I have this discussion alot, centered around this question, "how do I pray under the New Covenant." We must remember that in Christ we are complete, he has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness and all his promises are yes and amen. We are not asking God to give us something we don't already have in Christ. Prayer should be from the perspective to have our hearts and eyes enlightened to see and experience what is already ours in Christ.
Does Prayer Do Anything?
Have you ever felt like prayer doesn’t make much of a difference? Over the years people have confessed to me they don’t pray much. They don’t pray much because they feel like it doesn’t do much. People know they’re “supposed” to pray as Christians but often feel like it doesn’t change anything. Ever been there?
We pray and then carry on as if we don’t expect anything to change. That may sound a little harsh but if you’re honest with yourself, you know it’s true. You have probably felt this way at times. I want to give you some good news about prayer. Whether you understand it or not, something is happening when you pray. You might not see immediate results, you may never see results, but if you believe what you pray, something is definitely happening.
Prayers of the Apostle Paul
I’m thankful for the Bible, aren’t you?! The written word is a collection of historical records, poetry, prophecy and doctrine. I personally love getting to peek into the minds and hearts of the authors. The Apostle Paul is an interesting person to study. We get to see his before and after Christ life, what a dramatic conversion! Of course Paul’s writings are where we get most of our New Covenant theology, but there is a specific aspect of his letters that are rich with insight, his prayers.
From time to time I like to look beyond doctrine into the human aspects of the people in the Bible, including Jesus. There are a few interesting things I noticed when looking at all the prayers of Paul, here is a complete collection of the prayers of the Apostle Paul.
Your Will Be Done, On Earth As In Heaven
Prayer... What is it? Why should believers do it? Why do you pray? How do you pray?
These are all good questions. While the answers may seem obvious, many Christians do not have an active and effective prayer life. I think the reasons most Christians only pray when something is wrong is because we don't understand our role as ambassadors. Pray has very little to do with asking God to meet a need and much more to do with applying God's provision.