Posted on by Melissa

Types of Prayer

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Types of Prayer

Have you ever tried to pray but couldn’t seem to find the right words? Maybe your heart was so heavy with a burden that you didn’t even know what to say? Have you ever tried to pray and found that your thoughts wandered because you couldn’t connect with God?

What is Prayer?

According to the King James Bible Dictionary Online, “to pray means to ask with earnestness or zeal, as for a favor, or for something desirable; to entreat; to supplicate; to petition; to ask, as for a favor;

Prayer is how believers commune with God.

Matthew 5:6 tells us “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.”  Our prayers are our lines of communication with God.  He answers us through His Word and the circumstances around us.

Prayer is like talking with your best friend. You share with him/her how you are feeling, your concerns, your praises, and your requests. God wants us to continually and fervently commune with him daily. Throughout the Bible, we can find wonderful examples of individuals calling upon God for wisdom, healing, strength, and more.

The theme for our church this year is “Pray Without Ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  We have already seen God working in the hearts of our people and it is so encouraging to see them continue to grow spiritually.

I think it’s fitting that God placed on my heart this month to focus on Types of Prayer.  It’s been a trying month with doctor appointments and all.  What was harder was receiving the news that I have breast cancer.  But God is already working …

I’m sure the months ahead will be tough.  I’m sure that my and my family’s emotions will be a roller coaster.  But God can give peace in the midst of a storm (Psalm 41:10; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7).  We just have to ask for it (Matthew 7:7; Matthew 21:22; James 1:5).

We can learn from the examples in the Bible.  We can learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord as David did (1 Samuel 30:6). God can provide us with hope (Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 40:31), and He truly does hear and answer our prayers (Psalm 37:3-5; 1 Peter 3:12).

 

I have found 10 types of prayer…

  1. Blessing

This prayer is a request for God’s help. It’s asking God to manifest His presence, goodness, and protection in our lives and in the lives of those we’re praying for.

Psalm 51:12; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Romans 8:28; Psalm 84:11

 

  1. Petition

This prayer expresses a specific need to God. We can make requests to God for ourselves as well as for others. We are approaching the throne of grace with humility, acknowledging who He is and thanking Him for it.

Ephesians 6:18; Psalm 20:5; 1 John 5:15; 1 Samuel 1:27; Daniel 9:3

 

  1. Intercession

This prayer is said on behalf of others, pleading with God for mercy or healing. The need of others takes precedence above one’s own personal needs in intercessory prayer.

Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Nehemiah 1:4; Psalm 122:6

 

  1. Thanksgiving

This prayer expresses thankfulness for all of life’s blessings. It’s actually a four-part process: remembering what God has done for us, informing others about it, displaying God’s glory to others, and offering gifts of ourselves, our time, and our resources to express our appreciation.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Psalm 100; Colossians 2:6-7; Isaiah 12:4-5; Psalm 69:30

 

  1. Praise

This prayer honors God for who He is and what He has accomplished. We honor, appreciate and give awe to the Lord’s greatness when we praise Him.

Psalm 7:17; Psalm 25:1; Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 103:1; 1 Chronicles 16:8; Exodus 15:2

 

  1. Adoration

This prayer praises God for who He is and speaks to Him with love, admiration, devotion, and reverence. Adoration is a deep state of love that culminates in reverence and worship, as well as the associated actions and attitudes.

1 John 4:8; Psalm 8; Psalm 18:1-3; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 42:2-3

 

  1. Lament

This is a prayer for assistance in getting out of suffering and grief. Lamenting prayers are a kind of worship and faith. There are moments when we are unsure of what God is doing or which direction to take. Instead of turning away from God in the midst of our hardships, we can face the suffering and use it to honor Him. The mourning prayer acknowledges that God is with us through it all.

Job 19:25-27; Habakkuk 1:3-4; Psalm 6:3; Psalm 38:9-10; Mark 14:36; 2 Chronicles 20:12

 

  1. Deliverance

This prayer requests that God deliver and protect us from the devil’s power. It is seeking deliverance from our enemies.

Psalm 32:7; Psalm 34:17; Ephesians 6:10; 1 John 4:4; 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

  1. Contrition

This is a prayer of remorse and repentance for sin. A contrite heart makes no justifications for sin and humbles itself in front of God.

1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Psalm 51:17; Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:2; Psalm 51:7

 

  1. Guidance

This prayer expresses our faith in God for wisdom, clarity, strength, and guidance. We become fearful when we do not understand our circumstances. God knows our future and has our best interests at heart.

Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 25:4-5; Isaiah 58:11; Luke 1:79; James 1:5

You can download the printable calendar here:

https://charitymaeprosper.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Types-of-Prayer.pdf

Verified by MonsterInsights