Six Types of Prayer

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! I hope you will as well.

I want to talk with you today about six types of prayer. It is so important that we spend daily time in prayer. Our prayer should include two very important items. In fact, these two items represent covenants that we have with God. These two items are blood covenant and water covenant.
Water and blood flowed from the body of Jesus as the last physical evidence of His crucifixion (John 19:34)

Water and blood reminded Pilate that he had killed an innocent man (Matthew 27:24)

Water and blood were used by the high priest of the Old Testament to offer up the sacrifices to God (Leviticus 7,8). Water and blood are parts of the birthing process.

Although the washing by the blood is an instantaneous work of God, the washing by the water of the Word is a continual daily process.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (26) that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (27) so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

A lack of cleansing by the Word is the essential reason many fail to live in victory. There is no victory without the daily washing by the Word. It not only makes a difference, but is also the difference between victorious living and mediocre living. The step before the final step of entering into the land of promise is a time of cleansing through repentance—putting our sins under the blood and receiving more of God's thoughts than this world's thoughts.

So as we come before God in prayer, we must remember that when we become before God in prayer we need to understand the importance of blood and water! Now, let's look at six different types o f prayer:

Pray… with all [manner of] prayer. Ephesians 6:18 AMP

(1) The prayer of agreement!

"If two of you… agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father" (Matthew 18:19 NIV). When you're up against something too big to handle alone, find a prayer partner and come into agreement with them. This isn't for people who generally live in strife then decide to agree because they're desperate. God honors the prayers of those who pay the price to live together in harmony.

(2) The prayer of petition!

Be confident in asking God to meet your needs. Jesus said, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24 NIV). If we'd stop trying to impress God we'd be a lot better off. Length, loudness or eloquence isn't the issue; it's the sincerity of our heart, our confidence before God, and the knowledge that it's according to His will - that gets results!

(3) The prayer of thanksgiving!

When our petitions outweigh our praises it says something about our character. Self-centered people ask but rarely appreciate. God won't release us into the fullness of all He's planned for us until we become thankful for what we've already received. Petition avails much, praise avails much more! "In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6 NIV). Powerful living comes through thanksgiving. We can "pray without ceasing" by being thankful all day long, praising God for His favor, mercy, loving kindness, grace, longsuffering and goodness.

(4) The prayer of intercession.

"I looked for a man… who would… stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land" (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV). To intercede means: "to stand in the gap" for someone else. If there's a breach in that person's relationship with God due to a particular sin, you have the privilege of placing yourself in that breach and praying for them. "The gap" is the distance between what is - and what can be.

(5) The prayer of commitment.

"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him" (I Peter 5:7 AMP). As long as you keep trying to control events your stress levels will just keep mounting. But when you learn to hand things over to God, you'll wonder why you spent even a single day worrying.

(6) The prayer of consecration.

On the Damascus Road, Paul prayed: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6) Its saying, "Here I am, do with me as you please. I hope I like what You choose, but even if I don't I'll do it anyway; Your will be done, not mine." Now you're deciding to voluntarily follow God, rather than struggling to get Him to follow you. As a result, God will do the work that needs to be done in us, so that He can do the work that He desires to do through us. Blessings!

Pastor Rusty