This weekend we are talking about prayer.  I found 7 different kinds of prayer.  I thought I would list them here...

 
1. Prayer of Petition

James 4:2 NLT
You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.

God wants you to pray....   Jesus said it this way....

John 16:24b NLT
...Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

2. Prayer of Confession

James 5:16 NLT
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Then if you look in the Old Testament, it cites this benefit which flows from confession:

Proverbs 28:13 NLT
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.


3. Prayer of Adoration

This type of prayer comes from the word adore which mean to worship or honor.

Psalms 34:1b NLT
...I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak His praises.

Psalms 135:3 NLT
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; celebrate His lovely name with music.

When we sing songs to God with a prayerful heart, we are practicing the prayer of adoration.  Here is the next type of prayer...


4. Prayer of Intercession
Another form of prayer, important to many people, is the prayer of intercession. These are prayers offered on behalf of others, especially those who suffer and hurt from life's blows.

Here is one example from the Old Testament.

1 Kings 13:6 NIV
Then the king said to the man of God, "Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored." So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before.

Did you know that we have someone that intercedes for us?

Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT
24  But because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever.
25  Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

Isn’t that cool?  Jesus is interceding for us!  Here is the next type.

5. Prayer of Meditation

Here is what the Mayo clinic says that meditation is...

Meditation, considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine, produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process results in enhanced physical and emotional well-being. Here are a few things that they say meditation will help...

    * Allergies
    * Anxiety disorders
    * Asthma
    * Binge eating
    * Cancer
    * Depression
    * Fatigue
    * Heart disease
    * High blood pressure
    * Pain
    * Sleep problems
    * Substance abuse

So if meditation helps us physically, What do you think that using prayer as a meditation will do?   By clearing our minds of all the troubles of life and concentration on the things of God, it will help us both physically and spiritually.  If you struggle with bad or inappropriate thoughts, meditation prayer will help....

A great way to meditate is to pray through scripture and make it personal.  Let me show you how this works...

Psalms 19:13-14 NLT
13  Keep Your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
14  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Here is the next type of prayer.

6. Prayer of Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.


7. Prayer of Consecration.

Consecration (defined)
A solemn commitment of your life or your time to some cherished purpose

2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT
Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.