STUDENT NAME: NYASHA MUTETWA

COURSE TITLE: TALKING WITH GOD

ASSIGNMENT: ONE

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION(S): 1. WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

2. WHAT ARE THE FOUR ASPECTS OF PRAYER AND BRIEFLY

EXPLAIN EACH. GIVING RELEVANT SCRIPTURES WILL EARN YOU ADDITIONAL MARKS

3. WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER? GIVING RELEVANT

SCRIPTURES WILL EARN YOU ADDITIONAL MARKS

4. WHAT ARE 3 DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER?

LECTURER: W.M MAJONI

DUE DATE: 30 JUNE 2018

QUESTION 1: WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

A Christian who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal saviour is fully complete when
he or she commits himself or herself to prayer thus establishing a personal relationship with
God and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The reasons as to why Christians ought to pray
always are to be explored in this essay. Among other reasons to be discussed in this essay,
prayer should be a lifestyle of every Christian as it brings pleasure to God; it deepens our
fellowship with God; even though he was the Christ, our lord Jesus prayed and commanded
us to pray; we pray because of the promises made by Jesus to the saints; we also pray in order
to defeat the devil and all his devices; and above all we pray so as to express our trust in God
who made heaven and earth and all that is in it. The definition of prayer shall be given at the
beginning of the essay. A Christian must be persistent in prayer and not give up. In this essay,
relevant scriptures pertaining to the reasons why Christians ought to pray will be derived from
both the New Testament and the Old Testament.

Prayer is a two way communication between God and man. Prayer is a vital link of
communication and fellowship between us and our Heavenly Father (Jim and Jean Stephens
2012, p1). Fellowship entails a deeper association of people who share common beliefs or
activities and thus in praying to God we are sharing with him and talking with him. The
common beliefs and activities are written in the bible. Henceforth, God shares with us and
we also share with God in the form of prayer. In this regard, prayer becomes a dialogue
between two people who love each other. Prayer is a general term for addressing God and
God has made it possible for his children to talk to him (Taylor 1997, p3). Hebrews 4: 14-16
says ‘Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of
God, let us hold fast our concession……..16 let us then with confidence draw near to the throne
of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace, to help in time of need (The Gideons
international bible). Therefore, Christians are able to reach to God the father through Jesus
Christ who is the high priest. Christians can now draw near to the throne of grace because of
Jesus Christ. Prayer is a conscious decision to communicate with God, which helps you
develop an intimate spirit-to-spirit relationship with Him (Martin 2010). Prayer to God is done
in the spirit since God is spirit. John 4: 24 says God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth King James Version.

Prayer brings pleasure to God. Proverbs 15:8 says, The sacrifice of the wicked is an
abomination to the lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him (the Gideons
International). Prayer, which is done by a righteous person, who walks according to the will
of the lord, pleases God and that is the duty of a Christian to do what God loves. Almighty
God is concerned with our praying. He wills it, He commands it, He inspires it (E.M Bounds,
internet source). Jesus Christ stressed out in John 14:13 that the Father is glorified through
answering our prayers Whatever you ask in my name I will do it, that the father may be
glorified in the Son, (The Gideons International). Therefore, God loves to answer our prayers.

In addition, we pray to deepen our fellowship with God. David had a deeper fellowship with
God and this he expressed in Psalms 42:1-2 which says; As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come
and appear before God (The Gideons International). Thus, in every circumstance of life, prayer
is the most natural out-pouring of the soul, the unhindered turning to God for communion
and direction (E.M Bound p12 internet source). Whether in sorrow or in joy, in defeat or in
victory, in health or in weakness, in calamity or in success, the heart leaps to meet with God
just as a child runs to his mother’s arms, ever sure that with her is the sympathy that meets
every need (E.M Bound p12 internet source). When the fellowship between an individual and
God deepens, there is an innate desire in the individual to communicate with God always and
in this way, prayer becomes a part of the individual, it becomes his or her own lifestyle. This
is the level of fellowship which goes beyond asking and overlooks various situations
surrounding the person.

