Prayer and its Meaning

Prayer is means of communication with God. It is one of the important rituals in Christianity and is based on the fact that Jesus, while on earth prayed (and taught his disciples to do the same). Christians see prayer as a means of expressing the heartfelt desires to God, a way of seeking and obtaining encouragement from Him, a weapon of defense in times of crisis and an avenue of showing appreciation for what God has done for them. Some of the apostles of the early church taught on prayer, its importance in the life of a Christian and how effective prayer can be. For example, see James’ teaching on effective prayer.

Types of Prayer

In Christianity, there are many types of prayer. Some of them are as follows:

• Prayer of Petition where the Christian presents his needs to God.
• Prayer of Thanksgiving where the Christian expresses gratitude to God for His favour, grace and mercies.
• Prayer of Adoration/Praise where the Christian recognizes God’s goodness and greatness in his/her life.
• Prayer of Confession where the Christian where the Christian confesses his/her sins and pledges to forsake such sins and do good.
• Prayer of intercession where the Christian pray for others.
• Prayer of Dedication where the Christian commits himself/herself afresh to the ways of God.

Effective Prayer

In his teaching on effective prayer found in James 1:2-8; 5:13-18, James taught about the factors that make the prayer of a Christian effective, the right attitude towards prayer (when facing different situations)and used the example of Elijah to buttress the efficacy of prayers. For the meaning and types of prayer, click here.