6 Principles of Prayer
Ephesians 3:14 says, “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father”.
1) Prayer is Personal
The term ‘I kneel’ was uncommon at this time. And getting on the ground was like bowing down to royalty. This shows us that prayer is about personally acting, and that action must involve submitting and surrendering to God. Falling to the ground on your knees, whether figuratively or in your heart, shows that you are personally humbling yourself before God and agreeing to trust in Him.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.“ Matthew 6:5 shows us that prayer isn’t for show, it is a personal movement of the heart towards God.
2) Prayer is Relational
God as "our Father” is primary to prayer. Think about your family and the people you spend most of your time with. Think about how easy it is for you to constantly converse with them - it just flows. When you begin to see God as your father, your dad, your best friend, then you will start to talk to Him anytime and anywhere.
Take little kids, for example, they will interrupt you to make a request and know they will always get an answer. Paul approached God this way in Ephesians 3:14-15: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.”
We are God’s children, and He encourages us to interrupt Him anytime - day or night - to reach out for answers, even ones we may not like.
3) Prayer is Asking
Still thinking about kids…remember they ask for it all! They feel entitled and empowered! The Bible says Jesus lives in our hearts, He assumes ownership, and He isn’t leaving. Let that sink in…He isn’t leaving! When you know that fact, you can be confident in asking Him anything.
Check this out: “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, 'Abba, Father.’” - Galatians 4:6. This is specifically directed to Jesus-people - those who love Jesus - that God will give us the gift of His Holy Spirit and dwell deep inside us.
4) Prayer is Yearning
“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” - Ephesians 3:17-19.
The truth is: Jesus loves you. And if you love Him, He will change your desires. Our affections affect our actions. As we trust in Christ, and let Him in, He will grow us deep into the roots of His love. The deeper the roots, the more we can grasp His unfathomable love - which gives us strength and power. Continuing in this love will create a cycle that grows your love and desire and yearning for Jesus.
6) Prayer is Revealing
The outworks of prayer is so much more than just the fruit we see in our own lives! Life is about more than just us and our wants. It’s about God’s entire kingdom, though we all have incredibly special parts to play in that plan. Prayer ripples out much further than our own reality - it can impact the world and the future!
Prayer will ultimately provide clarity and revelation that goes deeper than your own circumstance. It can give you a bigger picture into the glory of God as it glorifies him. “Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!” - Ephesians 3:21
Sonny Hennessy