My understanding of Prayer

In times like this, when so much is happening in the world, as Christians we respond in prayer because we understand that if we do not look to God, no other person or thing will save us. Most of the time we are locked up in our prayer rooms, churches or homes and it is because we are driven to seek God. Prayer is beautiful. It gives us a rare opportunity to talk to our heavenly Father, and we not only speak but we also listen to Him talk to us. Every person has their own unique way in which they communicate to the Father. Prayer is so necessary in our lives that when we stop praying, we cut links with our Father. In the physical or natural, when you stop communicating to someone you know, it is because the person is either dead or no longer a part of your life. This is the same thing with God. When we claim to know God then we must be in constant communication with Him. When we stop the communication flow, it is either because He is dead to us or He is no longer a part of our lives. In essence we are without God. Everything divine is perceived or received in a divine way. Prayer is one of the tools that aids in this process. So then, do we know how to pray?

Paul says in Philippians 4:6 that we should not be anxious for anything but, in everything, through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving..... This is where the catch is. He reckons that we have needs, we get anxious about things and needs and so there is something we can do about everything. But before we make the requests known, there must be prayer (communication), supplication (humbly or earnestly ask) and thanksgiving (being grateful). In our prayers, there is so little of thanksgiving yet so much of asking. We do a lot of asking and so while we are busy asking, we forget to listen. And when we cannot listen to the person we are talking to, we can never understand his worth, his importance and his ability to provide. In other words, we turn him into our errand boy. Our work is to give instructions and expect him to get to work. Once we are done giving instructions, our time is up and off we go and wait for the work to be done. And we dare wonder why our prayers are not being answered. Have you tried worshiping and giving adoration to the God who is able? Have you tried thanking Him for the supplication you made? Why are your prayers not being answered? Change the way you pray. Paul also told the Ephesians about making supplications for others. (Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,). It is also time we stopped being selfish and start interceding for others. 

One time David said in Psalm 66: 17 that he cried our to God with a loud voice and praise was on his tongue. I believe that when God is worshiped for who He is, when we please God with our praises, when we show Him that we acknowledge who He is, our prayers will be effective. This is a part that we always just don't apply in our prayers and when we do it takes 5% of that time. Most of the time we assume worship is only done when through songs and during worship time in church. So when we get moved to pray we are energized to take needs to God after all, 'haven't I worshiped him, its time he got to know what I need' forgetting that He knows all our needs even before we ask. Where is our service to God? When we touch God with our worship, He will touch our lives and when He touches us nothing will be left the same. (Psalm 50:14-15 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”). 

Many people walk in sin but rush to God when they need Him. We need cleansing before we can expect to receive from God. We need to be obedient to Him. I have not heard of a parent who will reward his/her child for being rebellious and disobedient. We take God so casually and expect Him to give freely. The bible says that the prayers or a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16). Be righteous, walk in holiness then go before God and see what happens. 

Another thing I have noticed is that many of us spend so much time on the devil in our prayers. We take 70% of that prayer time dealing with the devil. We end up mentioning him more times than we do God. The bible tells us to fight the devil and yes it is important that we make warfare every time in our prayers. But when this takes all our time, then the devil feels like he has won our attention. It is the same thing with terrorists. they do what they do so that people can stop everything and focus on them. The bible says that at the mention of the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth (Philippians 2:10). It means every time Jesus in mentioned in our prayers every power of darkness is weakened and Jesus keeps winning the war for us. It is important to undertake warfare in prayer but let God be supreme all through.When we worship God and thank Him for the 70% then the remaining 30% we do warfare and supplication I believe our prayer life will be transformed radically.

Mathew Henry has done a commentary on the Lord's prayer that Jesus taught his disciples  and I would like to share with you. 

Understanding the Lords Prayer - Mathew Henry's Commentary
The petitions, and those are six; the three first relating more immediately to God and his honour, the three last to our own concerns, both temporal and spiritual; as in the ten commandments, the four first teach us our duty toward God, and the last six our duty toward our neighbour. The method of this prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then to hope that other things shall be added.

1. Hallowed be thy name. It is the same word that in other places is translated sanctified. But here the old word hallowed is retained, only because people were used to it in the Lord's prayer. In these words, (1.) We give glory to God; it may be taken not as a petition, but as an adoration; as that, the Lord be magnified, or glorified, for God's holiness is the greatness and glory of all his perfections. We must begin our prayers with praising God, and it is very fit he should be first served, and that we should give glory to God, before we expect to receive mercy and grace from him. Let him have praise of his perfections, and then let us have the benefit of them. (2.) We fix our end, and it is the right end to be aimed at, and ought to be our chief and ultimate end in all our petitions, that God may be glorified; all our other requests must be in subordination to this, and in pursuance of it. "Father, glorify thyself in giving me my daily bread and pardoning my sins," &c. Since all is of him and through him, all must be to him and for him. In prayer our thoughts and affections should be carried out most to the glory of God. The Pharisees made their own name the chief end of their prayers (Mt 6:5, to be seen of men), in opposition to which we are directed to make the name of God our chief end; let all our petitions centre in this and be regulated by it. "Do so and so for me, for the glory of thy name, and as far as is for the glory of it." (3.) We desire and pray that the name of God, that is, God himself, in all that whereby he has made himself known, may be sanctified and glorified both by us and others, and especially by himself. "Father, let thy name be glorified as a Father, and a Father in heaven; glorify thy goodness and thy highness, thy majesty and mercy. Let thy name be sanctified, for it is a holy name; no matter what becomes of our polluted names, but, Lord, what wilt thou do to thy great name?" When we pray that God's name may be glorified, [1.] We make a virtue of necessity; for God will sanctify his own name, whether we desire it or not; I will be exalted among the heathen, Ps 46:10. [2.] We ask for that which we are sure shall be granted; for when our Saviour prayed, Father glorify thy name, it was immediately answered, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Source: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V (Matthew to John)