A Key Christian Belief Essay Research Paper

A Key Christian Belief Essay, Research Paper

Introduction

Prayer is a universal human experience. There is not a culture in the world that does not have some means of prayer, some way of communicating with the Divine. That is why I have chosen to examine prayer.

Prayer is one of the “key beliefs” of Christians. Prayer illuminates our relationship with God and allows us to express our love for Him, our faith and hope in Him. We have the opportunity to share our concerns, fears, needs and desires with the Almighty. The quality of our prayer life is directly related to the quality of our spiritual life and our knowledge of God. If we understand the purpose of prayer and it’s components, we are able to strive towards enhancing our prayer life where it becomes rich and fulfilling. When we develop our prayer life, we develop a stronger and deeper relationship with God; our prayers become our point of power.

Definition of Prayer

Pray is a means of communicating with God. Aside from studying the Word of God, prayer is a method used to help us develop a relationship with God and also to know His will for our lives. Prayer is the privilege of speaking and listening to God. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines prayer as conversation with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory; or formal. It is a “beseeching the Lord” (Ex. 32:11); “pouring out the soul before the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:15); “praying and crying to heaven” (2 Chr. 32:20); “seeking unto God and making supplication” (Job 8:5); “drawing near to God” (Ps. 73:28); and “bowing the knees” (Eph. 3:14).

Components of Prayer

There are four components of prayer: worship or praise, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.

Praise is an acknowledgement of God’s goodness, greatness, and loving kindness. After King David assembled the building materials for the future temple, he declared, “Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty; yours is the kingdom” (1 Chr 29:11). Kind David was praising God. He was acknowledging God’s goodness and greatness because even though he was building a temple to offer to God, he knew that only by God’s greatness is he able. According to Fee and Stuart (1993), “God deserves praise for his greatness and goodness in spite of and in the midst of our misery. This life holds no certainty of freedom from distress” (p. 205).

Christians pray to confess their sins. Confession might be defined as telling God the truth about oneself. Confession is the process of bringing the darkness of ones faults to the light of God’s forgiveness. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). This means that one must not only confess one’s sins but one most also repent. When the Lord convicts us of sin, we need to own it, confess it, and then believe in God’s willingness to forgive us.

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment” (Psalms 51).

This Psalm is David’s prayer to God after Nathan condemns him for killing Uriah the Hittite and then making Uriah’s wife his wife.

The Bible tells Christians to give God thanks for everything. It is very important to thank God when He has answered a prayer. In Deuteronomy 8:17-18, Moses said, “Do not say to yourself, My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth. But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” Moses was warning the Israelites not to forget God in Prosperity and that they should thank God for bringing them out of Egypt.

Finally, Christians pray for supplication. There are two types of supplication: petition and intercession. Petition means to ask for our own needs. Jesus said, “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Luke 11:9). Jesus was telling his disciples to persevere in prayer and God will give them what they ask. God invites us to ask Him to meet our needs and even our wants.

Intercession is asking God for the needs of others. It is unselfish. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1,2). This verse tells us that God wants us to pray for others so that all may know God’s will.

When we go to God in our prayers of petition or intercession, we have to be confidence in His perspective, His wisdom, His timing, and His Goodness. “Your will be done.” We can expect the desired answer when we ask in the scope of God’s will. Prayer is not getting God to do our will; it is asking that God’s will be done in our lives.

How to Pray

Christians learn to pray through Jesus Christ, who not only teaches us to pray, but also prayed himself. Jesus prayed regularly. Jesus prayed before decisive moments, beginning with his baptism and as he faced his passion and death. He frequently prayed to give thanks. His prayer was steady, thankful, and confi

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