Why should we pray? Jesus was committed to prayer. Mark 1:35 “The next morning, Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house while it was dark, and made his way to a secluded place to give himself to prayer.” If Jesus prayed regularly, as His students, we should do the same.
What should we pray for? We should pray specifically for:
- Each other and ourselves (Hebrews 13:18)
- The spread of the Gospel (2 Thes 3:1, Col 4:3)
- Deliverance from Satan and evil people (2 Thes 3:2)
- Resistance from temptation (Matt 26:41)
- Strength and encouragement (Eph 3:14-16)
- Fullness of Christ in our lives (Eph 3:17)
- Wisdom and comprehension (Eph 3:18-19)
- Knowledge of God’s will (Col 1:9)
- Physical and spiritual healing (James 5:13-16)
- The lost (1 Tim 2:1, Romans 10:1)
- Those in authority (rulers) (1 Tim 2:1-2)
- Peace of Christ in our hearts (Phil 4:6-7)
We should pray about all things in every situation! (1 Thes 5:16-18)
A productive prayer life involves a personal commitment to pray. We can never learn how to pray without a commitment to pray — to regularly practice prayer. The power of prayer is best discovered through a consistent commitment to pray — Jesus said, “When you pray …” not “If you pray!” A commitment is a decision to do something. You only have room for so many things in your life. Your commitments reveal your priorities.
Prayer must be the foundation of our ministries. Let’s take some time each day, and whenever opportunities arise, to pray.
GO! Training Initiatives 