The Good Book of Prayer: Biblical Guidelines for an Effective Prayer Life

By Dorothy Stone Harmon

The Good Book” is a term that people have frequently used to refer to the Holy Bible.
This phrase differentiates the Bible from other religious texts. The first section of The Good Book of Prayer captures biblical references that describe five specific purposes of prayer.
In the second section, these purposes are then identified in the prayers of numerous familiar people in the Bible. A “Think About It” section following each chapter allows the reader time to meditate and find personal truths from the text.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796078664

Dorothy Stone Harmon

Dorothy Harmon is a pastor’s wife and former high school teacher. She has been a newspaper columnist, a writer for Lifeway (formerly the Baptist Sunday School Board), and a Bible study writer and teacher. She is the author of the following books: Archibald Rutledge: The Man and His Books Miracle on Main Street (a church history) Prayer Is … (devotionals) The Good Book of Prayer (Bible study)

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Dorothy Stone Harmon.

Library of Congress Control Number:    2019920619

ISBN:                  Hardcover                        978-1-7960-7858-9

                            Softcover                           978-1-7960-7859-6

                            eBook                                978-1-7960-7866-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/19/2019

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

804289

In loving memory of

Mike and Dianne Bailey

whose undying love for each other

and unending quest for good books

characterized their remarkable forty-year marriage and partnership.

R.I.P.

Contents

Introduction

Overview

SECTION I:   PURPOSES OF PRAYER

I.         Confession

A. Unbelief

B. Sin

C. Disobedience

D. Faithlessness

E. Indifference

F. Belief

II.        Praise

A. For His Being

B. For His creation

C. For His presence

D. For His Word

III.      Thanksgiving

A. For salvation

B. For answered prayer

C. For daily sustenance

D. For unexpected favor

E. For special blessings

IV.       Intercession

A. For family

B. For friends

C. For neighbors

D. For sick

E. For grieving

F. For lost

G. For missionaries

H. For government officials

I. For church leaders

J. For military and families

V.        Petition

A. For forgiveness

B. For healing

C. For peace of mind

D. For wisdom

SECTION II:   PEOPLE OF PRAYER

VI.      Forefathers

A. Abraham

B. Jacob

C. Moses

VII.     Rulers

A. Judges

B. Kings

C. Ezra, a priest

VIII.   Prophets

A. Isaiah

B. Jeremiah

C. Elijah

D. Daniel

E. Habakkuk

IX.      Laymen

A. Abraham’s servant

B. Job

C. Jabez

D. The publican

E. The thief

F. The demoniac

G. The blind man

X.        Women

A. Hannah

B. Hagar

C. Esther

D. Mary

XI.      The Apostle Paul

A. His conversion

B. His first missionary journey

C. His second missionary journey

D. His third missionary journey

E. His Roman imprisonment

XII.     Prayers Of Jesus

A. The personal examples

B. The Model Prayer

C. The Lord’s Prayer

D. The believer’s response

List of Works Consulted

Study Guide

People of Prayer

Introduction

O ur spiritual GPS for effective Christian living is God’s Word, our ultimate guide. Following proven spiritual precepts from the Bible, we can build on these foundations and incorporate them into our daily lives. An integral part of that Christian living is the practice of prayer. I call it constant communion with our closest Companion. Harry Emerson Fosdick in his book The Meaning of Prayer states that

To commune with God … is not only prayer in its deepest meaning; it is prayer in its simplest, most intelligible form (p. 44).

Our purpose for communing with God differs from the purposes of others. Effective communion goes beyond mere communication. Involving words, actions, thoughts, and motives, communion brings us to a place where we meet God face-to-face. It is an intimate sharing of personal concerns, meaningful questions, frank communication, devoted friendship, purposeful conversation, and cooperative answers to perplexing or disturbing situations. We speak to God; He listens. God speaks to us; we listen.

Dr. Charles Stanley, on September 11, 2016, stated in a broadcast that

"Prayer is a dialogue."

Dialogue involves two-way conversation. We may not hear God’s voice audibly, but we know he hears and reveals his response to us in any number of ways. It may be an inner realization of something we ought to do; it may be something that we hear another person say; it may be something we read in our daily meditations; it may be a dream; or it may be understood in a sermon or Bible study session. God hears; God responds; and God answers—all in his own time and will, but the answer will come. Our response must be a willingness to wait for his answer without impatience or unbelief.

Whether we are confessing failures, praising God for who he is, thanking Him for his blessings, interceding for others, or lifting personal petitions to the Father, we come in an attitude of humility to a time of communion with the Giver of all life. Thinking about and understanding these basic elements of prayer, we begin our journey in this vital daily practice.

Whatever our motives, we know that we can find clear biblical examples to guide us. Many great Bible characters discovered the essence of communion with the God that they knew and worshipped. Their daily contact with him and their daily walk—or conversation, as it is frequently called—led them to newly-discovered blessings, ambitions, decisions, and actions which these believers sometimes didn’t quite understand. Often their words or deeds led them to either great joy and honor or severe persecution, sometimes even to death. Yet the examples of these great saints of old speak to us in today’s complex and confusing world, as we try to strengthen our relationship with our Savior through daily, often hourly, communion with him. A beautiful old hymn by Fanny Crosby expresses this relationship with God:

"O the pure delight of a single hour

That before thy throne I spend;

When I kneel in pray’r, and with thee, my God,

I commune as friend with friend."

