Learn to Pray: Biblical Doctrine of Prayer

Prayer is a means of grace offered according to the will of God as expressed in the Bible. Prayer is the speech of the soul. "Prayer is nothing else than the opening up of our heart before God," so said John Calvin. The Psalmist says "Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8). Christians should empty themselves before the Lord so that their desires are presented to the Lord.God created us, sustains us, governs us, redeemed us and gives us His grace, so it should be natural to offer up our desires to God. It is a great privilege to appear before God with our desires, but because we are sinners we need Christ to intercede for us. Since we are sinners, we must approach Him humbly with a humble heart. Christians will find refuge in God, but they must seek His mercy in humility and confession of sin in prayer.Prayer must be offered earnestly with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:3). The Word of God instructs us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The question is often asked, "How can we pray without ceasing?" This is an action that is habitually repeated at regular intervals with perseverance, but perseverance in prayer is conditioned by a thankful heart.