God has not only given us many promises in scripture to encourage us in prayer, but certain scriptures can also serve as a pattern for our prayers.
If you struggle to keep your prayers fresh and effectual, then consider joining us for midweek study during the month of March as Pastor McShaffrey offers a summary of the time-tested Method for Prayer first developed by Matthew Henry.
Time/Location: The Pastor’s Study each Wednesday at 6:00 PM
03/02/16 – Adoration
The first step in prayer is to set the Lord before us and to see his eye upon us. As we set ourselves in his special presence, we should simply adore him as God with scriptural expressions such as these:
“Unto thee, O Lord, do we lift up our souls.” (Psalm 25:1)
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive blessing, and honour, and glory, and power…” (Revelation 4:11)
“Thou art the King eternal, immortal, invisible.” (1 Timothy 1:17)
“Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
“All power is thine both in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
“Darkness and light are both alike to thee.” (Psalm 139:12)
“In thy hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:10)
“A sparrow falls not to the ground without thee.” (Matthew 10:29)
“What thou hast promised thou art able also to perform.” (Romans 4:21)
“In thee, O God, we live and move, and have our being; for we are thine offspring.” (Acts 17:28)
“For of thee, and through thee, and to thee, are all things.” (Romans 11:36)
03/09/16 – Confession
The second step in prayer is to see ourselves in the light of God’s holiness. As we humble ourselves in his holy presence, we should confess our sins and profess repentance with scriptural expressions such as these:
“When our eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts, we have reason to cry out: Woe unto us, for we are undone.” (Isaiah 6:5)
“Behold we were shapen in iniquity, and in sin did our mothers conceive us. For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.” (Psalm 51:5, Job 14:4)
“The whole head is sick, the whole heart faint, from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in us, but wounds and bruises, and putrifying sores.” (Isaiah 1:5-6)
“Our God, we are ashamed and blush to lift up our faces before thee; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6)
“If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared.” (Psalm 130:4)
“Thy sacrifices, O God, are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
03/16/16 – Petition
The third step in prayer is to take hold of God’s promises and make petition unto him for the good things we need and desire with scriptural expressions such as these:
“Let Christ be made to us not only righteousness, but wisdom, sanctification and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30)
“Let the work of righteousness in our souls be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” (Isaiah 32:17)
“O, let no iniquity have dominion over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)
“Let the Spirit of truth guide us into all truth.” (John 16:13)
“Lord, make us zealously affected in every good work; and what we do enable us to do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men.” (Galatians 4:18, Colossians 3:23)
“Let thy good providence so order all events concerning us, as that they may be made to work for good to us, as thou hast promised…” (Romans 8:28)
“Keep us all the days of our appointed time, waiting till our change comes; and then shalt thou call, and we will answer.” (Job 14:14-15)
03/23/16 – Thanksgiving
The fourth step in prayer is to offer thanks and praise for the mercies we have received from God and that we continue to have interest in, with hope to benefit thereby, with scriptural expressions such as these:
“Thy goodness is thy glory, and it is that for which all thy works do praise thee, and thy saints do bless thee.” (Exodus 33:19, Psalm 145:10)
“Thou causest it to rain on the wilderness where no man is, to satisfy the desolate and waste ground.” (Job 38:26-27)
“Thou givest to all life and breath and all things, and the earth is full of thy mercy.” (Acts 17:25, Psalm 119:64)
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with his benefits, even the God of our salvation.” (Psalm 68:19)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)
“Though no affliction for the present hath been joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterward it hath yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness; and hath proved to be for our profit, that we might be partakers of thy holiness.” (Heb. 12:10-11)
03/30/16 – Intercession
The fifth step in prayer is to pray for the whole world of mankind, the lost world; and thus, we must honor all men, and according to our capacity, do good to all men with scriptural expressions such as these:
Unbelievers – “O look with compassion upon the world that lies in wickedness, and let the prince of this world be cast out, that has blinded their minds.” (1 John 5:19, John 12:31, 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Believers -“We pray for all those whom we love in the truth, that they may prosper, and be in health, especially that their souls may prosper.” (3 John 1-2)
The Persecuted – “O strengthen the patience and faith of thy suffering saints, that they may hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” (Rev. 13:10, Lam. 3:26)
Military – “Those who jeopardize their lives for us in the high places of the field, teach their hands to war, and their fingers to fight, give them the shield of thy salvation, and let thy right hand hold them up, and cover their heads in the day of battle.” (Judges 5:18; Psalm 144:1, 18:35, 140:7).
Magistrates – “Make them able men, and men of truth, fearing God, and hating covetousness, that judgment may run down like a river, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” (Exodus 18:21, Amos 5:24)
Overall – “Let all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ.” (Rev. 11:15)
For further study:
Free Book Download: A Method for Prayer (1710)
Abbreviated Material: Pray the Bible