{"id":1592,"date":"2014-09-09T16:44:53","date_gmt":"2014-09-09T21:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/christiancrier\/?p=1592"},"modified":"2014-09-09T16:44:53","modified_gmt":"2014-09-09T21:44:53","slug":"top-7-bible-verses-about-prayer-and-praying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christiancrier\/2014\/09\/09\/top-7-bible-verses-about-prayer-and-praying\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 7 Bible Verses About Prayer and Praying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

We are commanded to always pray so what are some of the top Bible verses on prayer and how might they help you be more consistent in prayer?<\/p>\n

Prayer is\u2026<\/span><\/h2>\n

Prayer has been described as having a long talk with a great God.\u00a0 It is pouring out your heart to God about all your desires, needs, and requests for others.\u00a0 I believe every prayer should begin with praising our great God.\u00a0 Then we should be pouring out our thanks to Him in gratitude for all that He has already done. Next, we should make our prayer requests for others and then for ourselves but above all for His will to be done over our own and for His name to be glorified in the answer to our prayers.\u00a0 Nothing else matters but the glory of God.\u00a0 Everything else we pray for is secondary in nature but the will of God is always that His name is glorified and that should always be our express desire above anything else in all we do, in all we say, in all we think, and in all of our prayers.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 4:1 \u201cAnswer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In all my years of reading the Bible, I apparently missed this one!\u00a0 This is what prayer is. It is calling on God to give relief to whatever it is you are asking for.\u00a0 The Psalmist declares that He has already \u201cgiven\u201d relief in his distress\u201d so in this prayer, the Psalmist apparently had an answer while still praying but it does appear that he is still seeking more relief and so asks \u201cBe gracious to me and hear my prayer!\u201d Of course God hears our prayers but what he means is answer it.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 145:18-19 \u201cThe Lord is near to all who call on him,\u00a0to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;\u00a0he also hears their cry and saves them.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It is interesting that when we fall on our face and call on Him, He is near to them as it says to \u201call that call on him\u201d so if you think you\u2019re prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, think again. Don\u2019t depend on what you feel; depend on what God\u2019s Word says.\u00a0 He hears our cries and saves us from our many trials and tribulations.\u00a0 The Psalmist declares that \u201cHe fulfills the desire of those who fear Him\u201d which means He hears those who have a deep, reverential and holy fear or respect.\u00a0 You tend to obey those whom you fear\u2026like a speed limit sign with a police officer sitting next to it.\u00a0 Fear or respect leads to obedience.<\/p>\n

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Proverbs 15:29<\/span> \u201cThe Lord is far from the wicked,\u00a0but he hears the prayer of the righteous.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Some people dispute the biblical fact that God doesn\u2019t hear and answer the prayers of sinners but unless they have repented and trusted in Christ, He considers them as wicked and He is far from the wicked but He will hear \u201cthe prayer of the righteous.\u201d\u00a0 If you have any unconfessed sin or you are regarding sin (that is you are contemplating some sin you\u2019re going to commit) He might hear you but He won\u2019t answer your prayers.\u00a0 This is supported by Scripture as it says \u201cIf I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened\u201d (Psalm 66:18<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Bible<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

James 4:2b-3 \u201cYou covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. \u00a0You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It might appear that these verses are not about prayer but if you read the context of James 4, you can see that prayers are not being answered because of wrong motives; seeking self-gratification and only wanting things because of coveting and lusting after them.\u00a0 This is contrary to the will of God and these requests God will clearly not answer.\u00a0 If we are asking for others or for God\u2019s glory and also for God\u2019s will to be done, there is a much better chance that God will hear and answer that prayer than one that is a me-centered prayer and all about satisfying the self.<\/p>\n

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Romans 8:26-28 \u201cLikewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. \u00a0And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God,\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Have you ever been stuck in praying and didn\u2019t exactly know what to pray for?\u00a0 I think we all have.\u00a0 This is where the Holy Spirit can help us when we are unable to say exactly what it is we are praying for.\u00a0 Paul acknowledged that \u201cwe do not know what to pray for as we ought\u201d so \u201cthe Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.\u201d\u00a0 That means that when we are in such desperate need and don\u2019t even know what words to use, we groan from our agony, not knowing how to put it into words.\u00a0 Thankfully, the Holy Spirit can search our hearts and He will intercede for us, and even better, help us to pray \u201caccording to the will of God\u201d which is essential when praying.<\/p>\n

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Colossians 4:2-4 \u201cContinue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. \u00a0At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison\u2014\u00a0that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I know of several people who try to pray at any time that is available;\u00a0 while driving to work, while showering, while walking, while working\u2026and so that is why we are commanded to \u201ccontinue steadfastly in prayer\u201d but \u201cwith thanksgiving.\u201d\u00a0 Every prayer we utter should contain thanksgiving to God. If you want to know what to pray for, take a sheet of paper and start writing out all the things we have reason to give thanks; our salvation, our job, our family, our church, our home, our freedom\u2026\u00a0 Paul sought prayers for a completely unselfish reason as he wanted an open \u201cdoor for the word\u201d so that he might \u201cdeclare the mystery of Christ (the gospel)\u201d and that Paul might \u201cmake it clear\u2026how [he] ought to speak.\u201d\u00a0 What a great prayer request which is still important today.<\/p>\n

\n

James 5:16-18 \u201cTherefore, 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.\u00a0Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. \u00a0Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

God has not limited His power in our day and so since we know He is no respecter of persons, there is no reason not to ask God for big things because He is a big God.\u00a0 Nothing is too hard for God and so pray in faith and believe and if it\u2019s His will, and then ask big.\u00a0 Don\u2019t limit what God can do by what we think He might do.\u00a0 Believe, pray, have faith, because that\u2019s how mountains are moved and cast into the seas.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n

God is ready, willing, and certainly able to answer our prayers but we must confess all of our sins, we must pray according to God\u2019s will, we must pray in faith and we must pray that God is glorified in the answer to our prayer.\u00a0 I think we should open with praising our great God.\u00a0 Then we should be pouring out our thanks for how much He has already done for us.\u00a0 We can then pray for others, pray for those who are not yet saved, and above all\u2026never quit, be consistent, pray always and as Jesus said \u201cthat men ought always to pray, and not to not lose heart\u201d (Luke 18:1).<\/p>\n

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts<\/a><\/h4>\n

\"\"Article by Jack Wellman<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know<\/a>\u00a0whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer\u2019s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus<\/a> or check out his book\u00a0 Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are commanded to always pray so what are some of the top Bible verses on prayer and how might they help you be more consistent in prayer? Prayer is\u2026 Prayer has been described as having a long talk with a great God.\u00a0 It is pouring out your heart to God about all your desires, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1485,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[19,60,87,1579,31],"class_list":["post-1592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-verses","tag-bible","tag-prayer","tag-praying","tag-quotes","tag-verses"],"yoast_head":"\nTop 7 Bible Verses About Prayer and Praying<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We are commanded to always pray so what are some of the top Bible verses on prayer and how might they help you be more consistent in prayer? 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