The importance of prayer is a weapon for Christians to overcome limitations and challenges. Prayer is the master key for every true believer to fulfil the will of God for their lives.
Prayer is a necessary activity for every Christian who desires to have a personal relationship with God. It is by praying that you can know the will of God for your life.
Growing up, I experienced the importance and power of prayer. As a kid, I learned that prayer was an effective tool to get instant answers from God.
I engaged in fervent prayers when my family was going through tough times. In the end, everything worked fine, and I believe prayer played an important role.
Over the years, I have experienced the power of prayer in every aspect of my life. Now I know that praying is the best option during your hard time.
Communion with God through prayer is the way out during the period when you feel like giving up is the best option.
This article is about the importance and benefits of prayer for Christians. I have also included relevant definitions, scriptures and concepts of prayer.
I would love to hear from you in the comment box. Let me know your feedback, opinion and questions on the topic of prayer.
It is my prayer that you get an understanding of God’s word as you read this article.
Table of contents
What is Prayer?
Praying is an act of communication with God through the verbal expression of your desires and thoughts. It is a way to get the attention of God for appreciation and the presentation of your heart’s desires.
Communication with Christ is necessary for Christians to know the will of God in every of their decision-making processes.
The scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 commands that you as a believer must pray without ever stopping for breaks.
Christians must learn the lifestyle of praying in every situation they find themselves in. You are to pray when things are going well or when facing tough times.
Types of Prayer
Here are the types of prayers for Christians;
- Prayer of Thanksgiving
- Petition and Intercession
- Prayer of Faith
- Prayer for Healing
- Spiritual Warfare Prayer
- Prayer of Supplication
- Corporate Prayer
- Praying in the Holy Spirit
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Prayer of thanksgiving is a type of prayer where you give appreciation to God almighty. You thank him for the good things that he has done for you.
Some of the prayers of thanksgiving are appreciation for life, good health, finance, wisdom, etc.
The scripture in Psalm 100:4 says that you should pray by first expressing your gratitude to God.
It is best practice to say thank you when you get a gift. Showing appreciation makes you eligible for more blessings.
Petition and Intercession
Petition and Intercession prayer is a type of prayer for other people. With this type of prayer, you intercede on behalf of someone else.
For example, praying for the sick in the hospital is a petition and intercession prayer. You could also pray for world peace and provision for the less privileged.
James 5:16 is an instruction in the Bible to pray for other people. Your prayer life should not only be about you. It is necessary to pray for the salvation and goodwill of other people.
Prayer of Faith
Prayer by faith is a praying technique where you express your hope in Christ.
Faith is placing your ambitions on Christ with the belief he will fulfil your heart’s desires.
Prayer itself is an act of faith. You will not pray if you do not believe that God can hear you and meet you at the point of your needs. It is the reason Christians pray when they know God knows what they need before they ask him.
The scripture in Mark 11:24 is an assurance that God will answer your prayers.
Matthew 7:7 is another scripture that gives you confidence God answers prayers.
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for healing is a type of prayer for good health. It is for people believing in God for divine health.
Sickness is one of the most challenging experiences for people. It could drain your finance and leave you feeling hopeless about yourselves.
Jeremiah 17:14 is a prayer for healing to experience divine health.
Always go to God in prayer when you are sick. Ask for him to heal you of your disease or afflictions.
Also, it is necessary to pray for other people who are sick. It is a type of intercessory prayer.
Spiritual Warfare Prayer
Spiritual warfare prayer is a type of prayer against the forces of darkness.
Being born again exposes you to the attacks and evil plans of the enemies. Warfare prayer is the tool to fight off your adversaries.
The scripture in Corinthians reveals that prayer is the weapon to pull down strongholds in your life.
Prayer of Supplication
Prayer of supplication is a prayer to ask God for your needs. It is a way of communicating your desires to the heavenly father.
For example, praying for promotion at your place of work is a prayer of supplication.
The scripture in Matthew 7:7 gives Christians the confidence that they will get answers to their needs when they ask through prayer.
Do not hesitate today to ask God for what you need by supplication prayers.
Corporate Prayer
Corporate prayer is a type of prayer where a group of persons come together in unity to offer intercession to God.
Collective prayer is a necessary component of Christian living. It is a way to foster unity in the Christian community.
The church is the best place for corporate prayers. Congregations of Christians can pray about anything to invoke positive outcomes.
Matthew 18:19-20, Acts 2:42 and Acts 1:14 are examples in the scripture of the benefits of corporate prayers.
Praying in the Holy Spirit
Praying in the Holy Spirit is a communication with God by divine connection.
The Holy Spirit is the great comforter for Christians. He is a mediator between God and man.