Apart from this, we pray because Jesus the son of God prayed and he sets an example for us
to follow. In John 17: 1ff Jesus prayed for himself, his disciples and those who were going to
believe in God. John 17: 20, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe
on me through their word King James Version. As Christians we ought to pray for ourselves
and also we should pray for other saints. Accordingly (EM Bounds internet source p17) has
this to say:

Jesus Christ had striven to do this in the days of His personal ministry. He was moved by
infinite compassion at the ripened fields of earth perishing for lack of labourers, and pausing
in His own praying, He tries to awaken the sleeping sensibilities of His disciples to the duty
of prayer, as He charges them: “Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth
labourers into His harvest.” And He spake a parable to them to this end, that men ought
always to pray.
Therefore, since it was the characteristic of Jesus to pray and to encourage others to pray,
Christians ought to do likewise.

Prayer is done because Jesus commanded us to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 says Pray without
ceasing (The Gideons international). We should pray always (Dr E.H Guti). Ephesians 6: 18
states that: Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with
all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (The Gideons International). A
Christian ought to be persistent in prayer and not give up and that is what Jesus commands.

More so, we pray because of Jesus promise to answer our prayers when we pray. Mathew
7:7-12 and Luke 11: 9-13 says And I tell you, ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you
will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who
seeks finds, and to one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks
for a fish, will instead give him a serpent or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If
you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (the Gideons international). Since
our God is an Omni-benevolent God whose kindness surpasses human kindness, he will surely
give the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Jesus promised us that when we pray we
should believe that we have received and it will be so. Without the promise prayer is eccentric
and baseless. Without prayer, the promise is dim, voiceless, shadowy, and impersonal. The
promise makes prayer dauntless and irresistible, (EM Bound, internet source). He goes on to
postulate that: Promises are God’s golden fruit to be plucked by the hand of prayer, thus
promises are God’s incorruptible seed, to be sown and tilled by prayer (EM Bound, internet
source).

Apart from this, we pray to defeat Satan so that we will not fall into temptations. The devil
fears a Christian who prays. Jesus was able to defeat the devil after fasting for 40 days and 40
nights because of prayer and the word which he used. The bible says in Mathew 4: 1-2 Then
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting
forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Mark 14: 38 Jesus commanded his disciples to pray
so that they may not enter into temptation. Jesus also prayed for Peter so that he may be
able to overcome the devil. Prayer is the foundation of Christian character and the security of
the soul. When Jesus was looking forward to Peter’s denial, and cautioning him against it, He
said unto His disciple: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, to sift you as
wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fall not and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren Luke 22: 31-32 (KJV). Therefore we should pray for our souls and
defeat the devil who is always targeting our souls. We should also pray for others whose souls
were stolen by the devil.

Lastly we pray to express the trust we have in God. 1 Peter 5: 7 Casting all your anxieties on
him for he cares for you. Psalms 125: 1 says Those who trust in the lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved but abides forever (The Gideons International). Psalms 57: 1 says In
God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what can man do unto me KJV. To trust is to believe
that our prayers have been answered.

Conclusively, the key concept was defined and the reasons why Christians ought to pray were
clearly outlined. Among other ideas raised in this essay, it has been noted that we pray to
please God, deepen our relationship with God and because Jesus commanded and promised.
Prayer is vital as it helps us to defeat the devil. It is also a way to express trust in God.

QUESTION 2: WHAT ARE THE FOUR ASPECTS OF PRAYER AND BRIEFLY EXPLAIN EACH.
GIVING RELEVANT SCRIPTURES WILL EARN YOU ADDITIONAL MARKS
Four aspects of prayer are derived from the word “ACTS” which means, Adoration,
Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. These four aspects are clear guidelines on how we
ought to pray as Christians. The thrust of this essay is to explain briefly these four aspects of
prayer and give relevant biblical scriptures. The key word, Prayer has already been defined in
the previous essay. The four aspects of prayer shall be defined in separate paragraphs in
which they are to be explained.

