully, i.e. to demonstrate trust. We are to continue to act faithfully regardless of our perceived response to our prayers from a Sovereign God. We are to continue to trust in God’s Word even when the circumstances look contrary and this will be observable through our actions. The prayer of faith is to stand in agreement with God’s Word notwithstanding the observable. It is most important to understand the necessity of corresponding actions with prayer. Our standing in agreement with God is not motionless. There will be no faith without action; mental assent is insufficient alone.

3.     Prayer of Commitment:  The prayer of commitment taken from 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. The word “casting” means to cast, to throw or cast upon. The tense of the participle “cast” is aorist and that means it is characterized by its emphasis on simple or singular action in the past. In plain English this means that it is a definite act. You could write it down on a calendar; you could remember the date each year as an anniversary. It is not a general, “I know it all will work out some day” attitude. To get a visual of this process, one could imagine someone fishing on the side of a lake. The person holds his or her rod and casts the line into the middle of the lake. Now the illustration ends here because in real life, the person fishing reels the line back to the place of casting. We are going to cast and cut. We cast or roll over our cares to the Lord and then we “cut the line” and never have to receive them back again. This type of prayer is a release of those burdens that attempt to weigh us down and prevent us from following the Lord.

4.     Corporate Prayer: Peter and John were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to answer the charges that they were preaching in Jesus’ name. They were threatened and commanded not to speak of Jesus again. They refused to obey the authorities because they were in conflict with God’s Word and were subsequently released. The prayer offered for them is an example of corporate prayer: they confess God’s Sovereignty; they confess God’s Creations; they confess God’s Providence; they confess that Jesus is God’s servant and holy; they ask for boldness to preach God’s Word; and they ask for God to heal and perform miracles though the Name of Jesus. It is interesting to note what they did not pray for: that they would be delivered; that they would have an easier way of life; that they would have special purpose; and that they would have their best life now.  Their prayer was for the furtherance of the kingdom of God and not their personal kingdoms. The result: the place is shaken and they were filled again with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly (this was an answer to their prayer). As in all prayer, corporate prayer should be about the kingdom of God and the furtherance of His purposes not ours.

5.     Prayer of Worship:  We are to pray a prayer of worship by bowing ourselves (not necessarily physically although it is the recommended posture but certainly spiritually) to our Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit and “kissing their collective hand.” How do we do this? We do this by not rushing from the encounter. We express our love and adoration for all that God has done for us. We confess His Word as the truth in our lives. We proclaim our commitment to Him and the furtherance of His Kingdom. We relax in His love like you would in a comfortable bed, except it is not rest in the sense of inactivity. It is an active adoration while remaining in a state of rest before Him. We do not seek to manipulate Him, but instead to be completely agreeable to whatever His will is in our lives. We are to prayerfully submit to and be desirous of His perfect will. The prayer of worship prepares us to live our lives in obedience to whatever comes into our life.

Having reviewed these categories of prayer, a natural inquiry would be the attitude one should have in prayer. It is to our attitude during prayer that now will be examined.

The Attitude of Prayer

This section addresses the proper attitude one should have during times of prayer. “Attitude” has been defined as a state of mind or a feeling; a disposition. An appreciation of what is occurring during prayer will assist one to understand the proper attitude to be practiced. Some see prayer as a time to manipulate God into fixing their respective dilemmas. If the correct words are said often enough, God will be compelled to answer according to the dictates of the one praying. This approach fails to achieve the correct attitude in prayer.

The Hebrew word for prayer is tefillah. It is derived from the root Peh-Lamed-Lamed and the word l’hitpalel, meaning to judge oneself. The word tefillah is a feminine noun meaning prayer. It is the word used to describe a prayer that was similar to a plea.
The word origin provides the reader direction concerning the attitude of Jewish prayer. The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it is a prayer of consecration, faith, commitment, corporate, or worship, is the introspection it provides. We are to look inside ourselves, seeing our role in the world and our relationship to God. Isaiah the prophet experienced this type of self examination as seen in his declaration, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips….” Indeed, this was a strange admission of inadequacy from one that was a prophet of the Most High God. Yet, this reveals the beauty of self introspection; in the presence of God, he acknowledged his unclean lips that would soon be used to proclaim God’s Word.

