GREAT PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE with Pastor Paul
These notes were given to home groups to study together. You can adapt them for your own ministry
THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
1 Chronicles 4v9-10
We would never have known anything about Jabez if it had not been for the prayer which he prayed. The Bible tells us he was more honourable than his brethren. The circumstances of his birth were difficult and his mother chose to call him Jabez which sounds like “painful” in Hebrew. He was more honourable because he chose to rise above this difficult start which was following him every time he heard his name and he did not want to be a pain to anyone. So he prayed a great prayer that is still touching people’s lives around the world today. (See the testimonies on www.prayerofjabez.com)! It was a simple but profound prayer that divides into four parts.
“Oh that You would bless me indeed”
At first sight this looks like rather a selfish prayer but it’s one of the best prayers we can pray for ourselves because God cannot fully bless us unless we are in right relationship with Him. So to pray this prayer sincerely, we need to get into the place where God can bless us, and stay there! Furthermore, if we are not in blessing, we will be a pain to others and to ourselves! But if we are in the place where God can bless us then we will be a blessing to Him and to others! Notice too, the little word on the end: “indeed” - that really makes the prayer earnest and fervent and those kinds of prayers are powerful.
“And enlarge my territory”
Jabez stood out from the crowd because he was not satisfied with the mundane and the status quo. He wanted to break through, branch out and push out the boundaries. “As a man thinks in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23v7) Too often we think too small and if we do, we stay as small as we think. Yet we have a BIG GOD and to pray this prayer is to expect God to do great things through YOU and increase your sphere of influence for HIM. In his book on this prayer Bruce Wilkinson tells of many exciting new opportunities that came his way because he prayed “Lord give me more ministry… Lord send me somebody who needs me today.” He says “The most exhilarating miracles in my life have always started with a bold request to expand God’s Kingdom a lot.”
“That Your hand might be with me”
The fact that Jabez prayed this prayer at all shows his total dependence upon God and here he expresses it explicitly. He knew he needed God’s hand of mercy and protection upon his life. He needed God’s hand of guidance and even restraint sometimes. He wanted God’s hand of and support and strength upon his life. This is a good prayer to pray for ourselves and others! Notice Acts 11v20-21 Missionaries from Cyprus(!) and Cyrene preached to non-Jews at Antioch and “The HAND OF THE LORD was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.” What a great prayer for us at Church on the Way to pray this year – that His hand might be with us and that many might believe and turn to the Lord!
“That you would keep me from evil that I might not cause pain”
The Lord’s Prayer encourages us to ask to be delivered from evil and the very next sentence is “For Yours is the Kingdom the power and the glory.” If we want to be fully involved in God’s Kingdom coming and if we want to see His power and glory then we need to be constantly delivered from temptation, from unholiness and from all forms of evil. Also as we are blessed we need to watch out for complacency and from the pitfall of thinking that because we have been blessed this goes on automatically and it doesn’t matter how we live. If we think we can get away with unholy living and do just as we please that will cause the blessings to cease and the pain to return. We need to constantly pray to be delivered from evil.
“So God granted him what he requested!”
Our heavenly Father is pleased when we show our faith in Him (Hebrews 11v6). He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and He delights to give to us “abundantly above all that we ask or think
THE PRAYER OF HANNAH
1 Samuel 2v1-10
Before we look at Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving we will observe the events which led up to it.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES
We so easily live under the circumstances instead of rising above them. The only way to rise above them is to do what Hannah did and pray with fervency, urgency and consistency. Notice some of the circumstances:
1)The Lord had closed her womb. When the Lord withholds something how do you get beyond that? The answer is go to Him direct like Hannah did. God’s withholding does not mean we cannot ask Him to change the circumstances. Maybe He is just waiting for us to get desperate enough to really pray for a miracle. Then we will be ready to receive it.
2)Her rival provoked her. Although it didn’t feel like it at the time, she did Hannah a favour because the more Peninnah made her miserable the more Hannah prayed. Don’t be driven to despair let the negative circumstances drive you to prayer.
3)Anguish and grief brought Hannah to the point of surrender. She was so desperate for a son that she devoted him to God before he was born. She was willing to give up the very thing which she wanted the most. That was a bigger miracle than the birth of Samuel. God has to work a miracle IN you before he can work a miracle FOR you.
