Types Of Prayer

“Open your mouth, and I will fill it” Psalm 81:10 Did you know how important it is to pray for yourself, your family, your neighbourhood, and even for nations and their leaders? Yes, it’s really important! Also, did you know that we pray differently depending on the season of life we are in? That’s right , because each season has its own needs.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything, so if it's a time for joy and you are living in sorrow, you are tuning your spirit the wrong way. This is why I am going to explain the different types of prayer and when to use them. This way, you will know how to pray in each season of your life and bring about the right changes! Are you excited? Perfect, let us take a look at these types of prayer.

Prevailing Prayer Have you ever prayed, finished, and then felt like you should keep praying about something specific? It could be about your friend, your cousin, your cat or dog at home, a specific study subject, a teacher, or anything else.

Sometimes, you feel at peace that everything is taken care of after praying, but other times, you might sense that you need to keep praying, even though you have just finished praying. This can happen when the Holy Spirit is guiding you to continue praying for a certain person, situation, or issue. It doesn’t mat ter whether you're praying in tongues or in your regular language — the important thing is that you are being led to pray more. I want to talk to you about this kind of prayer: the prevailing prayer.

I remember one time when I went to a barbecue event with a friend, and for some reason, he went to the bar. I was shocked to see him, a Christian, confidently sitting in that bar like how one would sit on a cosy couch. I exclaimed, “Dear Lord Jesus!” Thoug h I tried to talk him out of that bar, nothing seemed to work. Then, I knew I wouldn’t verbally convince him out of that bar. I went to the car, locked it, and made it my prayer closet. I had an intense urge to pray, so I started speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave me utterance. I couldn’t stop praying. The Holy Spirit is truly a wonder; within a few minutes, my friend came hurrying over, saying we had to return to the hotel immediately because we had no business at the bar! Boy, oh boy, I cried for joy. I was extremely happy because I knew it wasn’t by his own will that he left the bar so quickly, but by the Will of God. That is the power of prevailing prayer.

Prevailing prayer is powerful and continues until it brings about real change. It’s a ki nd of prayer led by the Holy Spirit, where you feel a strong urge to pray for something specific. This might take a week, a month, or even a year, but you keep praying until the result God put in your heart is achieved. Often, this kind of prayer isn't for yourself but for others — like your church, community, family, or friends. It's not about personal desires, but about praying for the good of others, just like we see in the book of Nehemiah.

In the first chapter of the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah is told that the wall of Jerusalem is broken and its gates destroyed by fire, which deeply distresses him. Despite serving under a non- Israelite king, Nehemiah couldn't ignore the suffering of his people. He wept, confessed the sins of the people and his family, and prayed day and night before the Lord. Nehemiah had a burden on his heart, caring more about Israel than his position as King Artaxerxes' cupbearer.

Ultimately, Nehemiah successfully rebuilt the wall despite numerous challenges. Praise the Lord Jesus!

“A s soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Nehemiah 1:4 -11.

If there’s one thing to always be conscious of regarding prevailing prayer, it’s that this prayer always works if you keep praying. To succeed, you need to focus on God's Word. Refuse any negative thoughts that tell you to quit praying for your loved ones. If God told you to pray about a thing and He urged you to keep praying until you see results, keep praying, and you will be amazed by the results.

Prayer of Worship, Thanksgiving, and Praise The prayer of worship, thanksgiving, and praise is one filled with gratitude, one that exalts God and expresses his majesty, wondrous deeds, and might.

Psalms 69:30 says: ‘ I will raise the name of the Lord with songs, this shall please the Lord better than an ox that has horns and hooves .” Hebrews 13:15 “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” What a life!

Prayer of Intercession God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. He has done everything He needs to. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” So why don’t some people believe in Jesus Christ? Why are there people still saying that there is no God? Why do we have people rejecting the gospel of Jesus Christ?

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (KJV) says: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Ch rist, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” This means that to those who believe in Jesus Christ, the gospel is unveiled, and they can understand and live the gospel, but to those who are lost, the gospel is hidden. Why? It is because the god of this world (satan) has blinded their minds.

Do you see why it's crucial to pray for them? This kind of prayer is the intercessory prayer, one where a believer prays for others for change. In our present life, some organisations and people are working against the gospel, and God wants us to pray for them. If you don't intercede, what affects the city, nation, and world can also affect you. Recall what Mordecai told Esther: she would be affected if she didn’t intercede on behalf of the Jews. Another examp le in the Bible is that of James and Peter. James was killed, but Peter, who was also imprisoned, was spared. The difference was that believers prayed for Peter. This shows how important and mandatory prayer is, as it can save many.

Remember, intercession is about making an impact. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1 -4.

Knowing this, if you are a Christian in a position of authority or have close connections with someone in power, like Esther, speak on behalf of the Church. You are the garrison in that place.

Use your influence and position to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Agreement “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on e arth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:19-20. There is power in agreement! When you agree on something and pray together in one accord, it can be granted to you. Note that there must be more than one person in agreement. There is specificity in all these kinds of prayers. The prayer of agreement can be done by 2 or more people.

“So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now, when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the Iron Gate leading into the city.

It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” Acts 12: 5 -11.

The church in Acts agreed and prayed unceasingly for Peter while he was imprisoned. The church prayed until Peter came out. You too can agree on something and it can turn around for your good.

Prayer of Faith Faith Faith Faith! What is faith? “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 (KJV). What does it mean? Faith calls what is not as though it were. See how the ESV puts it. “F aith is an assurance of the things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hallelujah! Knowing what faith is, what then is the prayer of faith?

Mark 11:22-23 says: “And Jesus answered them “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it wi ll be yours.”

This prayer of faith involves praying to God and speaking to circumstances so that they align with your desires, without any doubt in your heart. One key aspect of this type of prayer is that it does not fail, so you should not doubt it! Stand firm on the words you speak and do not waver by saying you are unsure if it will happen.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6. Again, faith does not doubt, at all! You should maintain the right confession.

Note: For this type of prayer, you consider something done after you pray so it differs from the prevailing prayer that can be made over time until something happens. With the prayer of faith, it is done once you pray.

With all these, the Holy Spirit can guide you on what type of prayer you require to effect changes in different areas or situations in life. Yield to Him and He will guide you, always.