When we approach the Creator of the Universe, we are to have an attitude of yielding to His sovereign will. As stated by one scholar: “the Hebrew prays that his heart will be transformed in such as way that he will be fully prepared to accept what God has to offer.” This conflicts with the practice of many to pray without personal introspection.

Another issue concerning the attitude of prayer involves the question of how often should one pray concerning a particular issue: faith versus persistence. For example, one might advocate based on Scripture, that when you pray believing you shall receive, you have received even without seeing the manifestation of the answer. Another might contend that one should keep praying or requesting until the answer is observable. One can see that when the proper attitude of introspection and submission is present, the difficulty disappears. When I pray, I believe I have received although what I have received may not be what I sought. In fact, the answer may represent something currently not capable of being understood. Further, I may pray with importunity as I am to earnestly be in a place of self examination before God. As I seek God in prayer it is not inconsistent for me to believe that I have received something I may not yet understand while at the same time continue to seek God by further submitting myself in prayer until I do have comprehension. The key is that obedience precedes understanding; I am to obey regardless of my lack of understanding.

One may continue in the attitude of prayer throughout the day as we are to be obedient to Him regardless of the function we are performing in the material world. Observant Jews are constantly reminded of God’s presence and of their relationship with God, because they are continually in attitude of prayer toward Him. The first thought in the morning, even before they rise from bed, is a prayer thanking God for returning their souls to them. Prayers are to be recited before enjoying any material pleasure, such as eating or wearing new clothes; prayers to recite before performing any commandment, such as washing hands or lighting candles; prayers to be recited upon seeing anything unusual, such as a king, a rainbow, or the site of a great tragedy; prayers to be recited whenever some good or bad thing happens; and prayers to recite before going to bed at night. All of these prayers are in addition to formal prayer services, which are performed three times a day every weekday and additional times on Sabbaths and festivals.

In sum, our attitude in prayer is to be that of submission to the will of God and continual introspection. “Hebraic prayer is active; it is the emotional well-spring that must gush forth in action.  It is emotion in motion.” This is to be maintained during our waking hours. An understanding of this proper attitude in prayer will assist us to live our lives continually before the Lord. This is vital to understand the nature of prayer and it is to that consideration we now turn.

The Nature of Prayer

I propose in this section to discuss the tension between the speaking of written prayers as contrasted with an extemporaneous free expression without prepared words. Jesus advised against vain repetitions but at the same time provided what has become known as “The Lord’s Prayer” as instructions to His disciples. Isaac Watts has described the conflict as follows:

“I am persuaded that one reason of this neglect has been the angry zeal for factions among us, which has discouraged men of sober and moderate principles from attempting much on this subject, while the zealots are divided into two extremes. Some contend earnestly for pre-composed, set forms of prayer and will worship God in no other way. These have little need of any other instructions but to be taught to read well, since the words, content and method of their prayers are already appointed. Other impassioned men, in extreme opposition to them, have indulged the irregular wanderings of thought and expression, lest by a confinement to rules they should seem to restrain the Spirit and return to carnal ordinances.”

The desire for those that advocated the use of prayer books was to prevent the free uncontrolled verbiage that could occur without preset prayers. Those that advocated free expression sought to resist the tendency for prayer to become ritualistic and mundane. Did the apparent tension in Jesus’ teachings on the subject provide direct guidance? Did He advocate both positions?

The teaching of Jesus on this subject can be easily reconciled. Jesus warns against the saying of words without being meaningful to the one speaking; it would seem odd to suggest that the Lord God would somehow be pleased by the “parroting” of words. To speak words without meaning to the Creator would be most disrespectful. Yet, Jesus does not forbid a model prayer as evidenced by His providing one. The proper use of model prayer has been explained as follows:

“The soul learns to pray by praying; for prayer is communion with a transcendent and immanent God who on the ground of his nature and attributes calls forth all the powers of the redeemed soul in acts of total adoration and dedication. The prayers should therefore be used as aspiration units, the several parts of which could become springboards for the individual’s own prayer subjects.”

Martin Luther instructed his barber and good friend Peter Beskendorf on the nature of prayer by using the same method. He advised that after the warming of one’s heart by reading God’s Word, prayer should begin with “The Lord’s Prayer.” He guided his friend regarding the phrase “Hallowed be thy name:”

Then repeat one part or as much as you wish, perhaps the first petition:

“Hallowed be thy name,” and say: “Yes, Lord God, dear Father,

hallowed be thy name, both in us and throughout the whole world.

