The benchmark of prayer began the day you ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your heart. That is where your prayer life began. The first prayer that God heard from you was “Forgive me.” In John 9:31, we are taught that God does not hear the prayers of those who are not saved. The first part of the verse “Now we know” means it is an admitted or conceded point that no one calls into question. God does not hear or acknowledge, the prayers of those who are not a worshipper, a believer, or a person who does His will. It could not be clearer than this. If you are not saved, He has no obligation to you and does not hear you. Therefore, your starting point, your benchmark for prayer is you cry out to Him for salvation.
John 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”
Now that we have established your benchmark let’s look at where you have come from to where you are today. What does God require from us in prayer?
God gives us much information about prayer in His word. Prayer is the means of communication that God has ordained for us to communicate our desires to Him. It is taking the time to get alone and talk to Him. In Matthew 6:5-6, Jesus said not to pray like the hypocrites. The Greek word for hypocrite means actor. He was teaching them to be real. Our prayer life is not a show to make us look holy, or biblically intelligent before others. It is to be a private sincere talk with God.
Matthew 6:5-6 “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
I have spoken with many who say they do not know what to say when they pray. My answer to them is to share your heart with God. Matthew 6:7 teaches us not to use vain repetitions. Vain means empty or worthless. When we repeat a phrase or use words out of habit our prayers are nothing more than empty words. We do not need to memorize certain words to talk to God. He wants us to pray sincerely from our hearts.
Matthew 6:7 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
God wants us to pray about everything in our life. In Philippians 4:6, Paul says we are to bring all our petitions to Him. We are not to be anxious but to bring our desires and needs to Him and trust Him to take care of them. We are to make our request known to Him with an attitude of Thanksgiving. In verse 7 Paul teaches us the value of a life drenched in prayer and trust. We will have peace that exceeds all understanding and it will keep our hearts and minds from the anxiety that prevails in our society. We will have an inward confidence that He is in control and all will be well. I Thessalonians also teaches us that our prayer life should be continuous. It says to pray without ceasing. It is a mindset and spirit of prayer that our thoughts turn to God’s desires in everything we do.
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
God’s word gives us many directives about prayer. In James 5:13 we are to pray for the sick, followed by verse 14 where we are told to pray for one another. In Matthew 5:44 we are to pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us. According to Romans 10:1, we are to pray for others to be saved and in Matthew 9:38 we are to pray for the Lord to send laborers, people that will go, tell, and disciple others for Christ. These are prayers for things that are external, but God also teaches us to pray for ourselves.
We need to be praying for strength to overcome temptation. This was Jesus’ prayer for His disciples when He was in Gethsemane before His crucifixion. In Matthew 26:41, He said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” In Colossians 1:9 Paul prayed that we “might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” In verse 19 we are to pray that “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
I believe that a common thread in the prayers of most Christians is praying for God to work in our lives and in the lives of others. We pray for needs and blessings and that is good and right, but we need to remember to praise God for what He has already done. We should never take our blessings for granted. God has saved us and adopted us into His family. He has blessed us with physical abilities and strengths. He has given us a family of believers that love us and pray for us. Everything we have that is good comes from God and we need to be continually praising Him for it.
Now let’s evaluate. How much time do you spend praying for people to come to Christ as their Savior and Lord? Are you seeking Him in your private worship or only when someone calls on you to pray in public? Are you being mindful of Him throughout the day? Are you praying for those who are sick or have emotional, relational, or financial needs? Are you praying for your own spiritual growth? Today, look back at your benchmark and see how far you have come in your prayer life.
