For the Ladies' Fellowship on 13th July 2024, Sis Amy Lim shared a lesson from the Scriptures on what prayer is and why it matters. Below summarises the key points from the lesson as well as photos from the fellowship session amongst the ladies after the lesson.
What is prayer?
Several Bible verses tell us about the aspects of prayer:
A conversation with God
Colossians 4:1-4 1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Prayer is our way as Christians of conversing with God, and should be done continuously while giving thanks to God in all things, good or bad. We do this because this is God's will:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Calling on the name of God
To call on the name of God means to invoke God. Hence, when we pray, we call upon God our Father (Matt 6:9). Scripture has several examples of this, such as:
Psalm 17:6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Lamentations 3:55-56 I called on Your name, O Lord, From the lowest pit. 56 You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.”
Addresses God, the Father
Jesus taught us that when we pray, we address God as our Father in heaven:
Matthew 6:9 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Through Jesus
All prayer goes through Christ because God has given Christ all authority:
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Made in Jesus' name
John 14:14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
We tend to end our prayers 'in Jesus' name' because we ask according to His will. It is also because Jesus is the one Mediator between God and men.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.
Prayer is done for everything
Prayer does not just happen once a week at church, or only when we are going through difficult times. Instead, it should be done for everything, good or bad, together with thanksgiving.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Effective prayer
Scripture also gives us instruction on how to ensure we pray the right way:
Fulfilll the most important commandments first: Love God and love others (Matt 22:37-40)
Pray for others as you want others to pray for you, i.e. do for others as you want them to do for you (Matthew 7:12)
Forgive others as God forgives us, and confess our sins before God. Be fervent. (Matthew 6:12, James 5:16)
Do not ask amiss - make supplications for others and for God's glory. (James 4:3)
Prayer is worship. Pray in spirit and in faith with the right attitude (John 4:24; Ephesians 6:18, Jude 20)
Why pray?
Because God commands us to
It is a commandment by God that Christians pray. Those who claim to follow God must seek to follow all His commandments:
Luke 6:46 But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Showing absolute dependence on Him
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
As Christians, we must make it a daily practice to depend completely on God - not only turning to Him in times of need but in all ways. We trust in God to work it out for us - how and when He does it is for Him to decide, not us.
As a comfort to others
2 Cor 1:3-7 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any [a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our [b]consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
Praying for others is a means of showing our love and care for them, especially fellow brethren, that they may be comforted we earnestly pray to God for their needs.
25 Examples of Persistent Prayer in the Bible
The Bible is filled with faithful people who prayed earnestly and persistently to God. Sometimes God answered their prayers, sometimes not (such as in the case of Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' (2 Cor 12:7-10), but what they all had in common was their trust in God's faithfulness and wisdom:
Abraham’s Intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:22-33)
Jacob’s Wrestling with God (Genesis 32:22-32)
Hannah’s Prayer for a Child (1 Samuel 1:9-20)
David’s Prayers of Repentance (Psalm 51)
Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14)
Elijah’s Prayer for Rain (1 Kings 18:41-46)
Hezekiah’s Prayer for Healing (2 Kings 20:1-11)
Daniel’s Prayer for Israel’s Restoration (Daniel 9:1-19)
The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
The Canaanite Woman’s Faith (Matthew 15:21-28)
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
The Early Church’s Prayer for Peter’s Release (Acts 12:5-17)
Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)
The Apostles’ Prayer for Boldness (Acts 4:23-31)
The Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)
Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Mary and Martha’s Request for Lazarus (John 11:1-44)
The Centurion’s Faith (Matthew 8:5-13)
The Blind Beggar’s Cry for Mercy (Mark 10:46-52)
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Request (Mark 7:24-30)
The Leper’s Plea (Matthew 8:1-4)
The Samaritan Woman’s Conversation with Jesus (John 4:1-42)
The Thief on the Cross (Luke 23:39-43)
The Father’s Prayer for His Demon-Possessed Son (Mark 9:14-29)
The Publican’s Prayer of Repentance (Luke 18:9-14)
The lesson was then followed by a Fellowship session between the Ladies. Thank you to all who joined, and to those who brought refreshments! We were also encouraged to meet Angela, Sis Lillian Chan's good friend, and hope she can join us again.