Destroy and root out the abominations, idolatry, and heresy of the Turk,

the pope, and all false teachers and fanatics who wrongly use thy name

and in scandalous ways take it in vain and horribly blaspheme it. They

insistently boast that they teach thy word and the laws of the church,

though they really use the devil’s deceit and trickery in thy name to

wretchedly seduce many poor souls throughout the world, even killing

and shedding much innocent blood, and in such persecution they believe

that they render thee a divine service.

Dear Lord God, convert and restrain [them]. Convert those who are still

to be converted that they with us and we with them may hallow and

praise thy name, both with true and pure doctrine and with a good and

holy life. Restrain those who are unwilling to be converted so that they

be forced to cease from misusing, defiling, and dishonoring thy holy

name and from misleading the poor people. Amen.”

Luther advocated this method of using written words as a beginning point to move to a free expression. Isaac Watts echoed the reformer’s advice and stated in his work A Guide to Prayer:

“My design in this treatise has been to write a prayer book without forms. And I have sought to maintain the middle way between the distant mistakes of contending Christians.”

Watts’ prayer without forms consisted of the following divisions:

1.     Invocation: calling upon God;

2.     Adoration: honor paid to God;

3.     Confession: a humble confession of our sins and our wants and sorrow;

4.     Petition: a desire of deliverance from evil and request for good things;

5.     Pleading: arguing your case before God;

6.     Profession, or self-dedication: a profession of our relationship to God and present surrender of ourselves to Him;

7.     Thanksgiving: the giving of thanks to God for all His benefits;

8.     Blessings: mentioning the many attributes and glories of God;

9.     Amen, or the conclusion: affirming a belief in God, a confirmation of our professions, and the expression of hope and sure expectation of His answer.

Watts’ attempt is to find a middle ground whereby one praying has some general guidelines that will restrict free expression but at the same time not destroy it. He desired to create a model that would encourage freedom, but not without structure. This approach is consistent with that of Martin Luther and the Puritan prayer book The Valley of Vision. It should be noted that up to this point, that the authors and methods examined have come from Gentile believers. It is also appropriate to inquire into the nature of Jewish prayer. As arguably Hebrew is the preferred language of God and His chosen people have the most experience in prayer to Him, an inquiry into the nature of Jewish prayer is not only appropriate, it is necessary.

When Jews pray they very often read from written prayers. However, as discussed in the prior section, the Hebrew sees prayer as a time of self examination or introspection. Therefore, whether the prayer is written or the result of free expression is not the central issue. Introspection can occur with or without written prayers. For example, Jews are instructed to recite the Shema with the right hand covering the eyes, while concentrating upon accepting God’s absolute sovereignty. The Shema is spoken daily with the purpose of introspection each time and for the purpose of proper orientation of action. To the Hebrew, there is nothing inconsistent with the reading of prepared prayers while making inquiry of one’s relationship to God and the community.

An issue can arise when one says the same prayers day after day. There may be an expectation that the prayers would become ritualistic and would begin to lose meaning. While this may be true for some, this is not a concern in Jewish prayer since the most important part of prayer is the introspection it provides. To the Hebrew, the mindset for prayer is of most importance. That mindset is referred to as kavanah, which is usually translated as “concentration” or “intent.” The Hebrew’s minimum level of kavanah is an awareness that one is speaking to God with an intention to fulfill the duty to pray. Without the minimal level of kavanah, then one is not praying; one is merely reading.

In conclusion, having considered the nature of prayer, it would seem best to follow the Jewish method of prepared prayers with a focus on introspection. That introspection would lead to a free expression as the individual so desired. Incorrect free thoughts could be more easily controlled by using the written prayer as a guide and as a point to expand upon. Again, it must be emphasized that prayer must lead to action. Without action, only words are being spoken and that is not prayer according to a Hebraic worldview. Having considered the nature of prayer, an examination of the purpose of prayer will provide direction concerning what we should be praying about.