THE CONSEQUENCES
Once Hannah came to that point of surrender she stopped weeping and begging. She could go in peace believing that the God of Israel had granted what she asked of Him. Notice however that it still took time for the miracle to manifest itself but it had been released at that moment of surrender.
1)She did not fail to fulfil what she had promised and consequently she lived to have three more sons and two daughters. (1 Sam 2v21)
2)The miracle child Samuel - given to the Lord, fulfilled great things in the purpose of God.
3)Her prayer of thanksgiving went way beyond the confines of her own situation and stands as a revelation of God’s sovereignty over all the injustices of life and became a model for Mary’s Magnificat as we saw recently.
THE PRAYER of Thanksgiving
(1 Samuel 2)
Out of all her experience first of suffering, then of God’s miracle working power in answer to prayer, Hannah received a revelation of God’s nature which was profound. She lived during the time of the Judges when many of the people Israel were very wayward and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” But she rejoiced that “There is none HOLY like the Lord”, He is the ROCK. He is the JUDGE who rights wrongs and reverses fortunes. The One who is on the side of the poor and oppressed. Those who are on His side will not miss out in the end.!
KEEP PRAYING GREAT PRAYERS FOR WE HAVE A GREAT GOD
Who loves to answer them!
THE PRAYERS OF DANIEL
Daniel 2v20-23 & 9v1-19
While Jeremiah was exercising his prophetic ministry back in Judah over a period of 40 years, in the middle of that time, Daniel was one of the young nobles who was taken with Jehoiakim, King of Judah into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer (605 B.C.) to Babylon where he continued to live for over sixty five years. Daniel is famous for his exploits (interpreting dreams, the lion’s den & the writing on the wall are legendary). Also his visions of the end-times, are of great significance and importance, but under-girding all of this, was his prayer life. We will look at two prayers he prayed, one as a young man at the beginning of his time in Babylon, and the second as an old man at the very end of his life.
A PRAYER OF PRAISE
Daniel 2v1-23
Nebuchadnezzar the most powerful of the Kings of Babylon was newly on the throne and had a most startling dream that he was desperate to know the meaning of. Wisely, he refused to tell anyone what the dream was, for fear of being fobbed off with a false interpretation. He threatened death for all his counsellors who could not tell him the dream and its meaning – a truly impossible demand. Daniel one of these, with his friends sought God in prayer and the revelation came.
The prayer recorded in 2 v20-23 is Daniel’s response of gratitude to God. Notice:
Those who do not compromise are in a place to receive from God (1v8).
God has His ways of revealing what we need to know if we seek Him (2v19).
There may be darkness all around but the light is on God’s side (2v22).
In this life-and-death situation, God honoured those who honoured Him (Ps 91v14-15).
REVELATIONS come to those who seek God in prayer.
Cell Application what can we learn from this for our own lives?
A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
Daniel 9v1-23
11 years after Nebuchadnezer took Daniel and the cream of Judah’s population to Babylon, he went back and destroyed Jerusalem because Zedekiah the puppet king whom he had placed on the throne, had rebelled against him. Jerusalem was left in ruins and only the poorest of the people remained there. Jeremiah had prophesied that this devastation would last for 70 years (Jer 25v11). About 66 years since Daniel had been in Babylon, he discovered this, as he read the book of Jeremiah (Dan 9v2) and as this time was running out, he set himself to pray (9v4-19). Notice:
His prayer was based on an understanding of God’s Word (9v2).
His prayer acknowledged God’s faithfulness and mercy (9v4).
He repented on behalf of the nation and included himself (9v5).
Failure to pray and repent before, had caused such trouble (9v13).
He asked for the honour of God’s name (9v17-19).
Although the predetermined time of exile was drawing to an end it was still necessary to pray – in order that the people would be in the right place to be restored.
Prayer was followed by REVELATIONS of God’s great plan (9v20-27).
Cell Application what can we learn from Daniel’s prayer for our prayers?
A PRAYER OF DAVID
Psalm 71
This prayer was prayed in David’s old age (v9). The context of this prayer is PRESENT distress and difficulties (v2, 4, 10-13). Yet he is not dismayed. He draws on his life experience from the PAST – that God is his rock and fortress (v3), his source of hope since birth (v5-6). He praises God continually and promises to do so more and more (v6, 14-16). Then he prays a prayer for the FUTURE…
A PRAYER FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Ps 71v17-18
“Oh Lord, from my youth I have known You. Even now, when I am old and grey don’t let me die until I have told the NEXT GENERATION the wonderful works of God, Your power to all who are to come.”
