Principles of Prayer

Introduction

What role does prayer play in your life? How important is it to you? Investing time in meaningful prayer each day is a lifechanging habit that can bring great spiritual power into your life—power from Jesus Christ that can help you in times of relative ease as well as during the most difficult of circumstances. I will be discussing three specific principles of prayer. Principles of praying humbly, praying privately, and praying earnestly. I will draw from the words of Jesus, as well as his personal example in demonstrating these principles. I invite you to consider how you can improve your relationship with God through humble, private, and earnest prayer.

Pray Humbly

The first principle I will be discussing is the principle of praying humbly. In Luke 18:9–14, we read, “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’” Through Jesus’s words, he taught the importance of praying humbly.

In Luke 22:41–42, we learn that Jesus “knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’” This simple prayer is packed with humility. Jesus, the perfect example of humility, humbled himself before the Father in prayer, even during exquisite anguish and suffering in our behalf. He submitted his will to the will of the Father. Through Jesus’s example, he demonstrated the principle of praying humbly.

How can we incorporate into our lives this principle of praying humbly? Since, as we learn in Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” we all have a need to repent. When was the last time we prayed as the tax collector in Jesus’s parable, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner”? When was the last time we prayed, “‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’” Are we willing to humble ourselves before God? Do we care more about what God thinks of us than what others think of us? Are we willing to humble ourselves in prayer with a strong desire to change and become a little more like Jesus Christ each day? He will draw near to us as we draw near to Him through humble prayer.

Pray Privately

The second principle I will be discussing is the principle of praying privately. In Matthew 6:5–6, we read, “‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Through Jesus’s words, he taught the importance of praying privately.

In Mark 1:35, we learn that “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Through Jesus’s example, he demonstrated the principle of praying privately.

How can we incorporate into our lives this principle of praying privately? Do we have a quiet place that we can regularly go to pray? Do we carve out of our schedule consistent time to pray to God? Or does He just get the leftovers of our time? Do we arise early in the morning and make prayer a top priority? Or do we rely on our own strength as we go about our day? Are we captivated by technology and other distractions, yet consider prayer a chore? When no one is around to tell us what to do, do we choose to pray? He will draw near to us as we draw near to Him through private prayer.

Pray Earnestly

The third principle I will be discussing is the principle of praying earnestly. One definition of “earnestly” is “with sincere and intense conviction.” Synonyms to “pray earnestly” could include “pray fervently,” “pray sincerely,” or “pray meaningfully.” In Matthew 6:7, Jesus condemned the antithesis of praying earnestly. He taught, “‘When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.’” In another Bible translation, the phrase “do not keep on babbling” reads “do not heap up empty phrases.” The opposite of babbling on or heaping up empty phrases in prayer is praying earnestly. Through Jesus’s words, he taught the importance of praying earnestly.

In Luke 22:44, we learn that, “being in anguish, [Jesus] prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Through Jesus’s example, he demonstrated the principle of praying earnestly.

How can we incorporate into our lives this principle of praying earnestly? When we pray, do we stop to consider the words that we use? Do we go through the motions in prayer, or is it a whole soul experience? Are we distracted as we pray? Or do we strive to pray with all our heart and mind? Are we honest in our prayers or do we try to hide things from God? Do we first rely on prayer as we encounter difficult trials in life? Or do we instead turn to other sources to cope? When we are in anguish, do we pray more earnestly? As we rely on God through humble prayer, He will make us equal to every responsibility that we are given. He will help us through the trials that we pass through. He will draw near to us as we draw near to Him through earnest prayer.

Conclusion

In summary, I have discussed the principles of praying humbly, praying privately, and praying earnestly. I reiterate my invitation to you to consider how you can improve your relationship with God through humble, private, and earnest prayer. Incorporating these principles as taught by Jesus Christ and demonstrated through his personal example is a worthwhile endeavor. I promise that as you develop a lifelong habit of humble, private, and earnest prayer, you will feel closer to God, and receive His power, mercy, and grace more fully into your life. You will be enabled to successfully navigate the storms that life brings and find peace in Christ. No matter what life throws at you, you will be able to echo the words of Christ from John 16:32, “I am not alone, for my Father is with me.”