How to Pray

Prayer is as unique as the individual praying. There is no secret formula for how to pray, God wants you to pray to connect with Him. Prayer is an avenue that God has provided for the believer of making known the deepest feelings of our heart.

“Prayer prepares us for the proper use of the answer. If we know our need, and if we voice it to God, trusting Him for His provision, then we will make better use of the answer than if God forced it on us without our asking.” - Warren Wiersbe

The Model Prayer is an example of how to pray, not necessarily what to pray. Since God honors His word, learn to pray His word. Remind God of His promises in His Word. God’s Word will never return to Him void. A good place to start is to pray using the Names of God or the Names of Jesus.

Seven Elements of Prayer

Again, there is no secret formula for how to pray, but below are individual elements you should be sure to consider when praying. One common method is the ACTS of prayer (adoration, confession, thanksgiving & supplication). I learned this growing up as I’m sure many of you did.

However, I not only like, but totally agree with the fifth element Hank Hanegraaff added (faith) in his book the Prayer of Jesus. Yet still, I believe there are two additional elements that I’ve learned over the years that are just as critical (Intercession and Listening).

Seven Elements of Prayer

Seven elements of prayer can be described using the acronym F-A-C-T-S-I-L.

F-FAITH
Faith is required for prayer. Why pray if you don’t believe God can deliver? The experience of faith begins with salvation.

God has never asked us to have a "blind faith" or a faith with no basis. We can believe in God for many reasons:
- we can see the incredible creation all around us
- He has provided witnesses to testify of him
- we see him working in the lives of those around us, and in our lives

Have you ever seen the ozone layer, electricity or germs? Do you act on the fact that they exist? God has also provided evidence that He exists…act on it.

Since God is revealed in His Word, the prayer of faith must be rooted in scripture. God honors His Word, so pray His Word. In order to pray His Word, we must know His Word.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” - Hebrews 11:6 NLT

A-ADORATION
Faith leads to adoration. You can’t pray without acknowledging His greatness. Think about Who you’re talking to and Who’s presence you’re in. Adore Him, acknowledge Him and reverence Him before you begin making requests. Besides, prayer without adoration is incomplete.

“For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” - Psalm 86:10 NLT

C-CONFESSION
Confession is acknowledging you view sin the way God views sin and that you have a need for forgiveness. Sin doesn’t eliminate your salvation, but it does affect your fellowship. Remember, once saved, always saved. Confession restores the relationship.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” - I John 1:9 NLT

“…for everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already, says the LORD. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” - Jeremiah 31:34 NLT


“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13 NLT

God is omniscient (all knowing), so we don't confess to inform Him of our sin, but rather to shine light on our sin. As long as you’re in the dark, you can be comfortable, but when light enters, darkness scatters.

Have you ever been around people who were engaged in destructive behavior and they keep hounding you to partake so you wouldn’t be left out? Misery loves company. The fact that you’re set apart bothers them because as long as everyone else is doing XYZ it doesn’t seem so bad. Your unwillingness to join in is like light shining on their darkness.

So, don’t just lump all your sins together, call out your sins in prayer. Shine a light on your sin to prevent Satan from getting the victory. You’ll get tired of repeating the same sin over and over and begin to work to do something about it.

Remember, confession is for your benefit.

T-THANSKGIVING
We must thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us and for Who He is.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT

What excuses do we make today for not thanking God?
• I'm obeying God - so he owes me these blessings.
• God knows my prayers before I offer them. Why should I tell him?
• I'm very busy right now, I'll thank him later.
• I hurting so much because of ________. Why is He not helping me?
• God didn't do that for me, it was: my hard work, nature, my friend, luck.

Psalms 100 says enter into His courts with thanksgiving. We must thank God for all the blessings He has already bestowed upon us and for Who He is. Pagans and carnal Christians just make requests, but true Christians adore, honor & thank Him.

"Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." - Romans 1:21 NLT

We ought to approach Him overflowing with thankfulness.

S-SUPPLICATION
Supplication is making our requests known to God or to ask. However, it’s not until we’ve come…
- humbly in faith
- acknowledging Him as Creator & Controller of all
- confessing our sins to restore our fellowship and
- thanking Him for His grace and for supplying our needs
… that we are now ready to ask for something.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” - Philippians 4:6 NLT

I-INTERCESSION
Have you ever thought about the fact that both a window and a mirror are both made from glass, but have very different functions? Windows are used to look through so you can see other things, but mirrors are only for looking at yourself.

If you spent more time looking out for others rather than just looking out for ourselves, you’d be happier. Imagine living in a house with all mirrors and no windows. You wouldn’t be able to see the sun, trees, clouds, rain, people walking by or anything else. It would be dark as well because no light could shine through. The same thing happens when we think only of ourselves in prayer.

Intercede and pray on someone else’s behalf. Christ placed others first. He placed our need for a savior ahead his own and came to die for us. As Christians, we should follow His example and intercede for others. Getting into the presence of God on someone else’s behalf benefits both of you.

“Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” - Hebrews 7:25 NLT

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” - I Timothy 2:1 NLT

L-LISTENING
Don’t dominate your conversations with God, with only requests without giving Him an opportunity to respond. Pray with expectancy and listen for the response.

Imagine someone called you and talked and talked but never gave you an opportunity to respond. You would probably wonder why they called you if they didn’t want you to provide any input? It’s the same with God, we often call and do all the talking when we pray and don't give God an opportunity to speak to our heart.

Spend some quiet time with God, just listening. In our fast-paced society, it seems odd to sit in silence, but you’ll never regret sitting in His presence, allowing Him to speak to your heart.
• Turn off the ipod or CD player in the car
• Turn off the TV

Some of you may be thinking, you never hear from God, but we hear what we’re tuned to. I once heard a story about a man walking down a noisy city street and he commented to his friend that the sound of nature was so beautiful, the birds chirping, the wind whistling in the wind, etc. His friend commented ‘yeah right, how can you hear all of that with the horns, sirens, jack hammering, etc. going on?' The man then took change out of his pocket and dropped it on the ground…his friend turned to him and said; hey you dropped some change on the ground. He said, 'it’s all abut what you’re listening for…you were attuned to money, I was attuned to nature'.

I pray that we are all attuned to God’s voice.

“But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” - Proverbs 1:33 NLT

Also, know when you can’t pray, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for you.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” – Romans 8:26 NLT

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” - Luke 22:32 NKJV“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10 NKJV

Summary

Recall, there is no special formula for how to pray. Prayer is about pursuing a relationship with God. If we are to nurture a relationship with God we must communicate with Him. Prayer is to conform us to God’s will, it is not a magic mantra that conforms God to our will. The Model Prayer teaches us how to pray, not necessarily the words to pray.

Remember, it’s not so must about what to pray, but that you pray. The strength of a woman is determined by how much time she spends in prayer. So, while this information was developed to help you learn how to pray, use it as a guide and not as a formula. Don’t focus so much on how to pray, but rather spending time with God in prayer.

FACTSIL and the Model Prayer

Below is an example of how to pray using the Model Prayer. The Model Prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13.
Faith – required before you begin to pray (we must pray in faith)

(9) After this manner therefore pray ye:
Adoration - Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Supplication - (10-11) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

Confession - (12-13a) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

Adoration - (13b) For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Thanksgiving – although not specifically included in the Model Prayer, nothing is more basic to prayer.

Intercession - We are most like Christ when we serve others & the best way to serve others is by uttering prayers to God on their behalf.

Listening - Listen to hear & receive a response from God once you’ve made your request known.

Many of these truths on prayer were adapted in part from The Prayer of Jesus: Secrets to Real intimacy with God by Hank Hanegraaff