The Purpose of Prayer

The purposes of prayer are as broad and diverse as there are individuals that pray. To many, prayer is an opportunity to ask God for their wants or for deliverance from their enemies. Even though prayer is more about introspection than merchandise, seeking God for His assistance in time of need is well documented in the Scriptures. The seeking of Divine benefits should still be accompanied by self-examination and introspection.  The emphasis must be placed on God’s purpose for prayer and not our own. This is critical to a proper understanding for prayer. If we believe it is about our needs, then we will have missed the mark of understanding the purpose of prayer. It is about the character of God to provide for His children, to seek and save the lost, and to bring about His will on earth. We must never allow our circumstances to divert us from the true purpose of prayer. As explained by Rabbi Shraga Simmons:

“If prayer is solely for our benefit, then why (you may ask) does Jewish prayer always begin with praise of G-d? The answer is not because G-d has a frail ego and needs our endorsement. Rather, the purpose of this praise is to sensitize us to G-d’s awesome capacity to help.”

One of the purposes of prayer is for us to understand the nature and character of who God is. This purpose includes God’s provision to carry out His work on earth. For example, God demonstrated His “awesome capacity to help” in response to the prayers of George Muller. Muller received and disbursed $2,718,844 by the time of his death in 1898, primarily using the money for supporting the orphanages and distributing nearly two million Bibles and religious texts. He used the money to support other missionaries around the world, such as Hudson Taylor. Through all this, Muller never made requests for financial support, nor did he go into debt. Many times, he received unsolicited food donations only hours before they were needed to feed the children, further strengthening his faith in God. Every morning after breakfast there was a time of Bible reading and prayer, and every child was given a Bible upon leaving the orphanage. The children were dressed well and educated and Muller even employed a school inspector to maintain high standards. Muller understood that God was his source and through prayer, the needs of the ministry were satisfied.

Another example of God’s purpose in prayer is seen in the ministry of Jim Cymbala. Cymbala wrote that he sensed God speaking to him:

“If you and your wife will lead my people to pray and call upon my name, you will never lack for something fresh to preach. I will supply all the money that’s needed, both for the church and for your family, and you will never have a building large enough to contain the crowds I will send in response.”

This purpose of prayer revealed God’s love for the lost by providing a refuge for them to receive spiritual help through hearing the Word of God. Further, Cymbala explained after seeing the hand of God move in response to the prayers of the people in his church:

“If we are courageous enough to go on the spiritual attack, to be mighty men and women of prayer and faith, there is no limit to what God can accomplish through us.”

Another purpose of God in prayer is described by Henri J.M. Nouwen:

“The literal translation of the words ‘pray always’ is ‘come to rest.’ The Greek word for rest is hesychia, and hesychasm is the term which refers to the spirituality of the desert. A hesychast is a man or a woman who seeks solitude and silence as the ways to unceasing prayer. The prayer of the hesychasts is a prayer of rest.”

Nouwen taught that prayer that leads to rest was a prayer of the heart. He stressed solitude, silence, and prayer as a method “to find real nurture, comfort, and consolation.” This type of prayer has been called “contemplative prayer.” While there is a difference between introspection as described in this work and contemplation, it is sufficient to note here that God desires His children to come to Him and rest in His provision, will, and faithfulness. Prayer is a vehicle provided by God to facilitate this rest in Him.

The Lord’s Prayer as taught by Jesus Christ provides us with a model to identify God’s purposes for His children to seek in prayer. Jesus was a Jew, read the Jewish Scriptures, and it can be inferred, that He prayed in the method of first century rabbis. His instruction to His disciples would have encompassed a methodology of prayer that was Hebraic. This is consistent with the explanations of the attitude and nature of prayer. It is submitted that a proper theology of prayer should be essentially Hebrew and this model prayer embraces Hebraic thought.

The Lord’s Prayer is a Jewish prayer containing elements of first century Judaism. It has been stated that all the elements of the Lord’s Prayer can be found in the Judaism of Jesus’ day:

“All of its elements may be found in the Judaism of Yeshua’s day, so in this sense it is not original with him; but it is properly revered for its beauty and economy. Its first words, Our Father in heaven, open many Hebrew prayers. The next two lines recall the first portion of the synagogue prayer known as Kaddish, which says, ‘Magnified and sanctified be his great name throughout the world which he has created according to his will, and may he establish his Kingdom in your lifetime….’ The plural phrasing—‘Give us…forgive us…lead us’— is characteristically Jewish, focusing on the group rather than the isolated individual.”

