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PLEASANT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
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we find him withdrawing to a solitary place to pray, “And when
he had sent the multitudes away, he went up on the mountain
by himself to pray (Matthew 14:23a).” Jesus found it necessary to
pray often and in many different situations. This teachings us that
prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. A great theologian
once said, “Seven days without prayer, makes one weak.” In other
words, we need to pray in order to maintain our spiritual strength.
Types of prayer
The simplest definition of prayer is communication with
God. Prayer is humanities attempt to send and receive
information to and from the divine. In other words, prayer is
a dialogue with God. It is two way communication, we talk
to God and then listen to what God has to say in return.
Now that we have defined prayer, let’s discuss the different types
of prayer. The question might be asked; Aren’t all prayers the
same? The answer is a resounding, “no.” There are several types
of prayers that each believer should know how and to pray.
Personal prayer
The best example of personal prayer is found in Matthew 6:5-
13. Jesus is teaching his disciples how they should pray. He
gives them very specific instructions and a model prayer.
The elements of personal prayer:
• OCCURS IN PRIVATE
• IS DIRECTED TOWARD GOD
• IS NOT REPETITIVE
When we are praying for ourselves, we must remember the
ultimate goal is to put us in closer relationship with God and
to strengthen us so that we will be able to pray for others.
Verses 9-13 show us the model prayer. We need to
know how to pray so that our prayers will be effective.
This is just a model it is not the only way to pray.
Parts of personal prayer:
Salutation
Our father, which art in heaven Praise - Hallowed
be they name Invocation -Your kingdom come...
Petition for provision - Give us this day...
Confession - And forgive us our debts...
Petition for deliverance - And do not lead us into temptation...
Praise- For yours is the Kingdom……
These elements are essential to on-going effective personal