I. THREE GENERAL TYPES OF PRAYER
A. Personal devotion and worship – expressing our love to God, meditation on Scripture and asking God to transform
our heart. Worship makes declarations of adoration and thanksgiving to God. Devotional prayer focuses on asking for
spiritual growth and communion with God. This involves meditation on God’s Word that turns God’s Word into
conversation with Jesus.
B. Personal petitions –asking God to change our circumstances in our life by releasing His blessing.
C. Intercessory prayer – asking God to release His power and blessing on others. We intercede in three directions:
for God to bless groups of people in a city or church, etc. (1 Thes. 3:10), or individuals in need of salvation, healing,
direction or breakthrough, etc. (2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:19; Phil. 1:19) or for political arena that leaders or laws would be
righteous (1 Tim. 2:1-3).
II. THE PRIMARY REQUEST: THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
13 Much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. (Luke 11:13)
A. The primary intercessory focus in the NT is for the release of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power.
In other words, we intercede for one general request (outpouring of the Holy Spirit). This one request has three different
aspects (Holy Spirit’s gifts, fruit, wisdom).
B. Gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-9) – God’s power. We can pray for this in different ways including asking the Spirit
to fall on those we lay hands on (Acts 8:18), to release the spirit of revelation (Acts 2:17) or for corporate release of the
Spirit’s power when we gather (Acts 2:1-4).
C. Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) – godly character. We pray for the release of conviction of the Spirit that results
in godly character in those who hear the Word. We can prayer for this in different ways including the release of the fear
of God, peace, joy and righteousness (Acts 9:31, 2 Thes. 2:16, 17, 2 Thes. 3:16; 2 Cor. 1:3, 4; Rom. 14:17; 15:13). We
pray for the release of God’s power on the preaching or singing of the His Word so that those who hear it are pierced
through by the sword of God’s Word (Heb. 4:12; Acts 2:37-41), consumed with the fire of God’s Word (Isa. 33:13, 14) or
have their hearts shattered by the hammer of God’s Word (Jer. 23:29).
8 He (Holy Spirit) will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment: (Jn. 16:8)
D. Wisdom of God (Jas. 1:5) – divine direction. We pray for God’s wisdom to be impart to the Church and individuals
in it (Col. 1:9-10; 4:12; Ps. 25:5, 43:3-4), for the spirit of revelation (Eph. 1:17) or for the release the Holy Spirit’s teaching
ministry (Jn. 14:16, 26; 16:13-15, 26, 27).
E. We can use different Biblical terminology in praying for the release of the Holy Spirit’s power such as establishing
justice (Luke 18:8), release the spirit of grace (Zech. 12:10), lift up the light of your countenance on us (Ps. 4:6) or cause
Your Word to spread increase (2 Thes. 3:1, 2).
F. We pray for the release of a greater measure of grace (Holy Spirit’s power). We can use different terminology for
this prayer focus such as asking for abundant grace (Acts 4:33; Rom. 5:17; 1 Tim. 1:14), greater grace (Jas. 4:6), to be
full of grace (Acts: 6:8), to grow in grace (2 Pet. 3:18), or for grace to be multiplied (2 Pet. 1:2) or for more grace
(Heb. 4:16, 1 Cor. 16:23, 2 Cor. 1:2).
III. GOD-CENTERED SPIRITUAL WARFARE (AGREEMENT WITH GOD)
A. In Scripture, God-centered intercessory worship is God’s primary strategy for the Church to resist and dislodge
demonic spiritual forces. We wrestle with demonic principalities and powers (Eph. 6:12). As a general rule, we focus our
prayers directly to God. This is God’s way for the Church to dismantle demonic strongholds spirits in heavenly places.
There are exceptions to this general rule, in which case, we focus our proclamations directly to the enemy.
B. Engaging in spiritual warfare is essentially done by agreeing with God and thus, disagreeing with the enemy.
Spiritual warfare operates through agreement with God’s heart in various ways.
1. Worship is agreement with who God is (Holy is the Lord, You are worthy, God is good). Worship is expressed
by declaring the truth of God.
2. Intercession is agreement with what He promises to do (Lord, release Your Spirit in revival and judgment). Intercession is
expressed by declaring what He will do.
3. Repentance is agreement with God’s heart (holiness) and breaks agreement with sin.
4. Healing agreement is with God’s desire to heal and breaks agreement with sickness.
5. Serving is agreement with Jesus’ servant heart and breaks agreement with selfish pride.
C. Jesus taught us to direct our prayers to the Father. (Mt. 18:19; Lk. 11:2; 11:13; Jn. 14:16, 17:5, 11, 15, 25). The
apostles directed their prayers to the Father. Paul directed his prayers toward the Father in the great “warfare epistle”
to the Ephesians (Eph 1:16-17; 3:14, 16, 20).
6 When you pray…pray to your Father…Pray, our Father in heaven… (Mt. 6:6, 9)
16 Whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (Jn. 15:16)
IV. USING BIBLICAL PRAYERS (APOSTOLIC PRAYERS)
A. I encourage people to use the actual prayers (or worship text) from Scripture. In this way, they use the very language
of God’s heart. This is more specific than using Bible passages (that are not prayers). It is common for people to use a
Bible passage for intercessory prayer and to end up “preaching the passage” as they offer it in prayer. The prayers of
the Bible are God’s great gift.
