In this devotional today, I would like to give you the eight kinds of prayer that we read about in the Bible, along with several verses that apply to them. I believe that our prayer life should be balanced and consistent, always sacrificing our time and giving it to God to honor Him!

Prayer is simply a one-on-one relationship with God that provides open communication with Him. The best definition in scripture is found in 1 Samuel 1:15, which says, “And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.” When you pour your soul out before God, that is prayer. She was mocked by her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, for being barren. It made her extremely sorrowful, grieving her heart, and the only solution she had was prayer. Prayer is the answer when nothing else is. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” When we place God first in intense situations, that is when God can give us a breakthrough in our lives. Hannah made a covenant with God, that if He gave her a child, she would give him back to Him, that he would be consecrated as a Nazarite before the LORD. As a result, God gave her Samuel, and she gave Samuel back to God to do a prophetic work for Him. She praised God, and not only did God bless Hannah with Samuel, He also blessed her with three more sons and two more daughters. Her faith was rewarded by a God who does more than enough!

Prayer is the most powerful weapon that anyone can possess. It is greater than any preaching ability or singing talent that exists. Not every can sing or preach, but everyone can pray. It just requires sacrifice and hard work! In Ephesians 6, you have the six pieces of the spiritual armor of God:  loins girt about with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feed shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit. The only offensive weapon that you possess is the Word of God, which is sharper than any two edged sword. “Two edged” means “two mouthed”, meaning that whenever you speak what God speaks, it is the most powerful weapon that you possess. This means that your offensive weapon of Ephesians 6 is actually prayer. Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” The sword of the Spirit allows you to face spiritual combat up close, but there is another piece of the Roman armor that is not listed in Ephesians 6, and that was the lance or spear. This is another offensive weapon that also represents prayer, and it allows you to attack your enemy from a distance. It sees the opposition ahead of temptation, not being blinded by the now moment, but discerning what is already out ahead. Prayer will keep you watching and preparing for the battle, and even destroying that temptation before it ever arrives!

Here are the eight kinds of prayer and their meanings:

(1) Petition is a type of prayer that approaches God with a request for a need to be met. It is when you set all fear, doubt and negativity aside for an answer that you are seeking in your life. 1 John 5:14-15 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” John 14:13 says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 15:16 says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 16:24 says, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” Matthew 7:7-11 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” James 4:2 says, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Daniel 6:13 says, “Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

(2) Intercession is a spirit of prayer that takes over, losing sight of everything natural to flow into something supernatural. It is when we pray out of our spirit rather than out of emotion, mind or flesh. Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:34 says, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

(3) Faith is a prayer that speaks to the opposition and declares in the authority of God over that situation. It does not operate it hope, but in faith, in an excited anticipation for a healing, miraculous move of God! James 5:15 says, “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” Matthew 21:21-22 says, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

(4) Agreement is a prayer that “links up” with your brother in Christ. “One can chase a thousand, and two can chase ten thousand,” (Dt. 32:30) meaning that there is power in agreement. Matthew 18:18-20 says, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Psalms 133 says, “ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

(5) Consecration is a prayer that focus on self growth, crucifying the flesh for of more of God’s Spirit. It is dedicating yourself more to God for a specific purpose. This sometimes results in more fasting, prayer and studying of God’s Word, sacrificing the common, ordinary for something that is uncommon and extraordinary. (example:  Moses and Jesus Christ)  Psalms 51:7-12 says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

(6) Thanksgiving, or the prayer of adoration is a prayer of praise, one that focuses not on one’s need or requests, but giving God the glory that He deserves. This should be the beginning and the end of everyone’s prayer! (look at the Psalms) Philippians 4:6-9 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Psalms 100:4-5 says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

(7) Confession, or also known as the prayer of repentance, is a prayer to God that confesses one’s sins, asks for forgiveness, and turns away from it. This is not an apology, but a sorrowful repentance that seeks for God’s grace to cover them. Romans 10:9-11 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Psalms 32:5 says, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Proverbs 28:13 says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

(8) Meditation is a prayer that is not about speaking to God, but Him speaking to the person. It is soaking into His presence, dwelling on the words God speaks, rather that is to you personally or through the scriptures. Psalms 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Joshua 1:8-9 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Regardless of how you pray, as long as you do it from the heart and not with vain religious rhetoric, that is what matters. It is about establishing and maintaining our relationship with God, growing in His presence, love and Word daily. So, always remember to make time each and every day to get one-on-one with God, and you will see the difference it makes in your life all the way around!