“Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty…” Ephesians 6:18 (Amplified)
All prayer is based on the dependent and loving relationship we each have with a majestic, powerful, and merciful God. The purpose that God has for a life, a nation, a church, a business, or any situation could vary depending upon the situation or the hearts of the people involved. Therefore, when we pray, we first must lean into God to follow His leading, aligned with His purpose, when we go to prayer. Here are examples of the spectrum of purpose there is in prayer:
When we come to God, if we are carrying cares, God’s purpose for us in prayer that moment could be to roll those care over onto Him, or to commit those things to His care. If we are struggling between what we want and what God wants, God’s purpose for our time together could be to experience His presence so we would trust Him to consecrate ourselves to Him. Another purpose could be to petition God, or to ask God for His help, to make supplication.
Other times in prayer, God’s purpose may require us to intercede on behalf of someone else. It could be to declare His will with the authority Christ gave to us as His representatives on the earth. Other times, the purpose could be to declare His greatness, giving Him lordship over a situation through praise. There could be a time when our spiritual enemy has a hold on someone or something, and God needs for us to rebuke an evil spirit. Other times God may purpose may be to bring us together in agreement in order for His will to be accomplished.
Every prayer, whatever the purpose, is to be prayed from faith, which is a position of submission. Faith is dependency on a loving Father who always pursues what is best for His children. However, there is also a purpose of faith in prayer where God wants us to determine to believe Him and to embrace the promise He has for us. It takes faith to work together with God.
We don’t have to complicate prayer; all we need to do is to draw close to the presence of God through a humble heart. When we are following the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence that we are in line with His purpose.
Application: There are still times when we don’t know how to pray, and we don’t necessarily need to know what God is doing in someone else’s life. In those moments, we pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. He will give us words to pray that our mind does not understand. The Bible calls it praying in the spirit, speaking in languages we don’t understand.