Let Us Pray Specifically. Speak to God in specific terms. Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Ph. 4:6). God knows everything that is going on in all our lives, but He still says ask (cf. Mt. 7:7). May it never be said of us that we do not have because we did not ask (cf. Js. 4:2). Prayers of the Bible are notable for how specific they often are. Pray for people by name. Pray for circumstances in detail. Pray for specific outcomes.

Let Us Pray Sincerely. Pour out your heart to God. Take away any pretense, selfishness, or self-serving thoughts. Hold nothing back, knowing that God will understand the content of your intent (Rm. 8:26). Do not let formality or rote repetition cast a shadow over your prayer life.

Let Us Pray Submissively. Pray understanding that God’s will must be done, not just in matters of sickness but in all matters (Mt. 6:10). Submission and humility are linked (Js. 4:7-10). God is sovereign and can see what we cannot see, even in the circumstances closest to our hearts. Ask with Abraham, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Ge. 18:25). Trust not only in His power when you pray, but in His wisdom and perfect nature. Then, no matter what, you can say, “It is well with my soul.”

Let Us Pray Surely. James, speaking of making requests of God, counsels us to “ask in faith, with no doubting” (1:6). Jesus assures us, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Mt. 21:22). Let us trust in the importance of our trusting in God’s power to do whatever is within the framework of His perfect will. Truly believe in the power of prayer. Have that confidence!

Let Us Pray Steadfastly. Be like David, who said, “But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice” (Ps. 55:16-17). “Be constant in prayer” (Rm. 12:12). If such persistence can sway the heart of the wicked, how much more can our prayers influence the Righteous and Holy God (cf. Lk. 18:1-7)? Night and day found Paul praying exceedingly for the Thessalonians (1 Th. 3:10). The prophetess Anna did the same for possibly decades of time (Lk. 2:37).

Remember that the prayers of righteous people are productive (Js. 5:16). Let us be valiant soldiers in praying for especially each other, as well as the lost and ourselves. Perhaps nothing preaches the profound importance of our prayers to God more than the symbol of Revelation 8:1-4. The seventh seal is broken and there is silence in heaven for a half hour, a brief but significant moment. What causes the silence? It is the prayers of the saints coming up to God and the attention God pays to those prayers. How humbling and awesome, that our prayers mean that much to God! Let us not neglect this great reservoir of power God has asked us to use!

Neal Pollard

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