Are you looking for a complete Bible study on prayer? Then this Bible study lesson on prayer is for you. Without persistent prayer, you are not going anywhere; prayer is the secret of great men in the kingdom.
We prepare this Bible study lesson on prayer for individuals, women, teenagers, Sunday school teachers, evangelists, and church leaders. This is a complete Bible study tool for everyone.
Remember Jesus Christ, our messiah prayed, so why won’t you pray? Understanding the importance of prayer, how to pray, types of prayer is gateway to a fervent prayer life.
Our bible study on prayer will show you everything you need to know about proper prayer planning, and the types of prayers to offer in a day (schedule).
A Complete Bible Study on Prayer
What Is Prayer
There are different definition of prayer, the simplest meaning is : prayer is a spiritual means of communicating to our God. Now, I want you to take noteof three keywords here things here: 1. Spiritual and 2. communication and 3. God.
Almost everyone can communicate, but not everyone is spiritual or can be spiritual – Being spiritual in this context means (Godly). John 16: 24 and Matthew 7: 7 says it all: Ask and you shall receive , even without condition right?
The question I ask people is that? Can you answer a stranger shouting your name on the road? I’m sure our children will not call us twice before we respond.
The same thing happens in prayer, every one can pray, talk to God, but not all prayers are effective or spiritual. The caller is a stranger to the responder and that’s one of the reasons why prayers are not answered.
An effective prayer is between the Father (God) and the Son (You). Matt 7: 9:11 Can you child ask for bread and you give him stone? Hence, you relatiohsip with God matters when praying. It connect you to the spiritual realm, and that leads you to ask the right thing and the right time
Importance of prayer
The Bible teaches that prayer is an essential part of our relationship with God. It is a way for us to draw near to Him and seek His will for our lives. In the book of James, we are told to “pray in faith, with no doubting” (James 1:6), and that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
According to James 1:6, we are supposed to be courageous in place of prayer, with no wavering, no doubting.
It is worthy of note that one who prays fervently is above all, lacks nothing and has great powers power over the kingdom of darkness.
Prayer can help you in the following ways:
Prayer helps you find your purpose in life
Are you at the point of confusion, trying to know the purpose of God for your life and how to navigate through it? The only way to walk in that reality is to establish a communication channel with the creator.
And you can achieve this through fervent prayer. James 1:5 states ; If any of you lack knowledge, you should ask for it from God, he is the only one who has the power to give to all without holding back. If you are confused in life, pray and God will redirect your steps in life.
Prayer helps you to overcome temptations
Satan puts up avenues to make sure that you do not live without sinning against God, one of the importance of prayer is that it helps you to overcome temptations that are about to bring your way. According to Matthew 6:13, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from all evil.
Whenever you are in a spot where you feel like you do not know what to do or that you are about to go against the will of God the Father, please pray.
Prayer builds a wall of defense around you
It is funny how people live recklessly to the extent of neglecting prayer. A prayerless man is defeated and vulnerable. Prayer builds a strong wall around you that no evil can penetrate.
Psalm 94:22 says the Lord is our defence. If prayer shields you, fear not, you are covered. This was what the children of Israel knew early in life, and it differentiated them from others. Recall how God stood firmly with them
Prayer helps you to talk to God directly
Prayer is a two-way thing; it is communication with God. Your relationship with God will help you know how and when he responds. Learn how to effectively communicate with God.
Prayer brings the Holy Spirit into your life
The greatest gift of God to man is the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to John 14:26, the Holy Spirit is a helper of men, and it is sent down by God to man in order to direct him on what to do here on earth.
Bible Study on Prayer – Types of Prayer
The Bible describes different types of prayer. Here in our Bible study on prayer, we extensively discuss the types of prayer.
1. Petition/ Supplication (asking God for something)
This is the kind of prayer we pray to God when we are in need. If you lack something and don’t know how to get it, offer prayers of supplication. A prayer of supplication can be very powerful when you pray with faith.
Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but pray and make your request known to God, and he will grant your heart’s desires.”
This is the secret of great men, and how they make impacts. Would you like to walk in the reality of who God wants you to be, then engage in prayers of supplication.