In God’s scheme of things there is a vital connection between the generations (Ps 22v30-31 & 33v11):
God’s Word, God’s Ways and God’s Works should be passed from one generation to the next (Deuteronomy 4v9, Ps 145v4). Believing Jews have done this with the annual Passover Feast since the Exodus right up to the present day.
This can only be done by telling of what God has done for us (Ps 71v15,18) A testimony of the way God has led us and kept us since YOUTH will speak volumes to our children of God’s power and faithfulness (Ps 71v19-24). This kind of testimony is just as powerful and important as one from someone who has been converted out of a background of great sin.
Cell Application Do we tell our children about our experience of God? Do they know our testimony? If not, they need to! Are we including them in what God is doing in our lives and are we giving them opportunity to tell us what He is doing in their lives? We do not have to be parents to do this. This is for all the members of each generation. We ALL have a vital part to play in praying for, encouraging, discipling and being an example to the generations coming after us.
THE ANSWER TO DAVID’S PRAYER
Acts 13v36 (NIV)
“When David had served God’s purpose in his own GENERATION, he fell asleep.”
David wanted to leave a legacy to the next generation. He prayed that he would (Ps 71v18-19), and he most certainly did (see the book of Psalms)!
Cell Application What legacy has the older generation of the Church got to leave to the next? What legacy do we want to leave to them? What should we be doing now towards that?
In closing pray the prayer of David together (Ps 71v18-19)
THE PRAYER OF SOLOMON
2 Chronicles 6v12-7v16
When Solomon finished the task of building the first temple he prayed a wonderful prayer of Dedication at the inaugural service saying “I have built a magnificent temple for You, a place for You to dwell forever.” (6v2) The temple was magnificent, built with vast quantities of gold which covered the inside of the building. It was one of the Wonders of the World, a tourist attraction, a beehive of activity, a place of sacrifice, and a place where majestic worship was offered by a choir of professional singers and musicians. Yet in his prayer (6v14-42) Solomon mentions none of these things, instead he dedicated the temple to be a HOUSE OF PRAYER. Jesus referred to this (Matt 21v13) at the cleansing of the third temple (built by Herod the Great).
Solomon’s Request
Solomon asked that the temple might be a focal point of prayer within the nation (v20-21). Whatever situation of the people might be in, whether it be a personal conflict (v22-23), or a national defeat (v24-25), a time of drought or famine (v26-31), a foreigner who turned to God in need (v32-33), a time of war or captivity (v34-39), Solomon asked that God would be attentive to the prayers offered towards or “in this place.”
Cell Response
Can we dedicate ourselves to being a House of Prayer? What does that mean to you?
God’s Response
First, immediately after Solomon had prayed fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice on the altar and the glory of the Lord filled the temple (7v1-3).
Second, after the people had gone home, the Lord appeared to Solomon and promised “My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place” (7v15).
He then gave the keys to effective prayer. “If My people who are called by My Name…
Humble themselves
Pray
Seek My face
Turn from their wicked ways
He then gave the promise of future response “I will…
Hear
Forgive
Heal
Cell Application
Notice the big IF at the beginning of v14 – it’s up to us, IF we will fulfil the requirements, God will respond. Talk about how to apply this to your prayer life and plan to pray this way as a cell starting today!
THE PRAYERS OF HEZEKIAH
Isaiah 37v14-21 & 38v1-20
Hezekiah was one of Judah’s good kings, “there was never another king like him in the land of Judah either before or after his time.” (2 Kings 18v1-7) Despite this, there were two great crises in his life, which could have had devastating effects for him personally and for the nation. However both of these crises were turned around through prayer.
A NATIONAL CRISIS
Having conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, and also the fortified cities of Judah, the King of Assyria turned his attention to conquering Jerusalem (See 2 Kings 18-19). This was no idle threat, since Assyria was the great world power at the time and was totally invincible. Hezekiah first asked Isaiah to pray and the result of that was that the King of Assyria heard that the King of Egypt was coming to fight against him, but before he withdrew, the King of Assyria wrote a letter to Hezekiah promising total destruction.
Hezekiah’s response was 1) He went to the temple – remember the prayer of Solomon?