B. The Biblical prayers that we use most are the apostolic prayers or the prayers the apostles prayed (the chief
apostle is Jesus, Heb. 3:1). They are the ones that God specifically gave the apostles.
C. The apostolic prayers are guaranteed to be answered. They are prayers that burn in God’s heart. They are like
checks that are already signed in heaven and only await a co-signer on earth.
D. The New Testament prayers are positive. They focus on imparting positive qualities in God’s grace as
righteousness, unity, hope and power as the way of removing negative things like sin, division fear, or powerlessness.
Negative prayers focus on removing sin or division, etc. They often result in a judgmental angry railing against the
Church and its leaders and people.
E. The positive focus of these prayers help the Church walk in unity with God and His people. It is difficult to agree
with unbiblical, negative, preaching prayers. The result is that others in the prayer room are distracted and disengaged.
F. God does answer negative prayers, but it often hinders the unity of others in a prayer meeting.
G. It is Biblical to embrace the negative dimension of confessing sin individually or corporately (identificational repentance)
as was done by Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, etc. However, this dimension is secondary and is not the primary focus of the
NT prayer model. It is to be used occasionally and strategically rather than as the main approach to daily prayer meetings.
H. My personal testimony – I was given a three-month restraint order by my pastor in 1978. He forbade me to speak
even one negative word in preaching or praying. This was difficult but it showed me how much I was entrenched in a
negative mindset.
I. Praying only positively for a season will help some to discover how much personal anger, disappointment and
negativity they vent in the prayer room. When first using NT prayers, some find it difficult to have liberty.
J. Some feel initially feel stifled in using Biblical prayers. This only happens for a short season until the language
of their heart is formed by the Word. They will develop a new mindset and language that is in accordance with the
positive spirit of New Testament prayers. For awhile, they may be frustrated because of their inability to articulate
their heart with Biblical prayers.
K. Some teach that we should pray in a way that flows naturally from the heart without concern for Biblical language.
My premise is that because of our unrenewed minds, our natural expression is not the highest form of prayer. Biblical
prayers help us to know God’s heart.
L. The basketball drill analogy – the benefits of re-learning to shoot is worth the trouble it takes.
V. CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW TESTAMENT PRAYERS
A. Apostolic prayers are God-centered. The Father heart of God is central to NT prayers. All of the approximately
25-30 New Testament prayers are directed to God instead of sin and the devil. There are no NT prayers directed at the
devil or at sin, division, fear, etc. On specific occasions the Holy Spirit may lead us to pray against a principality in a
direct way. This is a governmental function that requires unity in a strategically divinely orchestrated occasion.
B. Avoid preaching prayers that are not God-centered but rather “man-ward.” Preaching prayers can be the norm
until we develop a focus on God in prayer. We will grow more accustomed to God as our “audience of One” as we
spend more time talking to Our Father sitting on His Throne (Rev. 4). This focus can be enhanced through private prayer
that talks to God (instead of preaches to people). If our primary times of prayer are public then we can be trapped into
a “man-ward” preaching focus.
C. Apostolic prayers are focused on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the church in our area. Almost every prayer
of Paul is for the work of the Spirit to be released on a specific church. The only prayer in the New Testament for the
lost is for Israel (Rom. 10:1).
D. Why pray for the Church? God’s strategy is to raise anointed churches, like the one in Ephesus, which resulted
in God’s power and Word being released across all of Asia.
10 All who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:10)
20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed (in Ephesus and Asia). (Acts 19:20)
E. Apostolic prayers awaken our hearts in love. The Lord designed the New Testament prayers around the spiritual
principle that we fall in love with those for whom we pray.
1. Loving the Church – when we pray for the Church, we fall in love with it. The tendency of some is to have an
adversarial attitude towards the Church. This is overcome by praying for it. We cannot keep a wrong spirit towards the
Church we continually pray for.
2. Loving unbelievers – we fall in love with the harvest as we pray for it.
F. The positive focus of the apostolic prayers contributes to healing our emotions. These prayers were designed by
God to heal and empower the human spirit. God is the ultimate psychologist. He knows the human heart. The NT prayers
are “human friendly.” God designed these prayers for weak and broken people to soar in God and to enjoy unity with
Him and with each other.
G. The positive focus of apostolic prayers helps us operate in faith. Theology on the victorious church is emphasized
in the apostolic prayers. For example, “that the church might be filled with the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:19).
H. The apostolic prayers are not a limitation. They are the launching pad and the safety net. Our glorious boundary
line in the Spirit is the Word of God. We are joyful and content to stay within these boundaries without feeling limited by
the Spirit’s language that is given us in the Scripture.
VI. INTERCESSORY PRAYER TIPS
A. Limit prayers to 3-5 minutes or less unless there is extra-special anointing on your prayers.
B. Things to avoid that scatter the focus in corporate intercessory prayer. Avoid publicly praying for things that involve
too many details, personal concerns, teaching content and issues that are not shared burdens of the group.
C. The more specific we are, the easier it is to be unified in prayer since others feel connected with the people for
which we pray. Focused prayers on a specific church or city (instead of all the nations in general) creates the helpful
human dynamic of feeling connected and in having ownership for a specific city and people.
D. Avoid devotional prayers that focus on your personal spiritual needs and longings. Avoid requests for people
and situations that others are not aware of; and therefore may find it difficult to agree with you in prayer.