Intercession (praying for others)
Do you know the men God honors so well? There are men who have mastered the art of praying for others. Everything must not always be about you, the kingdom of God and his children should also be of great concern to you.
Do not go a day without praying for others. Do you know what it does? It makes God speedily do that which concerns you. You can not pray for God to prosper your neighbour and God does it without doing the same thing with you. This is what a lot of people do not know. James 5:16. Pray for lost souls, intercede for church leaders, pray for your family and nations.
Thanksgiving prayers (giving thanks to God)
Psalm 100:4 says, enter into his gate with thanksgiving and into his court with praise. Thanksgiving prayer is one of the most powerful prayers a man who wants to go far in life should
Confession asking for forgiveness of sin)
According to 1 John 1:9, if you confess your sins to God, he will in no way cast you away. Confession is a vital thing in the life of one who wants his sins to be forgiven. We can also pray for forgiveness, for strength and guidance, and wisdom.
Examples of prayer in the Bible
The Bible is full of examples of people praying to God. From Abraham and Isaac to Moses and David, to Jesus and the early Christians, we can see how prayer played a vital role in their lives.
Going through the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, you will find examples of people who prayed to God, and how God rewarded them abundantly.
In the book of Genesis 20:17, Abraham prayed unto God, God heard him and healed Abimelech, his wife and also his maid, and they were able to conceive and bear children. This is an example of intercessory prayer, Abraham stood and interceded for Abimelech.
There are things you will not be able to do in life until someone steps in to intercede on your behalf, Never underestimate the power of intercessory prayers.
Another case of this kind of prayer is in the book of Genesis 25:21. Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife Rebecca, and God heard the prayer, and she was able to bear a child.
Daniel’s Prayer
In the book of Daniel 6:10, after a decree had been signed by the King, Daniel went into his house and prayed a thanksgiving to God. This shows how determined has was to please God. Some people tend to pray more when they have fewer problems and pray less when they have more problems.
Daniel, despite being warned never to pray to his God still went ahead to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving prayers as stated earlier is a great prayer which God never rejects, he loves to be thanked, Daniel gave him thanks, and God, in turn, gave him victory in the lion’s den.
Another great man who should not be forgotten is David. If you go through the book of Psalms, you will realize that David mastered the art of Thanksgiving, this was counted as a strength for him. You are wondering why God never killed David despite all the sins he committed on earth.
This is the reason, he knew the way to the heart of the father, and this great way is through thanksgiving. Imagine how happy a man seems to be if one shows gratitude for anything he does for him.
Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry never in any way joked with prayer, Jesus, as we know, started his ministry with prayer, he also ended with prayer even at the point of death.
Bible Study Daily Prayer Plan
Developing a prayer plan is not as easy as it always sounds, but it is always worth doing. Personally, I was exposed to the advantages of prayer earlier in life, but Satan played a fast one on me.
It got to a point I started to neglect the ministry of prayer, and that was when it was dawn on me that Satan was deeply attacking my spiritual life.
What helped me at that point of helplessness was a prayer and Bible reading plan, which I will expose you to in a short period of time. I make time to pray every day,
Bible study Lesson on Prayer plan
According to the Bible in the book of 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are obliged to pray without ceasing, prayer should not be something you do occasionally, it is something you should do continuously.
At this point, I am going to sound a little bit controversial. Developing a prayer plan is very important in the life of a believer, but truth be told, following the plan is another thing.
It takes discipline and focus to maintain a prayer plan. When I started earlier in faith, I developed a prayer plan, it was not easy to follow it judiciously, but God helped me.
A prayer plan has been of great help to me up until today. Prayer in general has helped me greatly. At this point in my life, I still follow a plan, but that does not stop me from praying anytime I want to.
There are times the spirit of God leads me to take a prayer that is not in my plan at that moment, the more reason it is good to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
To the glory of God, whenever I pray, I feel fulfilled, I feel the presence of God around.
Prayer Plan
Steps to consider in your prayer plan
Read the word of God
This is the most important part of a prayer plan, most people do not get their prayer answered, not because God does not want to answer it, but because they do not pray in line with the word of God. Prayer is great, but praying in line with the word of God is the best.
According to John 15:7, if the word of God remains in you, whatever you ask him to do for you, he will do it and even more.
