Biblical examples of prayers:

Mark 1:35—NIV: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.   

Luke 6:12-13—NIV: One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent all night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.     

Things to Consider by Stephen and Alex Kendrick in their book, The Battle Plan of Prayer                                                                                                                                                             

WHAT IS AND ISN’T PRAYER

According to Stephen and Alex Kendrick prayer is not about prayer…just like a cell phone is not about a cell phone. A phone’s primary purpose is not for itself but to serve as a conduit to connect us in relationships with others. If held up to our ear without engaging another person with it, we’re not making it do what’s it’s been created to do. Likewise, there are activities you can undertake that may look and feel like prayer, but they’re not really prayer if God is not truly engaged.

•  Sitting with your eyes closed and trying to empty your head…is not prayer.
• The “moment of silence”…in order to appease the sensitivities of civic groups in public is not prayer.
• Repeating words incoherently is not prayer.
• Crossing your legs and chanting…lighting a candle…keeping someone generally in your thoughts and mind is not prayer.
• Getting on your knees in church with your head bowed, eyes closed…going through the motion to impress people is not prayer.

Prayer, at the heart, is communicating with God. Reverently and openly. Sincerely. Interacting directly with the God of the universe who is really there. John 14:17 and 26 says…He the Holy Spirit will be with you, and in you…He will teach you all things and bring back to remembrance all that He has taught you.

Again, in their book, The Battle Plan of Prayer by Stephen and Alex Kendrick they defined prayer as communion with God in order to:

•  Prayer is to intimately know, love and worship God – Prayer is about an intimate sharing and fellowship between two loving parties. This is the “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name” portion of prayer. Prayer is an ongoing, daily way to know God better and better—to comprehend more of who God is and what God does. And the more we know Him and experience Him, the deeper we grow in our respect and love for Him. Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesians 3:17-19 says…that believers would “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath, length, height, and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God. Knowing Him and loving God leads to Worshiping Him.
• Prayer is to understand and conform our lives to God’s will and ways – Prayer doesn’t merely change things; prayer changes us. As we pray, God revels His will and ways to us, and then starts to align our hearts and mind with His. Prayer is not asking God to configure Himself around the way we want to live. Rather, we bring ourselves up under His authority. We say, “Your kingdom come, and Your will be done…in me and in my life. John 10:3-4 says is best…the shepherd goes ahead of the sheep…and the sheep follow him because they know his voice”. The more time we spend with God, the more humble, unselfish, and like Jesus we become.
•  Prayer is to access and advance Gods kingdom, power, and glory – When we pray, “Give us this day…lead us not into temptation…deliver us…” we are seeking to access God’s kingdom resources, for His mighty power to work on our behalf, and for Him to reveal His glory in our situation and circumstances. Matthew 6:33 reminds us that when we seek first His kingdom and righteousness…that all things will be added and fall in place. The last words of the Lord’s Prayer—"thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever are not just for church ceremony. They remind us that God is owner of all, ruler of all, and worthy of all our prayer and praises. Prayer allows us the privilege to not only know God better, but to join Him in what He is already doing among the nations for His glory.

Again, prayer is not about prayer. It is about a Person—God Himself. When it becomes merely about accessing the provision or protection of God rather than knowing and pleasing the Person of God, then we are getting off track. But when the One Goal of our praying is to live in Relationship with God—one on One--God causes prayer to help us experience His Purpose, His Provision, His Protection, and Everything Else He Intends.

Dear God, help me never again forget that I am in Your awesome presence when I pray. Help me not enter in it as duty or a mindless activity the mere repeating of tried words. But help me come with a heart and focus of worship, with love, and with a sincere desire to experience You personally. Help me abandon my own agendas and self-assurances, wanting to be nowhere else except directly aligned with Your will. And may Your kingdom flow right through this heart and home of mine, taking me wherever You want me to go. Amen.

Peace out,

Calvin Alston, Jr.