It should be noted that the phrase, “lead us not into sin” is echoed in the morning blessings contained in Jewish prayer. Additionally, a blessing said by some Jewish communities after the evening Shema includes a phrase very similar to the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our God in heaven, hallow thy name, and establish thy kingdom forever, and rule over us for ever and ever. Amen. “

The purposes of God in prayer as derived from Jesus’ instruction can be summarized as:

1.     To reveal His Fatherhood: We are to acknowledge God as our Father;

2.     To proclaim His holiness: We are to sanctify, i.e. separate His name from profane or common use, His name and proclaim His perfect holiness;

3.     To affirm His plan for mankind: We are to ask that His kingdom come and His will be done in earth which includes us individually, in our community, in our city, state, and nation;

4.     To establish Him as our source for our needs: We are to ask for His provision in meeting our daily needs;

5.     To demonstrate His continuing love for us in our imperfection and to enable His community to operate without division: We are to seek forgiveness for transgressions while forgiving those who have offended us; and

6.     To acknowledge God’s Sovereignty over evil: We are to ask for deliverance from evil.

This section has demonstrated that the purposes of prayer are determined by God and not man. With this understanding, we may use the Lord’s Prayer as a daily model to fulfill the purposes of God in prayer. Understanding these principles, will provide the basis for the next section the expectations of prayer.

The Expectations of Prayer

Having examined the categories of prayer, the attitude of prayer, the nature of prayer, and the purpose of prayer, one might think it obvious that there is an expectation that God will answer prayer. Otherwise, why bother to pray. This section addresses the proper expectation one should maintain while praying. Roger Steer said the following concerning the expectations of George Muller in prayer:

“He enjoyed spending time in his presence. He believed God’s promise. He approached his heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, his Saviour, friend and master. In obedient trust, he expected answers to his prayers-and, as the world knows, he got them.”

Muller expected that if he met the conditions for prayer, then God would send the answer. Those answers would enable him to provide for the many orphans in his care. He explained the conditions as:

“First, he said, our requests must be according to God’s will. Second, we mustn’t ask on account of our own goodness or merit, but ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ’-John 14:12-14. Muller was careful to remind his congregation, however, as he often did, of the verse in Psalm 66:18 ‘If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened….

The third condition was that we must exercise faith in the power and willingness of God to answer our prayers….

The fourth condition was that ‘we have to continue patiently waiting on God till the blessing we seek is granted.'”

Muller’s expectations from God were tied to fulfilling the conditions of prayer. Similarly, Jim Cymbala expressed his belief that man’s responsibility in prayer was a necessary component to receiving the expected answer:

“Once again we see the combination of human and divine efforts. God did not act alone….

What the world’s situation cries out for today is this kind of determined and desperate faith that grips the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and won’t let go until victory comes.”

Both of these men advocated human effort as a precondition to receiving answers to prayer. God expected His children to call upon Him even though He knew the needs before the prayer was uttered.

However, there are occasions that the answer received may not be the answer sought. God is Sovereign, yet that Sovereignty does not exclude the free moral choices of mankind. Man can choose to meet the conditions for answered prayer or he can choose to neglect those principles and receive the consequences. Regardless, God is the ultimate authority in the universe and it is His final decision on all matters, including prayer. Yet, we are not left to wander in spiritual blindness. God has provided direction to His children concerning the expectations of prayer.

The Bible provides instruction specifically addressing the issue of the expectations in prayer. The First Letter of John states:

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

The word “confidence” is the Greek word parrēsía and it means freedom or frankness in speaking: freedom in speaking all that one thinks or pleases. We learn from this word that the first expectation in prayer is the freedom to speak. The next expectation is that God will hear us when we pray according to His will. How may we know His will to insure His hearing our requests? His will for our lives is expressed in the Torah. As we study the Torah we will know what to pray that God will hear. This in no way eliminates the use of the New Testament to determine God’s will. However, at the time of John’s writing of his letter, only the Torah existed. Therefore, the emphasis is placed where John would have placed it, i.e. on the Torah. The use of the Torah is most appropriate to formulate our understanding of God’s will for the purpose of prayer. A review of Matthew 5:17 confirm this approach:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (ESV)

Now to properly understand this verse it must be understood that Jesus didn’t say it. The word “law” is the Greek word nomos. The Greek text used that word but Jesus most likely spoke Hebrew. He would have said Torah and not law. The Jewish New Testament reflects the proper wording:

“Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete.”