Praying is not a casual activity of speaking with God. To get the response from the heavenly father, you need a link being the Holy Spirit.
The book of Ephesians 6:18 says that you should pray by the Holy Spirit.
According to Romans 8:26-27, the Holy Spirit is a guardian of prayer. He will tell you what you must pray about according to the will of God.
Ask for the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray.
Importance and Benefits of Prayer
Here are the importance and benefits of praying as a Christian;
- Fellowship with God
- Weapon of Warfare
- Know the Plan of God
- Prayer Provides Answers
- Strenght to Avoid Temptation
- Tool for Evangelism
- Prayer is Obedience to God’s Command
Fellowship with God
Prayer is the only way for Christians to have a communal fellowship with God.
Jesus came to this earth to die for our sins. By his death and resurrection on the cross, we have direct access to God through prayer.
Christians can now fellowship with God because of the availability of the Holy Spirit.
The best way to fellowship with God is through offering a prayer of thanksgiving.
God loves when you show appreciation for things he has done for you. It is an acknowledgement of his love for humanity.
Weapon of Warfare
Prayer is a weapon of warfare for Christians to ward off their enemies.
The scripture in Ephesians 6:12 affirms that you will wrestle against principalities and evil forces by prayer.
Prayer is like a shield you can use to fight against the enemy. You would become vulnerable without the weapon of intercession.
Praying is the best thing to do when you encounter a difficult situation.
Know the Plan of God
Knowing the will of God for your life in every decision-making process is the desire of every Christian.
As a believer, you do not make decisions based on your mental and emotional convictions. You need the Holy Spirit to guide you on the journey of life.
Prayer is the medium to know the mind of God for your life. It is by the communication through prayer you would see the plan of God for your destiny.
Many people make wrong decisions because they did not seek God’s approval in the place of prayer.
I made this mistake at one point in my life. The experience was horrible because I was hasty to get a promotion. But my mental capacity failed me.
As a Christian, never decide without seeking God’s approval by praying.
Prayer Provides Answers
The book of Matthew 7:7 says you will get answers when you ask God anything in prayer.
There is a saying that a closed mouth is a shut destiny. Sometimes, people know what you want but need you to put in a request.
God knows what we need before we ask in prayers, but he still wants us to make our request known to him.
Go to God in prayer whenever you need an answer to a problem or question.
Proverbs 15:29 says that God hears the prayers of the righteous man or woman.
Strenght to Avoid Temptation
Prayer is a tool for Christians to avoid temptation. It strengthens you by the fill of the Holy Spirit.
As you know, avoiding temptation at your will is not possible. You need empowerment by prayer to become filled with the Holy Spirit.
Mark 14:38 says that you should keep watch and pray so that you will not give in to temptation.
Another thing to note is that prayer keeps your mind busy. You would not have the opportunity to indulge in sinful acts when you pray.
Tool for Evangelism
The prayer of intercession is a form of evangelism.
Intercessory prayer involves you praying for the goodness of other people around you. It means praying for your friends and members of your community.
You can pray for the salvation of your loved ones by praying they repent of their sins.
Also, prayer is an effective method of evangelism when you pray for people passing through tough times. For example, praying for the sick is a good way to preach Christ to them.
After their hard times, they would love to stick to Christ because of your prayers.
Prayer is Obedience to God’s Command
Praying is a commandment for every believer. It is an instruction for Christians to communicate with God through intercession.
The scripture in 1 Thes. 5:17–19 commands that you pray without ceasing. It is not an activity that is optional.
As you know, disobedience is not a quality of a born again. To obey the instructions of the Bible, you must engage in prayer.
Jesus in Matthew 6:5-8 teaches Christians how to pray. Prayer is not an activity that requires yelling at the top of your voice to draw the attention of people around you.
Prayer is personal communication with God.
Bible Verses About Prayer
Here is a list of bible verses about prayer;
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Ephesians 6:18
- Mark 14:38
- Matthew 5:44
- Jeremiah 29:12
- Matthew 6:5-8
- 1 John 5:14
- Matthew 26:41
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
- 1 John 5:15
- Psalm 17:6
- Mark 11:24
- Matthew 26:41
- James 5:13
- 2 Chronicles 6:21
Books on Prayer
- Atomic Power with God, Thru Fasting and Prayer by Franklin Hall
- The hidden power of prayer and fasting by Mahesh Chavda
- A Hunger for God by John Piper
- The Power of Prayer and Fasting: 21 Days That Can Change by Marilyn Hickey
- The Fasting Prayer by Franklin Hall
- The Power of Prayer and Fasting by Ronnie Floyd
