The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)

 

The essence of faith is relationship with God.

 

This book is a collection of prayers that will grow your faith. Read them, reflect on them, and think about yourself and your relationship with God as you do. Let these prayers lead you into a deeper relationship with God who loves you and has redeemed you.

 

This introduction is provided to help you gain insight into reading these prayers. The underlying attitudes in these prayers are framed in the essential spiritual truths concerning prayer, as revealed in God’s holy word. Those truths are presented here, in this introduction.

 

At the end of this introduction is a challenge for you. It will help to give you insight into how you usually pray.

 

Jesus Christ came into the world not to make life better on earth. He came into the world to save us from God’s judgment because of our sins. For this reason, God's blessings for us, first and foremost, are spiritual blessings (Luke 11:13; Ephesians 1:3-4). We are called to be heavenly minded (Matthew 6:33, Colossians 3:2). God is much more concerned about conforming us to the image of His Son, than providing us with earthly blessing. For believers in Jesus Christ, our true citizenship is in heaven, which is our eternal destiny! What we are doing now is living a pilgrimage. The Bible is our guidebook for the journey.

 

Do you want God to be bigger and greater than how you already know Him? Do You want to feel closer to Him than you have ever felt before? Is your faith important to you? Do you want to increase your faith? Know this, God has provided a way for you to grow your faith through prayer. It is not the typical way people pray. It is the way Jesus Christ prayed to His Father while He was here on earth. Learn to pray like He prayed and your faith will grow.

 

Where can you learn to pray like Jesus prayed? That answer comes from God’s word and His word alone. There is no other truthful source of information about prayer.

 

The first thing we can say about how Jesus prayed, is that He knew His Father intimately. And not just that, but that His Father knew Him intimately, as well. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10:14, 15). The word “know” in this passage, in the original Greek text, is ginōskō, which means to know personally, intimately. We can know about the apostles Peter and Paul, but we cannot know them personally or intimately. We can only know about them. When we know God intimately, like Jesus does, then we can pray like He prayed. Can we know God intimately? Yes, for Jesus prayed for His followers, and that includes you and me. He prayed, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). In this verse, the word “know” is the same Greek word ginōskō, as is in the passage above. Because He prayed that, it means we can know God the Father, personally and intimately. In the pages of scripture, we can find the truths that allow us to develop a relationship of intimacy with God.

 

Jesus would go alone to places where He could pray privately.

 

“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” (Mark 1:35).

 

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

 

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12).

 

What was He praying? The Bible does not tell us what or why He was praying. That is left up to our own imaginations. And because the Gospels reveal a lot about His nature, attitude, and ministry, we can make some good guesses about what He may have been praying. Because He was God in the flesh, and because He could walk on water, heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, multiply fishes and loaves of bread, and raise the dead, it is probable to assume that He was not asking His Father for anything. Any earthly needs He may have had, or those needs of others, He Himself had the power to provide. We know He loves His Father with a love so deep that it is beyond human comprehensive. His love for His Father was demonstrated in His obedience to suffer and die for the sins of the world. We know that He has an intimate union with His Father, and while being on earth His separation from His Father moved Him to want to be alone with His Father in prayer. Because of His love for His Father, He yearned to be with Him, and while here on earth, prayer was the means by which He could be intimate with His Father. I like to think that the reason He prayed by Himself was because He was homesick for His Father. His solitude in prayer afforded Him the intimacy with His Father that He longed for.

 

Why do the Gospels tell us that Jesus prayed privately in remote places? If it is in the Bible, then it must be meant for us to know about. But why? Knowing that He did pray by Himself, leaves us His example to follow. Because how He prayed, we should do likewise, especially since we endeavor to be like Him in all things. The apostle Peter said, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

 

Jesus taught that when we pray, we should do in privately, like He did. He taught, “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” (Matthew 6:5-6). A believer’s true devotion to God is established in time spent alone with Him in prayer.

 

In addition to praying privately, believers can also pray together. Jesus taught His disciples, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). In the book of Acts, Peter and John were arrested by the religious leaders in Jerusalem for preaching the Gospel to the people. They were put in jail, and upon their release they returned to their own people, and “they raised their voices together in prayer to God” (Acts 4:24). God delights when His children pray together, but this must not replace each individual believer’s private prayers. It is private prayer where the heart of a believer becomes fully transparent face to face with God. This is rich soil that grows our faith.

 

If prayer is going to grow our faith, and intimacy with God, then our prayers must be done from our hearts. Jesus said, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). Reciting a memorized pray repetitively does not engage the heart, and Jesus warned against praying this way. He said, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling (“use thoughtless repetition,” NASB) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Prayers that grow faith cannot be a ritual, instead they must be heartfelt and sincere.