2) He spread the letter before the Lord – prayer can be quite physical
3) He prayed – see Isaiah 37v14-20 to see how he prayed
God’s response was
1) “Because you have prayed” 37v21 (NIV)
2) He spoke through his prophet Isaiah
3) He send an angel to slay 185,000 of the Assyrian army
-the bully returned to Assyria never to return!
Cell Application what can we learn from Hezekiah’s prayer for our own prayers?
A PERSONAL CRISIS
Straight after this national crisis came a personal crisis. One thing after another! Just when we think all is well everything can go wrong again. At just 39 years old, Hezekiah was ill and at the point of death and worse still he received a message from God through Isaiah that he was going to die for sure. How could he possibly get round that? Hezekiah turns to God in prayer again (38v2-3). How wise! We are given further insight into how Hezekiah felt in 38v10-19.
Again God’s response is “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” 38v4. Does God change His mind? No, but He can be entreated as a Father. See also James 5v13-16. “Ask and you shall receive” (Matt 7v7).
Cell Application what can we learn from Hezekiah’s personal prayer for our own lives?
THE PRAYERS OF NEHEMIAH
You will remember that the people of Israel suffered total defeat at the hand of the Assyrians and then the Babylonians because they had forsaken the living God. The temple had been destroyed, Jerusalem was left in ruins, and most of the people were taken into captivity to Babylon where they remained for 70 years, just as Jeremiah had prophesied. After those 70 years were completed, a relatively small number of people returned to their homeland to find the place in desolation. Their numbers were too small to do very much, but they did manage miraculously, to rebuild the temple. However, 90 years later things still had not progressed very far. This is the point at which Nehemiah heard about the situation and determined to do something about it. In what we will see was his usual practice, he prayed first…
FERVENT PRAYER
Nehemiah 1v5-11
Nehemiah on learning of the situation back in his homeland reacted with deep concern (1v4). In fact his concern was passionate – he prayed with weeping and fasting for many days for the honour of God (v5) and for the welfare of God’s people (v6 and 10).
This prayer was the beginning of things being turned around after all those years of desolation.
James 5v16 “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
A righteous man is one who is right with God
Who has no unpardoned or ongoing sin in his/her life (Ps 66v18)
Who has no unforgiveness towards others (Matt 6v14-15)
Who is seeking to do the right thing in God’s eyes at all times (Nehemiah 5v19)
These things were true of Nehemiah and his fervent prayer was heard.
Cell Application Do we feel passionately about the things that touch the honour of God and the people of God enough to pray fervently? How can we pray fervently and about what sort of things?
SITUATION PRAYERS
As Nehemiah began to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, we see him in various difficult situations and on each occasion he turns to God in prayer.
SituationPrayer
2v4 Reaction of the KingSilent emergency prayer
4v3 Reproach of their enemiesCall for God to judge and vindicate
6v9Reports to weaken their resolve“Strengthen my hands”
Again all these prayers were heard and the walls were rebuilt in a miraculous, 52 days (6v15).
Cell Application Nehemiah was never UNDER the circumstances. Through prayer he always managed to be on top of the situation. What secrets can we learn from the ways that he prayed in the situations above for our own prayers?
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Luke 11v1-4
What we know as the Lord’s prayer was given by Jesus in response to His disciples’ request to teach them to pray. Jesus had already taught his disciples not to indulge in vain repetitions in prayer so it was obvious that he was not expecting them to pray the same words over and over again.
Jesus gave us guidelines on which to base our praying – the way to pray effectively and purposefully. Each point is a launch pad that can be applied to as many situations as there are people and days in which they want to pray.
Constantly Praising God as Father
God is King but the King is our Father!
Cell Application What difference does approaching God as Father make to our praying?
Consistently Seeking First the Kingdom
The Kingdom comes at the points at which God’s will is done.
Cell Application Think of some situations you know of where God’s perfect will is not being done – you won’t have to look very far! Then pray for those situations to be turned around.
Consciously Looking to God as our Provider
God our Father is our daily source of supply for everything
Cell Application What difference does living dependently upon our Heavenly Father make to our lives and what happens when we act independently of Him? Any experiences you can share?
Constantly Forgiven and Forgiving
We need to live clear of sin – forgiveness is constantly available to us - if we are also willing to forgive others.
Cell Application We should be the most forgiving people in the world (we have been forgiven so much ourselves). As we pray we should make sure that all the lines of forgiveness are open in ourselves. Discuss.
