“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:18

I was meditating on prayer this morning and came up with this acrostic about the different kinds of

P R A Y E R:

            Perseverant Prayer – James 5:16. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  In our daily prayer time, we bring the needs of our family, our church family, our missionaries, etc., to the Lord, and in faith believe that He is going to answer.

Routine Prayers – These are the things we pray about every day, strength and guidance, protection, our families.  The Lord knows our needs before we call, but He wants us to bring these things to Him.  I Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

Agonizing Prayers – These are the times that we go to the Lord with a great need and travail before Him.  Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Yielding Prayers – The prayers we pray when we are making a decision, or battling against some temptation, and we come to the place where we can say, “Lord, not my will but thine be done.”  Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”

Emergency Prayers – The prayers we pray when we get a phone call that someone is experiencing sickness or some other problem, and we drop everything we are doing and call out to God on their behalf.  Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Random Prayers – Whenever I hear a siren, I pray “Lord, someone is in trouble, be with them whatever their need is.”  Or, when we are going about our daily tasks, and a family member or a friend comes into our mind, we whisper a prayer that the Lord will be with them and bless them.  If we wake up in the night and realize we have been dreaming about someone, we take them before the Lord in prayer, asking Him to be with them in whatever they are going through.

There are probably many other types of prayer, but these are the ones that the Lord impressed upon me today.  Of course, prayer must be accompanied by praise to the Lord for all the prayers He has answered and that we know He is going to answer in the future.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for the privilege of prayer, to be able to bring our requests and our burdens to you and know that you will answer and give us what is best for us.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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