Jesus’ confirmation of the continuation of the Torah provides clear evidence of its appropriateness as a basis of prayer to our Heavenly Father. The Torah instructs us in all manner of living, both individually and within the community of believers. It is God’s Word to us detailing His will for us. As we study His instructions, we will be better equipped to pray according to His will.

The final expectation is that we will receive an answer to our requests. This is the logical conclusion to the previous expectations. Freely speaking prayers based on the Word of God as found in the Torah would allow one to expect an answer to his prayer. The timing of the answer and the specifics of that answer are left in the Sovereign hands of a loving, holy, and merciful God. Our final expectation is that He will do what is most favorable for our well being and that of the community. We should ask for nothing that exceeds these boundaries. If we adhere to these principles, we shall never be disappointed in our God.

Model Prayers

In this section, I will provide sample model prayers based on the principles set forth in this paper. These prayers have been used to assist others to develop their own prayer life. Reflecting the importance of community, the prayers are plural.

Morning Prayer

Blessed Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You

That You have protected us through the night

And mercifully restored our souls to us.

We are refreshed and ready for Your calling today.

As we follow Your commandments today

May we show the compassion and love of Christ

To one of Your creations today.

May our lives be a blessing to You today;

And also to someone who needs to see You in us.

No matter what occurs today, let us never forget that

This is the day You have made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.

All power and authority is with You

And we will praise You today.

In Yeshua’s name,

Amen.

Evening Prayer

Blessed Holy One, my redeemer, God and King;

I thank You for Your guiding hand today

Your protection and faithfulness

To myself, my family, my church and the persecuted.

Allow us to lie down and rest this evening.

May our dreams not trouble our sleep

And may we have Your peace surrounding us.

Let us awake tomorrow refreshed

To do Thy service, trusting in Thy grace,

And mercy to carry us through the dark hours of the night.

All our love to You.

In Yeshua’s Name,

Amen.

Prayer of Affirmation

Blessed are You Lord God

There is No God like unto You

Your mercy, grace and forgiveness

Is from everlasting to everlasting.

From the depths of our hearts

We praise and worship you with all that is within us.

You have been our fortress, our refuge, and our deliverer.

We confess our shortcomings, failures, and sins

And admit that they are no way to thank You

For the goodness You have shown us.

We praise and adore You

That Your Torah is true.

Your forgiveness and cleansing power knows no end.

We thank You for deliverance and protection.

May We live every day, every hour, every minute,

Every second to glorify You.

In the name of Yeshua, we pray.

Amen and amen.

Prayer of Surrender

Blessed are You Holy God

We now give our all to You,

Our bodies, souls, and minds together as one without division;

We give our time, talents, and families all to You.

We give our pasts, presents, and futures

All to You for guidance, forgiveness and safekeeping.

Whatever occurs to us today, we will trust in You.

Our very lives are in Your hands.

We thank You for the Torah.

You have provided truth to instruct us how to live for You.

Your ways are perfect.

May we walk in obedience to Your commands and bring Glory to Your Name.

It brings comfort to give our all to such a great God;

You are love.

Yet, Your love for us remains a mystery.

May we show our love for You by studying and obeying the Torah.

Into Your Hands we commit our all

That Your name may be glorified.

Blessed be Yeshua.

In Your name I pray.

Amen and Amen.

Prayer for My Ezer

Blessed be your Name Lord God

Who has not left me alone

But has blessed me with an ezer

To be my equal and my partner in life.

Help me to understand the role of my ezer

That I do not hinder or interfere with her God-given purpose.

Help me to encourage her as she walks in obedience to her calling

Given to her by You in Your Divine wisdom.

My ezer is strong and full of courage,

She is a mighty woman of God like Deborah,

She prays like Hannah,

And has the strength of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

This day I affirm my delight in my ezer

She is my love and my joy.

I thank You Lord God for her blessing my life.

Amen and Amen.

Prayer for Children

Blessed Redeemer, may my children today have Your blessings and protection;

Give each one of them a heart to follow You.

Guard them from the enemy and direct their paths to Your righteousness;

Guide them with Your loving hand that they may follow You closely today.

May my sons be like Ephraim and Manasseh and

My daughters like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

Keep watch over them I pray,

In Yeshua’s Name.

Amen.

Prayer for Our (My) Tongue

Blessed are You Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth;

You have created me with a tongue,

One to speak good but it often speaks evil.

