PRAYING WITH ALL PRAYERS Pt. 2
By Chinedu Emmanuel
Eph 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
In the previous post, prayer was defined as communion and fellowship with God. Prayer was explained as a two-way conversation with God meaning that it is important that we leave room for God to speak with us when we pray. We also reviewed five (prayer of intercession, prayer of supplication, prayer of commitment, prayer of praise and worship and prayer of consecration) of the ten types of prayer recorded in the scriptures. In today’s post, we will take a look at the other five types of prayer recorded in the bible.
6. PRAYER OF AGREEMENT: Mathew 18:19, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.” When praying this type of prayer, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First of all, there must be at least 2 people involved.
As the name prayer of agreement implies, the prayer must be said by the parties involved. It is advised that one person should pray and the other listen to make sure they both agree on the prayer being said.
Once the prayer is said, both parties must believe that it has been answered. If there is any disagreement, it should be resolved then the agreement prayer should be said again.
Lastly, both parties should not continue to pray about the request anymore. They should both trust that God has answered their prayer.
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT: This is the prince of all prayers. The best of them all. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit we receive the ability to speak in tongues. We are able to speak in a language we didn’t learn or understand. That language is inspired by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Acts 4:2 says that “the Holy Spirit gave them the utterance” It is therefore not from the human mind. The human mind does not understand this utterance. It is called speaking in tongues. Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
This ability to speak in tongues serves two purposes. The first is to receive messages in tongues for the body of Christ. This is called the GIFT OF DIVERSE TONGUES. This is the ministry use of tongues where one is gifted to minister to believers in this way. This now gives rise to the need to interpret what that message is so that it will be understood by believers otherwise the purpose is defeated. Some believers also have the gift of interpretation of tongues. So, when a message is given in tongues to the Church the one who can interpret gives the interpretation in the language everyone understands. The second use of tongues is private. Every believer who is baptized in the Holy Spirit can pray in tongues. Here is what the Scriptures say about it.
1 Cor 14:2 “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
1 Cor 14:14 “For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].”
No one can pray better than the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can pray the perfect will of God and the perfect prayer about anything. Also, when we pray in the Spirit we build up our spiritual self.
Jude 1:20 “But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith by praying every moment in the Spirit.”
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER OR UNITED PRAYER
This type of prayer is said by a congregation. The prayer points need to be explained so that everybody is in agreement. Disagreements will affect this prayer. So a careful presentation of the situation and the prayer points backed up by scriptures should be made to the congregation. The apostle’s prayer in Acts 4: 23-31 is an excellent example. The Bible says that they prayed in one accord.
PRAYER OF PETITION
This is a type of prayer where you petition God. This prayer is a request to God. It entails stating and arguing your case before God backed up by the promises made in His word. Our best argument to God is what He promised. God actually invited us to come and make our case to Him.
Isaiah 43:26 “Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case to prove your innocence.” NLT
Isaiah 41:1 “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.”
Moses petitioned God in prayer. He states his case to God. See Exodus 33: 12-18.
PRAYER OF FAITH
This type of prayer is said for our personal needs. A combination of prayers can be used in this prayer of faith as the Holy Spirit inspires. Mark 11:24“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
This is how you prepare to pray this prayer…First, you need to meditate on the relevant Scripture you are basing you prayer on until the light shines inside you to produce the faith for this prayer to work. Faith comes only by hearing the word of God. The word must be in you to give light and understanding to make this prayer very effective. The word must be alive in you not in your head but in your spirit. John 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
A common question people ask regarding this type of prayer is when can I stop praying this prayer? How do I know when God has answered my prayers? How many times do I pray, once or more? The truth is that you will have internal peace about your request. You may also notice that you have lost the inspiration to pray for that request. These are indicators that you are done and need to change to the prayer of praise and thanksgiving. You shouldn’t gauge your answer by what you see. We do not walk by sight or feeling when dealing with the truth of God. We only walk by faith. You can not base your confidence on how you feel. Feelings change. Your confidence should be rooted in the word of God only. So look inwards not outwards for assurance of peace. Look r inside for a knowing that God has answered.
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Every believer should endeavor to know how the Spirit of God communicates with them. The more you grow in Christ the easier and quicker you know His voice just as a child grows to know the voice of their parents. Knowing His voice is part of our knowing God. PLEASE NEVER SEEK FOR AUDIBLE VOICE. DEMONS WILL ACCOMMODATE YOU.
May the Lord continue to lead us by His Spirit to pray His will in all things.
Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of The Living Word Church East Orange, New Jersey