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Prayer Cycle 7: Praying for God Jesus taught us to pray for God. That startles us. He said, "This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your
name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven'" (Matthew 6:9-10 NIV, italics
mine). Jesus wasn't giving us words to parrot. He wasn't inviting
us to wave God's name like a magic wand in order to get what we want or need. Jesus taught us to pray in a way our soul
cannot comprehend. This type praying springs from our spirit. Only
as our human spirit echoes the yearnings of God's Spirit, do we long for our Father's name to be hallowed
and his kingdom to come. As we begin to pray for God from our spirit, our prayers for people change. Praying for God, we pray
differently — and far more powerfully — for "us." (See complete article on "Praying for God.")
What Jesus taught, people in Scripture demonstrated. Below
are 12 biblical prayers in which people prayed for God. Pray each in this way: Before reading each Scripture, ask God to speak to you Spirit to spirit.
In particular, ask:
- Show
me what you want me to see about praying for You.
- Show me how praying for You impacts praying for people.
Read the Scripture - aloud, if possible. Keep reading and contemplating
until "knowing" begins to rise from your spirit. Reject any attempts your mind makes to jump out in front of your
spirit. (If you're working to "figure out" the prayer, your mind is taking the lead.) Invite the Spirit of God to work in you as He worked in the one who originally
prayed that prayer. Speak out what begins to bubble up. Whether you echo the words of the biblical pray-er, paraphrase the
words or use completely different ones, hear yourself praying in a way you otherwise would not have prayed, with passion and
authority you otherwise would not have had.
May
each prayer below become for you a springboard, catapulting you to a new, deep place of praying for God. Call to Prayer 1
Moses' prayer
after the Israelites made and worshiped a golden calf (for greater insight, read Deuteronomy 9): "I lay prostrate before the LORD those forty days and forty nights because the LORD had said he would
destroy you. I prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that
you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. Otherwise, the country from which you brought us
will say, "Because the LORD was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them,
he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness." But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought
out by your great power and your outstretched arm'" (Deut. 9:25-29). Call to Prayer 2
Joshua's
prayer after the Israelites' defeat at Ai (for greater insight, read Joshua 7): "Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining
there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. And Joshua said, ‘Ah,
Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy
us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that
Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will
surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?'
"The
LORD said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant,
which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put
them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and
run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you
is devoted to destruction.'" (Josh. 7:6-12).  Call to Prayer 3
Hannah's
prayers (for greater insight, read 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10): "In
her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, ‘LORD
Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son,
then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.' . . . "'I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So
now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.' . . . "Then Hannah prayed and said:
‘My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my
horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
There is no one
holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God'" (1 Sam. 1:10-11,27-28;
2:1-2). Call to Prayer 4
King Solomon's prayer at the Temple dedication (for greater insight, read 1 Kings 8): "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers,
or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is
made by any among your people Israel — being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands
toward this temple — then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all
they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), so that they will fear you all the time they
live in the land you gave our ancestors. "As for the
foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel but have come from a distant land because of your name — for they
will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm — when they come and pray toward this temple,
then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigners ask of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may
know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name"
(1 Kings 8:37-43). Call to Prayer 5
Elijah's prayer on Mount Carmel (for greater insight,
read 1 Kings 18): "Then Elijah said to all the people,
‘Come here to me.' They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took
twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, 'Your name
shall be Israel.' With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough
to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, ‘Fill
four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.'
"'Do it again,' he said,
and they did it again. "'Do it a third time,' he ordered,
and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. "At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘LORD, the God
of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all
these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you
are turning their hearts back again.' "Then the fire
of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD — he is God! The LORD — he is God!'"
(1 Kings 18:30-39). Call to Prayer 6
King
Asa's prayer when the Cushites attacked Judah (for greater insight, read 2 Chronicles 14) "Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands
and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the
Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, ‘LORD, there is no one like you
to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against
this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.' The LORD struck down the Cushites
before Asa and Judah" (2 Chron. 14:9-12). Call to
Prayer 7
King Hezekiah's prayer when the Assyrians captured the fortified cities of Judah and threatened
to topple the capital, Jerusalem (for greater insight, read 2 Kings 18:13-19:37): "Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the
LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: ‘LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned between
the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, LORD, and hear;
open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. "'It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations
and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone,
fashioned by human hands. Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms of the earth may know that you
alone, LORD, are God.' "Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent
a message to Hezekiah: ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib
king of Assyria'" (2 Kings 19:14-20). Call to Prayer 8
Judah's
prayer song (for greater insight, read Isaiah 26): "The
path of the righteous is level;
You, the upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.
Yes, LORD, walking
in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts.
My soul
yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness. . . .
LORD, you establish peace for us;
all that we have accomplished
you have done for us.
LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but your name alone do we honor"
(Isa. 26:7-9,12-13). Call to Prayer 9
Jeremiah's
prayer (for greater insight, read Jeremiah 14): "Although
our sins testify against us,
do something, LORD, for the sake of your name.
For our backsliding is great;
we
have sinned against you.
You who are the hope of Israel,
its Savior in times of distress,
why are you like
a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
Why are you like someone taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us, LORD,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us! . . .
We acknowledge our wickedness, LORD,
and the guilt of our ancestors;
we have indeed sinned against you.
For the sake of your name do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with
us
and do not break it.
Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies themselves
send down showers?
No, it is you, LORD our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does
all this" (Jer. 14:7-9,20-22). Call to Prayer 10
Daniel's prayer after reading a prophetic promise
given to Jeremiah (for greater insight, read Daniel 9): "Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for
yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,
turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors
have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
"Now, our God, hear the prayers
and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear;
open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous,
but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because
your city and your people bear your Name" (Dan. 9:15-19). Call to Prayer 11
Mary's
prayer at Elizabeth's house (for greater insight, read Luke 1:26-56): "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why
am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the
baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!' "And Mary said:
‘My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations
will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me -
holy is his name.
His mercy extends
to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has
scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has
lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has
helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he
promised our ancestors'" (Luke 1:41-55). Call to Prayer 12
The
believers' prayer after Peter and John were arrested and threatened (for greater insight, read Acts 4): "On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all
that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.
‘Sovereign Lord,' they said, ‘you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in
them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'"Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the
earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one." "'Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the
people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and
will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with
great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant
Jesus.' "After they prayed, the place where they were
meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were
one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With
great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully
at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them" (Acts 4:23-34). Prayer Cycles available: - Cycle 1 - "Hallowed be Your name." Letting God begin
to show us how to pray the key petition Jesus taught.
- Cycle
2 - "Hallowed be Your name: LORD." Treating as holy the one Old Testament name by which God most emphatically
seeks to be known.
- Cycle 3 - "Hallowed
be Your name: I AM." Honoring Jesus as the I AM, based on His amazing I AM statements in the gospel of John.
- Cycle 4 - "Hallowed be Your name: Lord Jesus." We
treat the Father's name as holy when we honor Jesus as Lord.
- Cycle
5 - "Hallowed be Your name: Holy Spirit." We cannot honor the Father as holy while marginalizing,
minimizing and even maligning the Spirit named Holy.
- Cycle
6 - "Your Father in Heaven." From first mention of the Father, Jesus began showing us how to relate
to Him in ways that honor His holy name.
- Cycle 7
- "Praying for God." In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray for God. Other biblical prayers show
us what that looks like.
To receive by e-mail a free copy of any of
these prayer cycles, e-mail deborah@keytruths.com. Be sure to specify which Prayer Cycles you wish to receive.
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