The first aspect of prayer is adoration. Adoration is telling God how great he is. It refers to
worshipping God for who he is, what he has done for us. Concerning adoration, Taylor 1997,
p3 postulated that:

Worship is an expression of love for and devotion to God, prayer which recognizes him;
which appeals to his love, mercy, grace, and power; and which shows a reliance on him and
the need to communicate with him; is surely worship. It exalts God as the object of our
praise, the recipient of our love, and the source of our blessings. In turn God displays his
providential care and love for his children by hearing and answering their prayers.

Therefore, God desires our worship and he wants us to worship him in spirit and in truth. John
4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshippers will worship the Father
in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him (The Gideons
International) We adore him for his willingness to answer our prayers and his ability to hear
our prayers, 1 John 5: 14-15; And this the confidence we have toward him, that if we ask
anything according to his will he hears us (The Gideons International)

Confession is another aspect of prayer. Confession is admitting your sins to God and asking
God to forgive you. When we confess our sins we ask God to forgive us and wash us with the
blood of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 1: 18 says: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the lord:
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be like crimson,
they shall be as wool KJV. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sins
KJV. The bible also says that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9. God is ready to forgive us when we
confess. Unconfessed sins hinders our prayers from being answered.

Another aspect of prayer is thanksgiving. This refers to thanking God for everything, i.e who
he is, forgiving our sins, healing us, answering our prayers and even for the gift of the Holy
Spirit. Prayer should be characterised by thanksgiving for blessings received, (Taylor 1997 p
4). Phillipians 4: 6 says; Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (The Gideons
International).

Supplication or intercession is the last aspect of prayer. Supplications is an earliest, heartfelt

prayer for other people and situations. Intercessions are pleas for others, (Taylor 1997, p 3).
“Intercession” is an enlargement in prayer, a going out in broadness and fullness from self to
others (E.M Bound, p2 Internet source). 1 Timothy 2:1 says First of all I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people (The Gideons International).
In commenting on the intercessions of 1 timothy 2:1, W.E Vine cited in Taylor 1997 p3 said it
meant seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others. Simon in Acts 8:24 asked
Peter to pray for him.

In a nutshell, the four aspect of prayer were identified and described. Adoration, confession,
thanksgiving, and supplication are the four aspects of prayer which shows us how we as
Christians should pray. It was noted that we adore God for who he is and answering our
prayers. We should also confess our sins when we pray and unconfessed sins hinders our
prayers from being answered. When we pray we must also thank God for everything.
Additionally we must intercede for others as we pray.

QUESTION 3: WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER? GIVING RELEVANT SCRIPTURES
WILL EARN YOU ADDITIONAL MARKS

This essay shall focus on the guidelines for prayer. When praying we first adore God, asking
him for forgiveness and cleansing and offer petitions to God. This is to be exonerated in the
essay and examples from the bible will be given. Also to be discussed under guidelines is the
process of listening to God, persevering, fasting and praying in the spirit. Prayer is an essential
part of a Christian and if one follows these guidelines, victory is certain.

When praying we begin by adoring God, worshipping him for everything he has done, for
those things he is doing and for the things that he will do for us. God desires our worship and
we begin by focusing on the Lord in song and praise. Psalms 149: 1-9 says Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly. Let Israel be glad in his
maker…..for the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation…. The
Gideons International. After this, we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area that is displeasing
to God. We then confess our sins and accept God’s forgiveness. Psalms 66: 18 says; If I had
cherished iniquity in my heart, the lord would not have listened. David knew where to find a
sin-pardoning God, and was received back again and had the joys of salvation restored to him
by earnest, sincere, penitential praying (E.M Bound, p7, internet source). All sinners are
brought into the divine favor, thus do they find pardon, and thus do they find a new heart
(EM Bound p7, internet source).

After confessing, you submit your own ideas, thoughts and feelings to God. 2 Corinthians 10:5
says; We destroy arguments and every lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ (The Gideons international). Resist the devil and
ask for the fear of the lord which overrides the fear of each other. Isaiah 11: 2-3. Ask the Holy
Spirit to anoint you and to direct your prayers. Romans 8:26 Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes
for us with groanings too deep for words.

