Prayer is one of the main avenues God uses to build the Christian’s faith. God supplies much of what the Christian needs through prayer. It is important for the Christian to develop good prayer habits and to set aside time each day to seek the Lord in prayer. Reading prayers can be very helpful to inspire prayer. Sometimes, reading prayers will offer a wonderful guide to help someone persevere in prayer, as that can be a difficult task for many Christians.
The Bible has much to say about prayer. One of the many things that are mentioned consists of the way in which God answers prayers that are in accordance with His will. What is the best place to find the will of God? The answer must surely be in His Word. The Word is a direct guide to the heart of God and thus to the will of God. Therefore, if one wants to experience a life of answered prayer, he must also pray according to the will of God and as the Word guides him.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (KJV, Rom. 6:4-5).
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death”
Father, I recognize that I needed to die. I’m not saying that I needed to depart from this world, but the old man within me needed to die. Thank You that You have made a way in which this is accomplished. Thank You, God, that You sent Your Son to die a sacrificial death for me that I might die with Him, too.
I find that I get in the way of things a lot. I get in the way of Your will and plan for my life. I get in the way of what is best for me. I often choose my own path when it is clear that I should not take it. Father, draw me to Yourself this day and keep me close to You.
I see in Christ a Savior Who has come to die in my stead, a magnificent and glorious Savior that loved me unto death. I see Someone Who, although I did not love Him, abounded in love for me. It was this love that Paul said he was captivated by. I pray that it would captivate me, too.
“that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father”
This Easter season, I pray that You would help me to see my Savior like I have never seen Him before. I pray that Your Spirit would open my eyes to see Christ. I pray that Your Spirit would open my ears that I might hear His still, small voice. I pray that Your Spirit would open my mouth that I would praise Your name and declare Your excellencies. I pray that Your Spirit would open my heart that I might receive you anew and afresh.
What an amazing display of Your power. Teach me to trust in You as a powerful God. Sometimes I look at the world around me, and I find myself discouraged. Sometimes I look at matters within my own life and notice areas of hopelessness and doubts.
But in the resurrection, I can see You as doing the impossible. I am reminded that all things are possible with You. I am reminded of the question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Surely the answer is no! But I pray that You would keep me here and help me not to leave this place of confidence in Your character.
“even so we also should walk in newness of life”
Father, Your Word tells me that since Christ has risen to newness of life, so should I walk in newness of life, as well. I can see the Christ of the Bible bearing His cross for me. I can see Him dying in my place. I can see the way in which I can be forgiven for my sin and reconciled to You.
But I also see that Christ’s resurrection is what procured the new birth. As Christ has been raised from the dead, so shall I be raised from the dead in this life. I find that this can be hard for me to wrap my head around, but I pray that You would give me the eyes of faith and the understanding that comes by Your Spirit.
I thank You that You have made a way by which I can experience life. I see death all around me. But Jesus came that I would have life and have it to the full.
“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death”
Father, I read of the way that I have been “planted” into the death of Another. I see that Christ did not just die that my sins would be forgiven but also that I would also die along with Him. I pray that I would not abuse Your grace or make Your grace cheap. I pray that I would not use my freedom as a license to sin.
Should I continue in sin that Your grace would abound to me? Absolutely not! God forbid! Your Word tells me that if I am in Christ, I have died with Christ. I recognize that this death is a completed act. I have died with Christ. This has already been done. The old man has died. He was crucified, he was slain, he was killed on Calvary’s hill.
I thank You that You have made a way for me to be more than forgiven. I thank You that You have made a way for me to conquer my flesh and mortify sin.
“we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection”
I also thank You that Your intent was not simply that I would die, but that I would also rise with Christ to newness of life. What a glorious God You are, to unite me to my Savior by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for securing my salvation in my union with the Risen Lamb.
I see in this verse the way in which newness of life is imparted to me. You tell me that I am a new creation. This new creation comes by way of my being in Christ. Christ is the life blood of the believer, and I am made to be a recipient of such magnificent blessings.
Thank You, God, for delighting in me. Thank You, God, for desiring to save me and make me whole. This Easter, I pray that I would see the resurrected Christ and find strength to live for You based on the fact that I have been united to Him. I pray that I would find strength in the fact that I am currently seated with Christ in the heavenly places and have been raised to newness of life.
For further instruction
If you desire to grow in the area of prayer, praying through the Scriptures can be a great way to do so. The Psalms are a wonderful place to start. The Psalms are already written as worship, praise, and prayer to God.
Take Psalm 1, for instance. Try reading the first line or first verse. See if you can break it down in such a way that it yields a good amount of prayer. Do not get too carried away with praying exactly what is said in the Psalm or with being a theologian. Let the words guide your prayers.
As an example: “Blessed is the man…” (Ps. 1:1). Father, I pray that You would help me to be a blessed man. I see in Your Word that I need to be this type of man, and I pray that You would show me the way. I thank You that I can be this type of man and that You would desire for me to enter into this blessed state with You.
Then move along to the next part of the psalm, and let the words guide you. It may take some time, but it can be learned relatively easily for those who set their minds to it.