We are tempted to gossip, backbite and speak mischief.

Forgive us dear God for allowing our tongues

To bless You and then curse those made in Your image.

We find it hard to control our tongues;

Sometimes we do not want to control our tongues;

Yet Your grace is sufficient to control our tongues;

We surrender our tongues to You; set a guard over our mouths.

We ask You to forgive our sins of speech

And cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let us be slow to speak and quick to listen;

Let us work twice as much as we talk.

Let our mouths praise You, Bless You and

Comfort and exhort our brethren.

In Your Name we pray,

Amen.

Conclusion

In teaching on the development of a meaningful prayer life, Rabbi Stuart Gershon stated the following:

“The world stands upon three pillars: Torah, prayer and acts of lovingkindness.”

For me this is not a quaint statement. It is saying there is something profoundly important about having a prayer life. Having a prayer life holds up the world.

It seems to me that one of the biggest barriers to prayer – and the point that I would most like you to take home tonight –is that our definition of prayer is far too narrow. When we think of prayer, we most often think of God, and we think of praising God or petitioning God for something.

Jewishly understood, prayer is not uni-directional but multi-directional. Prayer is outer-directed toward God. Prayer is also inner-directed toward us. In other words, the definition of prayer should not be limited to praising God or asking God for things. Our definition of prayer needs to be more expansive, more open, to include reflection, introspection, contemplation, and meditation. This too is prayer.”

This paper has addressed the categories or prayer, the attitude of prayer, the nature of prayer, the purpose of prayer, and the expectations of prayer. The discussion has incorporated a Hebraic approach to these issues. We need a paradigm shift from a Greek approach to prayer to one that reflects prayer from a Jewish worldview. We need to expand our view of prayer from a selfish request for individual enhancement to an introspective submission to the will of God with praise and adoration for His sustaining benevolence. Simply put, we need to pray. We are to be a people that pray without ceasing. As we transform our prayer lives according to these principles, we will discover a new incentive to call upon the Name of the Lord. May it be true in our lives and may we be called a praying people.

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A preliminary discussion; introductory essay, as prefatory matter in a book; a prologue. “prolegomena.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 24 Sep. 2008

This author has received some practical advice regarding Reformed versus Arminian Theology. Pray like a Calvinist believing that God will take care of it all but preach like an Arminian as if it depended all on you. Since this paper is on prayer, the reformed position is emphasized.

Westminster Larger and Smaller Catechisms, WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “Question 178: What is prayer?”.

The author acknowledges the influence of A Summary Theology of Prayer by Dr. John Piper in the development of these five points. Dr. Piper’s article can be reviewed at: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2002/1207_A_Summary_Theology_of_Prayer/

Space limitations do not permit argument of these five points. They are provided as insight into the author’s “blik.”

Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV

Romans 9:23 ESV

Matthew 5:16 ESV

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

1 Peter 4:11 ESV

1 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ESV

Psalm 50:15 ESV

John 14:13 ESV

Romans 8:26-27 ESV

Westminster Larger and Smaller Catechisms, WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “Question 1: What is the chief and highest end of man?”.

As will be set forth in the section on the purpose of prayer, it is God’s purposes that are to be emphasized as opposed to man’s and those purposes are expressed in Christ’s teaching on prayer In Matthew 6:9-13.

A method or nature of prayer will be reviewed in a later section of this paper.

An example of this type of prayer is found in Matthew 26:39, 42, and 44. Jesus prayed that the cup pass from Him; yet He resigned Himself to the will of the Father.

Mark 11:24 KJV

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 1160.

There can be some confusion regarding the words of Jesus. Jesus most likely spoke Hebrew, yet some of the gospels were written in Greek. Therefore, John’s writing may not express exactly what Jesus said, but instead a Greek translation of what He said as recorded by John.

The prayer of faith does not require one to deny the obvious; instead the prayer of faith requires one to stand in agreement with God’s Word in the face of the obvious.

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “cast”.

Acts 4:1-22

Acts 4:23-31

It is not the intent of the author to suggest that private needs should never be prayed for in the corporate setting, e.g. James 5:14 where elders of the church pray for the sick. Instead, the idea is that in the corporate setting the emphasis should be on promoting God’s kingdom and not the individuals.