The next stage is listening to God. After praying, you must expect to hear from God. John
10:27 says My sheep hears my voice. God may give a recurring thought, eg a name of a person,
a bible verse of passage, a mental picture or a word of prophecy. In listening to God we must
also obey what he tells us to do. For example when God tells you to give you must give.

Perseverance is fundamental when praying. We must pray continually, 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about a widow who kept on asking a judge to vindicate her
against her adversaries in Luke 18: 1ff. Due to the persistence of the widow, the unrighteous
Judge gave her justice. In Luke 18: 7-8, Jesus said And will not God give justice to his elect, who
cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them
speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Many
Christians do not have perseverance and some have lost their faith in God.

Fasting is another step we ought to do when praying. Jesus was asked by the disciples of John
the reason why his disciples didn’t fast whilst they were fasting in Mathew 9: 14-15. Jesus said
to them on verse 15 the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and
then they will fast. Fasting should be done privately Mathew 6: 17-18. The bible says our
father sees in secret and will reward us in secret when we fast in secret.

We ought to pray in the spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray. Romans 8: 26-27. Speaking in
tongues can edify us when we pray. 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul urged us to desire spiritual gifts.
We should pray in the Spirit since God is Spirit. John 4: 24, God is Spirit and those who worship
him must worship in spirit and in truth.

In conclusion, the guidelines of prayer have been explained and these includes worshipping
and praising God, confession and cleansing, submitting your ideas and thoughts to God,
listening to God, persevering, fasting and praying in the spirit.

QUESTION 4. . WHAT ARE 3 DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER?

There are three difficulties in prayer which are lack of time, doubts or unbelief and
disappointment or discouragement through unanswered prayer. These difficulties are to be
discussed in this essay. The writer shall also try to offer possible solutions to the problems
which people might face during prayer.

Firstly, lack of time is one of the difficulties faced during prayer. Some Christians are too busy
to pray. Busyness is a hindrance to our spiritual lives as well as to relationships (Jim and Jean
Stephens 2012, p 5). Setting proper priorities in our lives and disciplining ourselves to put God
first is one way to make sure we do the important things (Jim and Jean Stephens 2012, p 5).
We must know what the Bible says about the importance of prayer; we must see prayer as
important in the life of Jesus and other people in the Bible; and we need to see prayer as
important and effective in the lives of other Christian believers (Jim and Jean Stephens 2012,
p 5). As Christians we need to find time to talk with our father.

Secondly, doubts and unbelief is a difficulty some Christians face in prayer. And without faith
it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). Doubts cause us to
question God’s love, God’s care, and even God’s ability to meet our needs (Jim and Jean
Stephens 2012, p 4) .The bible also says, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks,
he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and
tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6). We need to read and meditate on God’s Word; his
promises; His faithfulness; so that faith will rise up within us and drive out doubts and fears.

Lastly, disappointment or discouragement through unanswered prayer is also another

difficulty Christians face in prayer. When we have prayed about matters that are important
to us and have not seen the answer come through it can cause us to develop a “What’s the
use?” attitude about prayer (Jim and Jean Stephens 2012, p 4). Sometimes when we feel that
our prayers are not answered we need to persevere in prayer and not give up Luke 18:1.

Conclusively, lack of time, doubts and disbelief and disappointments and discouragements
through unanswered prayers are some of the difficulties faced by Christians. However,
Christians must find time to pray and believe when the pray. When we feel our prayers are
not being answered we should not give up but persevere.
REFERENCES

Bounds EM Internet source: http://www.christianissues.biz/freebrooks.html, visited 27 June

2018
Guti E.H n.d, Small groups home bible study, EGEA Christian Literature Publications, Harare

Martin B.C 2010, Pray what God says, Smashwords, Lakewood

Stephens Jim and Jean 2012, Hinderances to prayer, Resource Ministries, n.p

Taylor 1997, Preaching on prayer, n.p