*Click on the references to read the Scripture passages.*

Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God, Who is a real person (John 15:15John 15:15

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. He calls us friends); and includes worshiping, giving thanks, petitioning, and interceding. Prayer brings the focus of heaven to earth (James 4:8aJames 4:8a

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.).

• We are commanded to pray without ceasing: to always be on talking terms – and talking – with God (I Thessalonians 5:17I Thessalonians 5:17
  
  pray without ceasing).
• Praying – calling on God in Jesus’ name – is also the powerful means God gave us for seeking and obtaining His help, whether for matters of the heart or of circumstance, and whether for ourselves or for others (John 14:13-14John14:13-14
  
  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.; Hebrews 10:19Hebrews 10:9
  
  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus). This should be our first recourse when we are in trouble, rather than complaining to others or even asking others to pray for us.
• The motivation for our prayer is not to impress man, but to reach God. We should pray in secret, not to be seen by others; and not using vain repetitions (Matthew 6:5-8Matthew 6:5-8
  
  And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.). We should also gather to pray with others, joining our voices and faith: Jesus will be in the midst (Matthew 18:19-20Matthew 18:19-20
  
  “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”)!
• Matthew 6:9-13Matthew 6:9-13
  
  In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. is the model for prayer given by Jesus. This model is not for us to simply repeat each time we pray but should be the format for praying – i.e. be used as an outline and a pattern to follow (worship, adoration, seeking His will and Kingdom, prayer for needs and forgiveness).
• Prayer is where we humble ourselves and surrender to God (II Chronicles 7:14II Chronicles 7:14
  
  If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.; Romans 12:1Romans 12:1
  
  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.; I Peter 5:6I Peter 5:6
  
  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time), repent (II Chronicles 7:14II Chronicles 7:14
  
  If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.), forgive (Mark 11:25-26Mark 11:25-26
  
  “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”), and address anger and doubt (I Timothy 2:8I Timothy 2:8
  
  I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; James 1:6-8James 1:6-8
  
  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.).
• Effectiveness in prayer can be hindered by sin: disobedient acts, ungodly heart attitudes, carrying offenses (Psalm 66:18Psalm 66:18
  
  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.; John 9:31John 9:31
  
  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.; I Peter 3:7I Peter 3:7
  
  Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.).
• Prayer works through faith (James 5:16b-18James 5:16b-18
  
  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.; Mark 11:24Mark 11:24
  
  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.); and to a large extent, God’s response to our prayers depends on our level of faith (Matthew 8:8-10,13Matthew 8:8-10, 13
  
  The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour., 9:29Matthew 9:29
  
  Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”, 14:30-31Matthew 14:40-31
  
  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”, 16:7-9Matthew 16:7-9
  
  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” 8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?; Luke 8:24-25Luke 8:24-25
  
  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”).
• The ultimate prayer life involves intimate personal communion with our heavenly Father every day. It is the place where we reveal our most heartfelt and personal thoughts, hurts and aspirations; and is where we give the Lord opportunity to speak to us with words of love, correction, revelation and inspiration (Psalm 5:1-3Psalm 5:1-3
  
  Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my [b]meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.; Psalm 63:1Psalm 63:1
  
  O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.; Psalm 51:1-2Psalm 51:1-2
  
  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.; Psalm 16:11Psalm 16:11
  
  You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.; Psalm 139:23-24Psalm 139:23-24
  
  Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.)
• Fasting should be incorporated into the routine of prayer, as a means of humbling ourselves in seasons where we need to find repentance, direction, protection, or help (Joel 2:12-13Joel 2:12-13
  
  “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.; Ezra 8:21Ezra 8:21
  
  Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.; 2 Samuel 12:22II Samuel 12:22
  
  And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’; II Chronicles 20:2-4II Chronicles 20:2-4
  
  Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.; Matthew 4:2Matthew 4:2
  
  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry., 9:14-15Matthew 9:14-15
  
  Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast., 17:14-21Matthew 17:14-21
  
  And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”; Acts 13:2-3Acts 13:2-3
  
  As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.; I Corinthians 7:4-5I Corinthians 7:4-5
  
  The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.).