Consistently withstanding Temptation and the Evil One
There are two forces which are against the Kingdom of God – the flesh (within ourselves) and the devil.
Cell Application Self will (the flesh) is constantly susceptible to temptation and the devil is constantly at work to steal and kill. If we don’t pray they will prevail - if we do pray against them we will make way for God’s will to be done and the Kingdom of heaven to come. Too often we passively stand by while the devil has a field day let’s resist him and he will flee from us.
THE OTHER PRAYERS OF JESUS
The Passion of Jesus is the occasion of two great prayers but both equally powerful and important.
THE LAST SUPPER
John 17
This prayer contains three major requests that are all to do with GLORY…
He, (Jesus) might be GLORIFIED (v1-5) In John’s gospel Jesus being glorified only means one thing - DEATH and resurrection (see John 12v16,23-24, 13v31-32). In His humanity he recoiled at the prospect of death on the cross (see below) but in His Spirit he looked beyond the cross to the GLORY (17v5).
The apostles might be SANCTIFIED = set apart (v6-19) Jesus prays that his disciples will be kept from the evil one (v15) because it all depended on them now. In the process He knew that he would receive the GLORY through them (v10) because they would be the ones to spread the word about Him (v20).
We all might be UNIFIED (v20-26) Again, looking beyond the cross Jesus prays that all believers might be one with the Father and the Son (v21). In the process all believers are included in the GLORY (v22) and will behold His GLORY (v24). Through Jesus we can “rejoice in the hope of glory” (Romans 5v2).
Cell Application
We see from this prayer that there are three things necessary for Jesus to receive the glory and for us to obtain the Glory:
1)DEATH to self - going the way of the cross instead of the way of ease.
2)SEPARATION from the world and the devil and SPREADING the word about Jesus.
3)UNITY with the Father, Son and ALL believers in Jesus.
We can pray along these lines ourselves but what do we need to do in practical terms to fulfil these criteria?
THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
Matthew 26v34-46
The prayers of Jesus in Gethsemane (which means place of pressing – for wine and oil) were long (an hour each time? v40) and loud (Hebrews 5v7) as in his humanity he faced the cross but they are summarised for us in a sentence:
“O My Father if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as You will”
Praying the second and third time it changed to:
“O My Father if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
Hebrews 5v7 says He was HEARD because of His godly fear – He preferred to fear God rather than give into the fear of his flesh. God strengthened him by sending an angel to minister to Him (Luke 22v43). Hebrews 5v8 says He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. There are some things we only learn by doing. This is the most supreme act of submission to God’s will EVER. Our salvation depended upon it and once again Jesus looked beyond the cross to the glory (Hebrew 12v2).
Cell Application What does Jesus’ submission have to say to You for your life.
PRAYERS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL
The Apostle Paul was always praying for the churches. The main requests of three of his great prayers are recorded for us, so that we can pray and believe for the same things.
PRAYER TO BE ENLIGHTENED
Ephesians 1v15-19
This prayer contains three requests that are all to do with spiritual enlightenment. Paul prays for
believers to have the spirit of wisdom, revelation, and understanding to know (v17):
THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING (v18) – what a privilege!
THE RICHES OF HIS INHERITANCE (v18) - what an expectation!
THE GREATNESS OF HIS POWER (v19) – what a confidence!
Cell Application
If we really know the Hope and the Riches which are ours in Christ, this will keep us going to the end and His power will give us the wherewithal to live for Him in the meantime. Discuss what these points mean to you and then pray this prayer for each other.
PRAYER TO BE FILLED
Ephesians 3v14-21
Paul prays for believers to be filled with:
STRENGTH IN THE INNER MAN (v16)
CHRIST HIMSELF THROUGH FAITH (v17)
LOVE – THE LOVE OF CHRIST HIMSELF (v19)
FULNESS OF GOD HIMSELF (v19)
Cell Application Which of those requests is special to you and why? Here’s a project for the group: Pray this prayer each day next week, for yourselves and each other and when you meet again share what differences you have experienced through doing so.
PRAYER TO BE ESTABLISHED
1 Thessalonians 3v10-13
Paul prays for the
Perfecting of FAITH (v10)
Increasing of LOVE towards each other and all men (v12)
Establishing of HOLINESS in the lives of the believers (v13).
Cell Application Think of someone who is close to becoming a Christian or a new believer and pray for them to be established in faith, love and holiness.