(Baptist Hymnal, Nashville, Tennessee: Convention Press, 1975, p. 352.)

When this close fellowship, this walk together with Him, this communion, takes place in our lives, change is inevitable. The psalmist reminds us:

The unfolding of your word gives light (Psalm 119:130 NIV).¹

So walk with me now through the Holy Bible and examine a new and vital experience in prayer. See how the words and actions in the lives of great men and women demonstrated the prayer relationship, indeed the communion with the Father through the Son and Holy Spirit. After studying each chapter, plan to use the Think About It section to develop your own "constant communion with your closest Companion."

Blessings,

Dorothy Harmon

Overview

"It makes sense that the better we know the Bible, the better we’ll know how to pray." So writes Jill Briscoe on page 79 of her inspirational little book, Prayer That Works (Tyndale House, 2000). The Good Book of Prayer: Biblical Guidelines for an Effective Prayer Life addresses that implied need: to better understand how concrete examples from God’s Word encourage and inspire us to strengthen our communion with Him.

Communion is the key word throughout The Good Book of Prayer. In her first book, Prayer Is … (2009), Bible study writer, teacher and conference leader, Dorothy Harmon defines prayer as "constant communion with our closest Companion." It is that spirit of communion - that daily intimacy, that internal oneness with Christ - which drives our prayers above and beyond simple communication. Our walk - (biblical conversation)- thrives on the intimate connection with the One who promised, I will not leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5 NKJV).

The Good Book of Prayer: Biblical Guidelines for an Effective Prayer Life leads seekers to grasp five fundamental purposes of prayer: confession, praise, thanksgiving, intercession and petition. By examining how major and minor prayers in the Bible demonstrate these precepts, the reader is led to adapt these principles to a personalized daily prayer discipline. Biblical forefathers and kings, prophets and apostles, laymen and women stretched their spirits to touch the Infinite. Jesus’ great priestly prayer from John 17 anchors the closing chapter. An addendum entitled Think about it! after each chapter presents specific questions about the materials for personal meditation, and a suggestion for directed prayer follows. (A follow-up Study Guide is included for small group discussion).

Potential audiences include:

– Bible study teachers

– Prayer group leaders

– Sunday School teachers

– Seminary students

– Christian schools

– Active ministers

– Frequent pray-ers

– Curious believers

– Questioning adults

The Good Book of Prayer: Biblical Guidelines for an Effective Prayer Life brings readers into a renewed awareness of and commitment to meaningful prayer by the careful study of God’s Word.

SECTION I

Purposes Of Prayer

W e Christians talk about prayer, promise to pray for others and bow our heads publicly when others pray, but rarely do we take enough time to earnestly and sincerely spend time in conversation with the Lord. We find excuses; we tell ourselves that we’ll pray later; we say that we really don’t know how to pray; we get busy with what we think are important tasks; we don’t feel like it; we’re too sleepy or tired. After all, we’re just human! Yet, at some time or other, we sense the great need to communicate with the Father. David Jeremiah expresses this truth in his little book, The Prayer Matrix:

"There’s nothing that proves our relationship with God more than our prayers" (p. 16).

Whether we express confession, praise, thanksgiving, intercession, or petition, he’s ready to listen to us.

Why do you pray? Why do you want to know more about prayer? As you read and study these chapters about prayer, consider why you choose to speak to God at any particular time. Your purpose for prayer differs from every other individual’s needs and from anyone else’s motive at any given time. While you may ask for courage to face that job interview, Jane may say, Help me get through the day with my rebellious child; Frank may say, I don’t know where to turn; Ellie may say, I’m so sad I want to die; Kirk may say, I’m confused about what you want me to do, Lord; Sallie may say, I shouldn’t have said that; Hank may say, I’m afraid of this disease; Lana may say, Is anybody out there? Deep down, we know that God is always available, so we turn to him as a last resort. Isn’t that just like us—using God as a last resort when we know we should go to him first with our needs?

Billy Graham, the great evangelist, wrote,

Prayer and Bible study are inseparably linked. Effective prayer is born out of the prompting of God’s Spirit as we read His Word

(Graham, Franklin. Billy Graham in Quotes. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011, p. 271.)

As we explore this study of how God’s Word guides us into effective prayer, let’s remember that whatever the purpose, whatever the time, whatever the need, whatever the circumstance, God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5 NIV). His hotline is always open; we never get a wrong number; there’s no answering machine for us to Leave a message and I’ll get back to you; and—thank God—we’re never placed on hold!

Your motive for prayer is personal, immediate, relevant, and important to God. Consider each of the purposes in the following section, and you will begin a journey that may provide answers which you can’t possibly imagine!

CHAPTER I

Confession

44989.png

L et’s get to the point! We all have something in our hearts that we need to confess. Most of the time, we just don’t want to admit it to anyone—not even God! A good definition of confession comes from In God’s Presence by T.W. Hunt and Claude V. King:

Confession is responding to God’s holiness (p. 16).

We all know that at any time, deep in the heart, there’s probably a negative thought, word, or motive which we need to express to God. Flagrant acts of disobedience, neglect, or deliberate