A literal definition of “worship” is to kiss the hand in reverence or to fall to ones knees and touch the head to the ground as a sign of extreme reverence.

www.dictionary.reference.com

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/prayer.html

Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 1241.

Isaiah 6:5 (NRSV)

Skip Moen, Ph.D., A Hebrew Perspective On Prayer, Master’s Journey, First Quarter 2009 Volume IV Issue 1 http://www.mdivs.edu/MJ/MJ_master_firstqtr_2009.html

Mark 11:23-24 (ESV) Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Luke 18:7 (ESV) And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

For further information on the Hebrew approach to a Biblical lifestyle an abundance of information is available at www.atgodstable.com. Also, see by Skip Moen Ph.D., Spiritual Restoration Volume 1, Xulon Press, 2008.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/prayer.html

These comments are attributed to Dr. Skip Moen in his review of this work.

It should be noted at the outset of this section that the tension will disappear when the nature of prayer is considered from a Hebraic perspective. The conflict exists primarily in a Greek approach to prayer.

Matthew 6:7 (KJV)

Matthew 6: 9-13 (KJV)

Isaac Watts, A Guide to Prayer, The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA, 2001, at page 2.

Arthur Bennett, Editor, The Valley of Vision, The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA., 1975, at page xi.

Martin Luther, A Simple Way to Pray, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky 2000, at page 21,22.

Luther would begin with the Lord’s Prayer and then move to the Ten Commandments. If time permitted, he would then pray the Nicene Creed.

Isaac Watts, A Guide to Prayer, The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA, 2001, at page 2.

Ibid. at pages 10-33.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 90:17

Rabbi Nosson Scherman/Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, General Editors, The Artscroll Tehillim, Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, NY, 1988, at pages 29,31.

These comments are attributed to Dr. Skip Moen in his review of this work.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/prayer.html

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_prayerpurpose.htm

Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind. Fresh Fire, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997, at page 25.

Ibid. at page 181.

Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart, The Random House Publishing Group, New York, New York, 1981. at pages 63,64.

Ibid. at page 73.

Solitude is learning not to be alone but to be alone with God. Ibid. at page 21.

Silence is the discipline by which the inner fire of God is tended and kept alive. Ibid. at page 45.

Prayer is the standing in the presence of God with the mind in the heart. Ibid. at page 74.

Ibid. at page 70.

Contemplative prayer has been the source of intense debate because some have used the principles proposed to create a mystical experience. For example, finding a “sacred word” and repeating it continuously while “centering” your self. The danger is that prayer becomes purely subjective without a basis of truth or fact. This is not what is inferred earlier in this work regarding the practice of introspection. Introspection has a firm basis in truth; the Torah. To the Jew, the self examination is in regards to the truth that is revealed in the Torah and his obedience to that truth. A clear separation between Jewish introspection and contemplative prayer is made in this work.

Matthew 6:9-13

David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, Maryland, 1992, at page 32.

http://www.answers.com/topic/lord-s-prayer#Relation_to_Jewish_prayer

For similar references see Isaiah 63:16; 64:8.

It is obvious that the body of Christ has failed miserably in this regard.

Roger Steer, George Muller-Delighted in God, Christian Focus Publications, Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain, 1997, at page 8.

Ibid. at page 189, 190.

Cymbala at page 174.

Matthew 6:8

“Sovereignty is a matter of authority while choice is a matter of volition.” Dr. Skip Moen

1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book

By Torah, I refer to the entire corpus of Jewish law. This includes the Written and the Oral Law which includes the Mishna the Midrash, the Talmud.

This is not inconsistent with an earlier section that advocated the use of the Lord’s Prayer as a model. The Lord’s Prayer is essentially a Torah prayer with its components found in the Old Testament.

A strong and compelling argument that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew is made by David Biven and Roy Blizzard, Jr., Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, Destiny Image Publishers, Dayton, Ohio, 1994.

David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., Clarksville, Maryland, 1989, at page 6.

This prayer is expressed individually as opposed to plural because of the particular nature of the prayer. Ezer is the Hebrew word used to describe the helper given to man in the Garden of Eden so that he would not be alone. For further information on ezer, please review the articles by Dr. Skip Moen at www.atgodstable.com.

Rabbi Stuart Gershon, How To Develop A Meaningful Prayer Life: Part One, March 23, 2007, Temple Sinai, Summit, NJ.