Many of our prayer lives consists of a list of wants and needs. But prayer is so much more than making requests of God.
As we spend time with God daily in prayer, we need to remember there are a variety of ways to pray and our prayer lives should incorporate not just requests but thanksgiving, intercession, praise, fellowship, and more.
In this episode, Nathan Johnson examines five important types of prayer that you should include in your prayer life.
Listen to and Download the Episode
Show Notes / Additional Resources
5 Types of Prayer in the Bible
1. Supplication
- making requests and petitions
2. Intercession
- outward focus – praying for others
- Intercessor: one who stands in the gap
3. Thanksgiving
- giving thanks for something done
- Thanksgiving is the “langauge” or communciation of the Kingdom of God (see Ephesians 5:4)
4. Praise
- praising God for Who He is, what He’s done, His promises, His work in your life, etc
- contains the idea of thanksgiving and appreciation but also suggests an awe, admiration, approval, commendation, respect and special recognition … a bubbling forth of exaltation that can’t be contained
5. Fellowship
- enjoying and purposeful spending time with another for purpose of relationship and intimacy
- not always “talking” – sometimes just “being together”
Additional Resources
Articles
- A Life of Prayer
- Prayer, the Great Essential (by EM Bounds)
- Prayer of a Minor Prophet (by AW Tozer)
- Leonard Ravenhill’s Plea Against Unction-less Prayer
- Prayer Answered By Crosses (by John Newton)
- Starving Prayer (by Alexander Whyte)
- Prayer and Enthusiasm (by EM Bounds)
Podcasts
- Episode 5: Five Ways to Grow in your Spiritual Life: Prayer
- Episode 30: What is Your Obsession?
- Episode 48: The Christian Life in One Word: Obsessed (sermon by Stephen Manley)
- Episode 123: How’s Your Prayer Life?
- Episode 168: Do You Lack a Passion for Prayer?
- Episode 169: Prayer: Hearing the Voice of the Shepherd
Join the Conversation
Question: What is one thing you can do today to cultivate a more vibrant prayer life by adding in one of these types of prayer?
Leave a response or ask a question and we will try to address it in a future episode.
The difficulty with podcasts is that they are one-sided—so each week I ask one question for you to participate in the conversation. Head over to the deeperChristian Facebook page to leave a comment and join in the conversation.
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About NRJohnson & the Deeper Christian Podcast
NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.
The Deeper Christian Podcast is the podcast to help you study God’s Word, know Jesus intimately, and discover how you can build your life around Jesus Christ. This weekly audio program, hosted by NRJohnson, dives into Scripture and encourages Christians to keep their focus upon Jesus Christ—equipping believers in how to study the Bible and know God’s Word, grow in their spiritual lives, and change the world. Main discussion topics center around practical advice on Christian living, Bible study, prayer, the Gospel, freedom from sin, evangelism and how to share your faith, the Christian disciplines, and the lives and messages from the Christian heroes from yesteryear such as A.W. Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, Major Ian Thomas, Oswald Chambers, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, C.T. Studd, George Müller, Andrew Murray, Leonard Ravenhill, E.M. Bounds, and others. Learn more about the deeper Christian life.