 

Heartfelt prayers that grow faith can be stimulated. One powerful way is to read a passage of scripture and let it motivate your prayer. It does not have to be a long passage, and it can be taken from any page in the Bible. Read it and think about what it says. Think about how it helps you to understand God, as well as how it helps you to understand yourself. Especially let it help you to see what you can be thankful to Him for. Then tell Him how the passage affects you. Pour your heart out to Him. Speak to Him plainly, without trying to be eloquent. Be humble, and be as a child. For Jesus taught His disciples, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). This practice, is sometime referred to as “praying the scripture.”

 

Another way is to write down some of your prayers; especially ones that are very meaningful to you. You can return to your written prayers at other times and reflect on each thought. Let those thoughts lead you to find in your heart more to say to your heavenly Father. Use those thoughts as you pray to come closer to God. Meditate prayerfully on them, offering your meditation to Him as prayer. Writing your prayers may even lead you to create a prayer journal. In your journal, you may also decide to include some of your favorite Bible verses. Let prayers that grow your faith be a spiritual adventure for you with God. See how your faith grows.

 

Has the need to be intimate with God developed in you? The prayers in this book focus on practicing intimacy with God, and growing faith. If these both interest you, and you begin praying in ways that lead you to a deeper intimacy with God, you will find that your faith will grow, and that prayer becomes a joyful experience, and you will want to pray more often.

 

Seeking intimacy with God in prayer is not meant, in any way, to minimize intercessory prayer—praying for the needs of others. When we intercede for others, we are loving God, and He is pleased by our love and attention to the needs of others. Scripture drives home the importance of intercessory prayer, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1-3). In John’s gospel, we read that Jesus interceded for His disciples, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9). And He also interceded for everyone who would eventually believe in Him, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message” (John 17:20). And James, in his epistle, tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

 

Our intercessory prayers will grow more fervent as our faith grows. Faith is what give us the ability and motivation to pray prayers of intercession. The greater our faith, the greater our prayers will be.

 

The purpose of prayer is not about getting the things we need or want. It is much more than that. The purpose of prayer is to nurture our relationship (or union) with God. And prayer is meant to lead us to be closer to Him, to be intimate with Him. Prayer is a primary way to have perfect and complete oneness with God.

 

Prayer that nurtures our intimacy with God includes worship, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Worship is expressing to God our love and adoration of Him. Confession is admitting to God our sins and asking for forgiveness, Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude for God’s blessings. Lastly, supplication (or petition) is asking Him for something; “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

 

Nurturing your relationship with God, through prayer, will have an intense focus on yourself with God. Ask yourself, why does God even want me to pray? That question becomes glaring when we consider that Jesus said, “for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). So why does He want us to pray? The answer is twofold, first is because He desires your attention—He is seeking your intimacy. Second is because pray brings spiritual health. Prayer has more to do with you and your relationship with God, than it does for the people you pray for. This truth can be seen in Jesus’ teaching about how to pray, in Matthew 6:5-14.

 

Jesus said: “This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one”

(Matthew 6:9-13).

 

Jesus taught this as a model prayer that we should follow. Here are truths to pay attention to while reading or reflecting on it: First, it does not suggest intercessory prayer—praying for others. That notion is not contained in this prayer. As was mentioned above, prayer has more to do with you and your relationship with God. This does not mean we should not practice intercessory prayer. Jesus said, “pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). And, elsewhere in the Bible we are instructed to pray for others (Ephesians 6:18; Timothy 2:1-3). But in His model prayer for us, Jesus is communicating that there is a greater purpose for us when we pray.

 

Next, pay attention that there are two parts to this prayer. The first part is adoration of God and mindfulness about His business. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (verses 9&10). The focus is fully on God, and not us. Three times the word “your,” referring to Him, is used. This teaches us that we must not immediately jump into prayer by asking for things. We invoke God first in an attitude of worship, “hallowed be your name.” This does not mean we always must start our prayers with these four words. But it does mean we communicate, from our heart, our love and adoration to our Father, with words that express it. By doing this we nurture our intimacy with Him. When we pray “Father,” we are greeting Him as His child. And that He is our Father means we have intimacy with Him. When we say, “Our,” we are acknowledging ownership, Our means mine, in the plural sense. God is our possession given to us by His mercy, grace, and love. This gift comes to us only through Jesus Christ. “Our,” also means He does not exclusively belong to us individually, but that each of us are collectively a part of His body, His Church. “Our” expresses that we are united together with all believers.

 

When we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are praying about God’s business—His kingdom and His will. We are called to promote His kingdom and His will while we live out our lives in this world. Giving such attention to His business, further nurtures our intimacy with Him and grows our faith.

