What Prayer Is

By Kwaku Agyeman

In reality prayer is a conversation between the children of God and their Heavenly Father. It is not the "religious exercise" or complex communication that some have made it out to be. In this book I have sought to provide guidelines on how children of God can engage in meaningful conversation with their Heavenly Father. Subsequently this book takes a beginners approach to the subject of prayer but remains relevant to people at all levels of the Christian faith. The book also provides insight into how a meaningful relationship with God can be established to facilitate desired responses to prayer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kwaku Agyeman
• Release date: Dec 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463169162

Kwaku Agyeman

Kwaku Agyeman is a teacher of the Word of God by grace and calling. He is also a Family and Life counsellor and a graduate of Central University's School of Theology & Missions. He has a real passion for teaching and motivating people through the Word of God. He describes his heart's desire as seeing people overcome poverty and sickness through the knowledge of God's Word.

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What Prayer Is

Kwaku Agyeman

Published by Legacy Books

 Ebook by Casting Crowns Ltd

Email: [e-mail]

Copyright 2018 Kwaku Agyeman

Email: [e-mail]

All rights reserved under international copyright law. This eBook is licensed for your personal edification only. This eBook may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this eBook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. No part of this eBook may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in this volume are from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: What Prayer Is Not

Chapter 2: What Prayer Is

Chapter 3: Prayer Blockers

Chapter 4: Why You Must Pray

Chapter 5: Prayer Proofs

Chapter 6: Pray The Word

Chapter 7: You Have A Guarantee Of Response To Prayer

Chapter 8: Pray Until Something Happens

Chapter 9: Build Intimacy With Your Heavenly Father

Chapter 10: Pray Without Ceasing

Chapter 11: Pray From A Position Of Victory

Chapter 12: Gird Up And Pray

References

Parting Notes

About The Author

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Chapter 1

What Prayer Is Not

Prayer is essentially a conversation between the Creator of man and His human creatures. But unfortunately some in the Body of Christ have inadvertently transformed prayer from a conversation between God’s children and their Heavenly Father into a dramatic religious exercise. Consequently some prayer sessions are often characterized by displays of religious fervour spiced with dramatic language and accolades. 

Though they’re well intended, such prayers will fail to serve their purpose if they’re not birthed from a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus. The language and appellations used in these prayers by themselves do nothing to endear a person to the Heavenly Father. 

Without a relationship with God through Christ, a person is deemed a stranger to the Heavenly Father (Ephesians 2:12-13). In the absence of a relationship between an individual offering prayer and the Heavenly Father, the prayer only qualifies as a ‘religious’ one and a waste of effort.

Prayer is communication based on an established relationship and not a conversation between ‘strangers’. In some instances however God reveals Himself to people in response to their prayers even though they are yet to accept Christ. But generally prayers that elicit responses from God come from people who have established a relationship with Him through Christ.

Religious prayers are prayers that are ‘inspired’ by the flesh. They’re not inspired by the Holy Spirit nor emanate from the ‘born again’ spirit of a child of God. Religious prayers as a rule don’t get God’s attention because they mean nothing to Him. 

Any attempt at communicating with God can’t be recognized and accepted as prayer just because of the intensity and zeal shown by those engaged in it. God will also not acknowledge ‘religious communication’ as prayer because of the number of times a person diligently engages in it. Zeal can be a good thing but zeal can’t transform a wrong cause of action into an acceptable one.

Redundant Prayers

There are some ‘prayers’ that are certain not to receive answers because they are redundant. These prayers are redundant primarily because they seek God’s intervention in things He’s already accomplished. For example if you’re already a male human being and yet seek divine intervention to be made one, that’s a redundant prayer. You’re already what you seek to become and that makes your prayer request needless.

Anyone who petitions God in prayer for something He’s already done or provided engages in redundant prayer. If a child of God prays to be made righteous after committing sin that is a redundant prayer because you don’t lose your righteousness on account of sin. One can only forfeit their righteous nature through the rejection of Christ in whom their righteousness is vested. A child of God assumes the righteous nature of God through their affiliation with Christ. Without Christ no man can be considered righteous and with Christ no man can be considered unrighteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us

That we might become the righteousness of God in Him

As you long as you hold onto Christ you continue to possess everything freely made available through Him including righteousness. The gift of salvation that Christ offers is an all-encompassing package. In addition to righteousness it provides man with everything that pertains to life on earth. God has provided everything man will ever need on earth through Christ Jesus.

God has made provision through Christ for man to be fruitful, have peace, prosperous, healthy, strong, wise, courageous, knowledgeable and more than a conqueror. It therefore becomes unnecessary and redundant to pray for these blessings.

Rather than praying to ask for what has already been made available to you, learn to affirm and thank your Heavenly Father for blessing you with them. For example don’t pray to be made rich, rather thank your Heavenly Father for making you rich in Christ Jesus. Instead of begging to be healed, affirm your healing with the Word of God that declares this (Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24).

Obsolete Prayers

The New Covenant established between God and man through Christ Jesus has brought with it a change in the way the child of God is supposed to exercise dominion. The New Testament bequeathed to born again believer, the ‘power of attorney’ to exercise the authority of Jesus Christ on earth. The born again believer is EXPECTED to exercise authority in the forces of darkness here on earth. It is no longer the responsibility of Jesus to exercise dominion over the powers and rulers of darkness on the earth.

This means the New Testament believer is able to exercise authority over spiritual opposition without asking Jesus to do so on his or her behalf. Jesus has delegated all authority on earth to the Body of Christ – believers. Consequently praying for Jesus to come down and chase the devil away is an obsolete prayer. The New Testament believer has been delegated with the authority to do so in the name of Jesus.

Mark 16:17-18

17 And these signs will follow those who believe

In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues

18 They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly

It will be no means hurt them; 

They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover

Matthew 28:18

…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth

Jesus Christ exercises authority in heaven and on earth; but because He resides in heaven He delegated His authority on earth to be exercised on His behalf by believers. Believers dwell on earth as the ambassadors of Christ. Believers have been tasked with pursuing the interests of Christ during their time on earth.

2 Corinthians 5:18, 20

18 Now all things are of God

Who has reconciled us to Himself through