Mark 11:24 says that whatsoever you ask in the place of prayer, believe that you will get it and it will truly be yours.
Prayers
Use the following steps in praying:
a. Thanksgiving: Start every prayer by giving thanks to God, he loves it when men thank him.
b. Confess your sins to him, he has the power of forgiveness and he is always ready to take away any sin confessed to him.
c. Praise: Another important part of prayer is when you praise him. Praise as we all know moves God more than anything.
d. Make your request known to him
e. Intercede for those the Holy Spirit leads you to intercede for.
Intercession prayer schedule that you can consider, or modify to suit your activities
Sunday
Early in the morning, between 4 and 5 a.m., pray for your local church’s growth. Commit the day to God’s hand and read some scriptures as led by the spirit of God.
Monday
Command the week, speak to the day to work in your favour and pray for family and friends as well. Do not forget praise and worship as said earlier.
Tuesday
Pray for your Country, this prayer could be prayed in the morning before moving out for the day’s business. This might not be the only prayer rendered, but could be a center of focus.
Wednesday
Pray for the less privileged, the orphans, the sick ones, widows etc. Tell God to strengthen them, and that he blesses you to be a blessing to them.
Thursday
Pray for growth in your life and finance. Prayer for personal development should be an important prayer point we Christians should never neglect for anything.
Friday
Pray for those in the prison
Saturday
Pray as the Spirit of God leads you.
Note: Start every prayer session with a prayer of thanksgiving.
Make good use of your prayer journal. In our previous article, we extensively talked about the positive effects of keeping a prayer journal. This is where you write out your mind to God, talking to God seems so simple using the prayer journal.
Bible study lessons on prayer scriptural verses
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17: Pray without ceasing
2. Philippians 1:9-11: Prayer moves the heart of God to do wonderful things
3. Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious for anything, but pray concerning everything.
4. Mark 11:24: Whatsoever you need, if you pray, believe and you will get it.
5. Luke 11:9: Ask, and it shall be given to you. There are no other means of asking God for anything apart from through prayer.
6. Jeremiah 33:3: Call unto me and I will answer you.
7. Psalm 34:17: The righteous cries and the Lord hears and delivers him.
8. Colombian 4:2: Continue in prayer with thanksgiving
9. Like 18:1: Man ought to pray always and not to faint.
10. Jeremiah 29:12: You shall call upon me in prayer, and I will answer you.
Develop a plan for incorporating prayer into your daily routine. Develop a prayer plan, incorporate prayer into your daily routine according to time and reflection on your prayer life.
This might involve setting aside specific times for prayer, finding a quiet place to pray, or using a prayer journal to help you focus and organize your thoughts.
How to practice Persistent prayer
The Bible teaches us to be persistent in prayer. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow, who continually pleaded with a judge for justice until he finally granted her request. This parable teaches us that we should not give up in prayer, but rather continue to seek God’s will and trust in His timing.
Imagine this, an earthly king who never had regard for God bent because of persistence how much more God? We often do not get what we want from God, not because God is not capable of doing that to us, but because we give up early. Verse one of that Luke 18 admonishes us to pray and not to lose heart, not to faint.
If you want to practice persistent prayer, consider the following
Believe that God is the author and the finisher of your faith: Without having this understanding, you might want to do everything on your own. Regarding God as the author and finisher of your life will give you reasons to pray.
Without God you can do nothing: Prayer serves as our enhancer, without it, you have the power to do anything.
Prayer is the key: Truly, prayer is the key, persistent prayer means that you are placing yourself in a position to get multiple keys to life.
A prayerless man is a defeated man.
Prayer/ Confession
Father Lord, I thank you for the opportunity you have given me to read this article, I thank you for keeping me alive up till this day. Let your name be exalted in the name of Jesus Christ.
Ancient of days, I commit everything I have learnt from this article into your hands, help me to practice it in the name of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Are you blessed by this Bible study on prayer? Drop your comments below. Don’t forget that your relationship with God plays a major role in prayer.
Follow the plan we outline the this bible study lesson on prayer that can be followed in order to pray persistently. Feel free to use this Bible study on prayer, share with friends and family, and bless others.
Start your prayer journey today and see how your life is going to take on another positive dimension.