 

The second part of the prayer, “Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (verses 11-13), is about us, and specifically our spiritual needs. Even asking for our daily bread is about our spiritual needs. Bread in the context of Matthew chapter six, is likely an analogy for spiritual nourishment. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (John 6:35). “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Is Jesus using the words, “daily bread,” as an analogy for spiritual nourishment? Is he saying in effect “Give us this day our daily spiritual nourishment?” Note the contrast He made between physical bread and spiritual bread, when He said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

 

The totality of what Jesus’ model prayer is teaching us, is to nurture our relationship with God.

 

How do you understand your relationship with Jesus Christ? The word relationship is not in the New Testament. Jesus Christ does not have a relationship with His Father, He has a “union” with Him. He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). A relationship suggests a space exists between two persons. But there is no space between Jesus and His Father. The two are one. Jesus said, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me“ (John 14:10-11). One of the greatest blessings that comes from having faith in Jesus Christ is that He lives in us. We have something far greater than a relationship with Him, we have a “union” with Him. He said, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20). And the apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you” (2 Corinthians 13:5)? The Holy Spirit also lives in us. Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). And the Father also lives in us. Jesus also said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23). And Jesus also prayed, “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). It is logical to conclude, that if the Father is in Jesus, and Jesus is in us, then the Father is in us too. So, the answer to how do you understand your relationship with Jesus Christ is that you have a “union” with Him, “a living union” with Him. Our focus when we pray is to nurture our union with God. And in that truth, it can be said that the purpose of prayer is to be one with God, which is our ultimate intimacy.

 

There are two primary ways that faith can grows—learning from the Bible, and prayer. There are other important aspects of living the Christian life that contribute to growing faith, but the bedrock resources are the Bible and prayer. By reading the prayers in this book, let what you read motivate you to read and to learn from God’s word. For Jesus has said, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

 

If prayer is going to grow our faith, if it is going to change us, it should include the attitude that we always struggle with sin. To think otherwise we deceive ourselves. Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

 

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).

 

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (Galatians 5:16-17).

 

In prayer, we must give attention to the problem of sin. Our union with God is blunted by sin, and we must be restored. Never allow sin to stop you from calling on the Lord to restore you. Be repentant and contrite. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The prayers in this book pay attention to the destructiveness of sin and especially how it injures us. And these prayers also focus on God’s restoration.

 

Our prayers can be empowered or diminished by our overarching spiritual goal. As believers, there is only one spiritual goal for us, which is oneness with God. Having this as your goal will bring His blessings into your life. He does not want our goal to be His blessings. When we seek Him first, and without being anxious for His blessings, then His blessings will flow to us in abundance. This is explained by examining two passages in the Bible:

 

“But seek first his (God’s) kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). His kingdom is where the king is, and the king is Jesus Christ. His righteousness is Jesus Christ. For our Savior alone is the holy One of God, perfect in every detail. The verse says to seek Him, the King, first, meaning desire Him above all else. Desire Him above His blessings. And it says to seek first His righteous, meaning desire Jesus Christ, our righteousness, above all else. Keep your desire for God first in the top of your mind. It does not say to then seek all the things you need. It says that those things will follow (be given) when your heart desires and seeks God first.

 

The same attitude is expressed in this verse, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalms 37:4). The more we learn about God from the Bible the more reasons we have to “delight” in Him. To take delight in the Lord is to enjoy Him. Loving Him and valuing Him with all our strength. It does not mean we petition God to give us the desires of our heart. Those blessing flow to use when our attitude delights in Him. And keep in mind, that, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8).

 

Desiring God above all else does not mean we do not ask Him for help when we are in need. It means that above our needs is our love and devotion to Him. Perhaps, Oswald Chambers has said this best:

 

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.

 

Finally, we are told to pray in Jesus’ name? Jesus said, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14).

 

What does it mean to pray in His name? There is no single statement in the New Testament to explain exactly what it means to pray in Jesus’s name. However, there are verses when taken together that suggest it means to pray from His authority. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23). These people were rejected because they lacked His authority to do the works they did. Those who remain faithful to Him have His authority. He said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you’” (John 15:7). Praying in His name, also means we have confidence that we are praying according to God’s will; “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). The basis for this authority is His, not ours. It comes solely from Christ’s obedience and sacrificial death on the cross. With that authority we can confidently approach God in prayer; “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (Hebrews 10:19-20). “His body,” that is His authority based on His merit and not anything of ourselves. Amen.

 

Your Challenge

Pray without asking God for anything. Do this for five minutes, or longer. Then reflect on the experience. Compare the experience with your usual way of praying.

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