Prayer reminders

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. (2Pe 1:12–5)

It's a solemn fact that even though we may have been reading the Bible for many years, if we don't continue to read it and study it regularly, our memory of it, and its influence on our lives, will fade (Pro 19:27). That, apart from anything else, will adversely affect our prayer life.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to constantly re-envision us, through the Word of God, so we can continue to pray effectively.

Spiritual warfare

Establishing God's kingdom on earth involves spiritual warfare, and one of the most important things to remember about this is that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12).

Our enemies are not people, but the satanic forces that motivate them, control them, and work through them. In Act 14 Paul healed a man in Lystra who had been lame from birth. This greatly affected those who saw it, but some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned them against Paul.

They stoned him and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. He survived, but it would have been easy for him to have felt animosity towards those who had done this. (How would you feel if you'd been stoned, almost to the point of death, and had done nothing wrong?)

But like his Master before him he didn't retaliate (1Pe 2:19–23), nor did he repay evil for evil (Rom 12:17,19–21). He knew he wasn't fighting against flesh and blood, but against the satanic forces that were opposing his ministry. He wrote:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2Co 10:3–4)

Paul knew that spiritual battles are not fought with physical weapons. Spiritual battles are fought with spiritual weapons, and one of the most powerful spiritual weapons available to Christians is prayer.

Justice against our adversary

In Luk 18:1–8 Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said that there was a widow in a town who kept going to a judge and asking him to grant her justice against her adversary.

Who was her adversary? The Greek word means adversary, enemy, an opponent in court or in battle. The same Greek word is used in 1Pe 5:8, where it describes our enemy (adversary) the devil. Jesus was talking about our spiritual adversary.

And even though the judge was unjust and kept refusing her, because of her persistence in asking, he eventually gave her what she was asking for. In conclusion, Jesus said:

'And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?' (Luk 18:7–8)

Would Jesus teach us to pray for justice (victory) over our spiritual enemies if our prayers are not going to be answered? It would be a pointless exercise, wouldn't it? On the contrary, our prayers will be answered if we pray persistently—we have that assurance from God.

It takes strong faith to keep praying when nothing appears to be happening, but Jesus has promised us victory in spiritual battles if we do not give up. However, when he returns, will he find us believing his words and putting them into practice in our lives? I hope so.

Praying for believers

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Eph 6:18a)

Paul wrote those words to everyone in the church at Ephesus. It is God's will that all Christians pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. And praying in the Spirit is not just praying in tongues, praying in the Spirit is prayer that is inspired by the Holy Spirit in any form. He wrote:

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding [Greek mind]; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding [Greek mind]. (1Co 14:14–5)

Paul made full use of the prayer language the Holy Spirit had given him, but he also prayed in his own language so he could understand what he was saying. We should do the same.

Let us allocate time daily for our spirits—our innermost beings—to pray to God in the heavenly language he has given us; and let us also pray in our own language with prayers that are equally inspired by the Spirit.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. (Eph 6:18b)

Several points should be noted here:

Praying for governments

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1Ti 2:1–4)

Prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit will include requests, intercession and thanksgiving for anyone in the world (Christian or non-Christian), but especially for kings, governments, and those in authority over us. These people make decisions that affect our lives, so it's important that we pray for them.

Rom 13:1–7 tells us that God has established governments to keep law and order—to commend those who do right and to punish those who do wrong. Governments are God's servants, agents of his wrath, to bring punishment on the wrongdoer (v4). So any government that fails in this task is failing to fulfil the purpose for which God has established it.

Managing the economy and providing health care and education are secondary issues compared to the prime, God-given, task of maintaining law and order. It's fine for a government to provide a climate in which its citizens can prosper, but if those citizens are living in fear of being robbed or attacked, what good is it?

Without law and order anarchy ensues and the innocent suffer. That is not God's will. On the contrary, it's God's will that we live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. The Greek word translated 'peaceful' means freedom from disturbance and the word translated 'lives' is bios which refers to the business and practical side of life.

It's God's will that not only Christians, but everyone else in society, should be able to live their lives without being disturbed or molested and, in order to do that, governments must keep law and order. So, when we pray for them to do that, we are praying in God's will; and we should keep praying until our prayers are answered (1Jo 5:14–5).

Praying for our needs

In Luk 11:5–8 Jesus based a teaching on prayer on an imaginary case of a disciple who went to a friend at midnight and asked to borrow three loaves of bread because a friend had arrived at his house and he had nothing to give him. It was an inconvenient time and his friend refused, but because of the disciple's shameless audacity he eventually gave him what he needed.

Jesus concluded:

'So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.' (Luk 11:9–10)

The Greek verbs translated 'ask', 'seek' and 'knock' in those verses are in the present, continuous tense. Jesus was saying:

The Greek word translated 'shameless audacity' in v8 describes persistence in the pursuit of an objective that ignores the risk of offending someone. God wants us to pray to him like that. Don't worry, we won't offend him. He answers persistent prayer, and our persistence demonstrates our faith in him and in his Word.

The peace of God

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phi 4:6–7)

God doesn't want us to be anxious about anything. From time to time things may happen in our lives that cause us anxiety. Jesus said, 'In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (Joh 16:33)'.

We are not immune to the problems that beset the world, but when we experience them we have the means to deal with them, and with the fear, the anxiety, and the worry that often accompanies them, and for which the world has no answer.

What is the answer? Prayer! If anything troubles you, take it to the Lord in prayer; and keep praying until the peace of God fills your heart and your mind. We can find ourselves in the midst of terrible trouble, and yet have a peace that passes all understanding—a peace that comes from God.

Sometimes the peace comes to us without asking, other times it comes after prayer; but don't stop praying until the promised peace floods your whole being. That is the assurance that God has heard your prayers and is in control of the situation.

God doesn't want anything to bother us; he wants us to bring everything to him in prayer. We are all different, and sometimes things may trouble us that others would consider trivial, but God understands. He is our loving heavenly Father and we can talk to him about anything that concerns us.

God wants us to have peace in all situations. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) and he wants us to have his peace (Joh 14:27).

Michael Graham
September 2001
Revised September 2023

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition). Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved.

guide | home | next