Prayer

Christmas time with family

What is prayer?

Merriam Webster Dictionary
Definition
1 entreat, implore —often used as a function word in introducing a question, request, or plea
pray be careful
2 to get or bring by praying
intransitive verb
1 to make a request in a humble manner
2 to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving

Biblically

Hebrew word- paw-lal
Definition-
to intervene, interpose, pray
(Piel) to mediate, judge
(Hithpael)
to intercede
to pray

Simply put, prayer is intercession for others, expressing your needs and desires, or even more simply put, prayer is talking to God

First example of this is in

Genesis 20:7
7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

This is the first time Abraham says that his wife Sarah is his sister, the pharaoh takes her to be his wife, and God shows up and says don’t do this.

God tells pharaoh to have Abraham pray on his behalf so that God will not judge him.

So what did they do before praying, God spoke to man, and man spoke to God.

Adam and Eve

Cain and Abel

Noah

Abraham and Sarah and Hagar

Why do we pray?

Simple answer- Jesus prayed

Luke 5:16
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Mark 1:35
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 6:46
And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Matthew 14:23
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

Other reasons we pray

James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

We pray for healing, not just physical but mental, emotional, and spiritual

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We pray to make our requests known to God

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing,

We are to pray always

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

We pray to get answers and revelations from God

Jeremiah 29:12
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

We pray so that God will listen to us

Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

We pray to avoid temptations and to stay focussed on God

Matthew 5:44
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

We pray to love our enemies

Those are a few reasons why we pray, again, simply put, we pray to communicate with God. Our communication does have an affect on us, on others, on the world. When we are following God, obeying God, doing what God is leading us in, then we can see the most incredible of things, why would we not want that?
That is where we begin. What is prayer and why do we pray? As we continue this series we will look at a few things such as how do we pray, where is our heart in prayer, how does prayer impact us and the world, but it all begins here with these 2 questions. My final question of the day is this, how is your prayer life?