7 Types of Prayer

     I wanted to evaluate different types or parts of prayer that I have been taught, and that I have found in my own time with God. There are great acronyms like A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication) that I like, but I wanted my post to be a bit more in-depth with 7 different types.

    These help guide me in when I'm unsure of what to pray about, yet more often than not I don't do every single one in one prayer. So, if you use this in a constructed prayer, take these as ideas rather than an agenda.

Intercession 

    If you find out someone needs help, or you feel burdened by those who are struggling, you would probably make an effort to serve them. Whether it be making a meal or donating some money, it is very easy to do something in our own strength. That's something humans really like- being in control. 

What would you do if you found out someone had cancer? You -in your own strength- can't help them.

    First thing we run to is prayer. We have an incredible God that can do anything, so of course we should have faith in only Him to heal. This is called intercessory prayer. And it is so powerful!

    When we realize we actually can't control everything, and hand it to God, it really means something. It's hard to give up our strength and rely on Him, but when others need help, God is the best answer.

That's another great thing about intercession- it forces us to look at the needs of others above ourselves. Maybe they can't pray for themselves because they are unsure of how to; it's our job to raise them up to God and pray for their needs.

    I encourage you to pray for others always- not just when it gets bad, and things seem hopeless. We might have a tiny little bit of influence on our lives, but the only one who is in control is God.

Confession

    Sin is so deeply woven into our nature after the fall that, to me at first, it seemed silly to confess over and over and over again. Didn't God already forgive me? Why should I tell Him every time I mess up?

    Well, in order to be saved, we must believe, and we must repent. Having faith is the easy part, but repenting isn't a one-time decision that never comes up again. Changing your way of thinking (which is the definition of repentance) against what comes naturally to you is very hard to actually act on, hence, Christians still sin all the time. 

    I need to repent and submit myself to God's will every morning, sometimes every hour if I expect myself to remember to stop sinning. It will still happen, though, and that's why it's important to bring it to God. It keeps us accountable that every time we do it, we hurt God, and it shows Him that we care. Asking for forgiveness from Him will always be hard, because us humans only want to forgive so many times, but Jesus shows us that His forgiveness is without limits (1 John 1:9, Matthew 18:22). Isn't that incredible? 

Supplication

    Like I said in the intercession section, we aren't in control of our lives. The only one who we can trust with our lives is God. He protects, provides, and knows exactly what we need. That's why we ask Him to "supplicate" us with our needs. 

    When I think of supplication, first I picture food, money, and protection on the roads. The physical things. God will always be there, even if in our timing it seems hopeless. He reminds us of this in Matthew 6:26, where He says that He will feeds the birds, then He tells us how much more valuable we are to Him. Sometimes it's weird for me to be thinking of a "spiritual" God doing "physical" things, but He has authority over everything. He created the world, after all! 

    It's a lot easier for me to pray for supplication in my spiritual life. It's partly because of the reason stated before and it's partly because I'm under my parents roof with free dinner in my belly every night. Anyways, supplication is just as necessary when it comes to guidance of our behavior, freeing of temptation, and protection from spiritual warfare. 

Thanksgiving

   It's easy to say thank you over and over again when you get that present you've been begging for, or maybe when your parents surprise you with a road trip to your grandparents. What about dinner, or your home? When was the last time you thanked someone for providing the blanket you sleep under? Or even simpler than that, the very capability of breath and a heartbeat?

    All of these things are blessings, and though from a worldly viewpoint they are expected as the "bare minimum" to be experiencing, we could never be credited for any of it. I know, for me at least, I'm unaware of the thousands upon thousands of blessings God gave me, and therefore, ungrateful.

    It would be impossible to thank God for everything He has given us, but telling Him we notice and are appreciative for what He has done probably means the world to Him. He deserves all of the glory!

Meditative

    When asking for things in prayer, I always end it with, "as long as it's in Your will," because I'm not sure what God thinks of what I'm saying. I don't want to be demanding something that He disapproves of, or that He knows will backfire. Here's a funny example of this oblivious supplication prayer:

    So, how can we actually be sure it's in His will? Well, we can pray scripture! Meditating on scripture is an amazing way to pray, because we are not only focusing on His will, but it's God's Word. He can speak to us during prayer. Another way to hear the Holy Spirit is to meditate in quiet, and not fill our minds. I struggle with that because whenever I practice, I can only keep my mind blank for very short periods of time (maybe it's a hyperactive teen thing). Now you have a perfect chance to practice intercessory prayer, you could ask God to calm my mind, haha! 

    When studying the Bible, you have an opportunity to meditate on His word. Not repeat it over and over again like an incantation, but also not research the words frantically to understand it. Just talk to God, read, focus on His Word, and let the Holy Spirit be your teacher.

    All prayer grows us closer to God, but meditating on His word specifically is really reassuring to me to understand His will.

Worship

    I never thought hard about worship being a type of prayer until just recently, but it is, and I love it! We are talking to God, praising Him, and just adoring Him. I love singing, so I really love that I can use that to pray and talk to Jesus. 

    It also goes the other way around; when complimenting God in prayer, that is worship! Worship comes in many forms, not just singing or prayer, but also serving and obeying God can be considered worshiping Him.

Casual

    This is a type of prayer has just been taught to me recently, yet it's the type of prayer I have used the longest and most often. Before I taught on prayer just over a year ago at the Christian club at my school, I didn't think of it as its own "section," but it should be! I used to picture the short, scripted prayer ("God help me!" or "Bless this food to our bodies,") and the long, meditative prayer as the only ways. 

    This third way I would consider mostly chatting. I'm half-alive, nearly awake in my bed at 5:30am? I'll chat with God. In my car driving to work? I'll chat with God. 

      My definition of casual prayer is when you talk to God as just your Dad. He doesn't seem like a terrifyingly powerful all-knowing God, but rather a close, forgiving, loving Father. Obviously I don't discredit his holiness or power; that part is still there. Just like how I still respect my earthly father yet am comfortable with him.

    I suppose this overlaps with what I talked about in the Confession section, but I think submitting to God's will is something I casually talk to Him about. Not unimportantly, but often and naturally. 

    Along the lines of this: "Lord, I submit myself to You. Take away my stubborn will and replace it with Your plan for my life. I want to follow Your will and do what You want me to. You know better than I, so I trust You. Remove temptation and sin from my life so that I can focus on You. Please reveal the next steps in Your plan for me so I can follow You."

   

    I'll talk to myself a lot, and I will quite often be jump-scared by the realization of God's presence. I might be babbling to my bunnies (of which I have four, all fluffy and adorable), then blink a few times when I remember God is right there with me. I would shift gears a bit, and actually use God's name to say hello, but just continue chattering about my day casually. I highly recommend, as this sort of conversation helped me understand that God actually wants a relationship and not just a follower (not that there is anything wrong with being a follower, that is optimal as well).

    I think casual prayer includes when we call out to the Lord when we are consumed in our emotions. Whether it be just tears or real bad hurting, He will still listen.

    "Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26

    

How Do I Use All This?

    I'm currently writing two posts at once, and the second post will talk more about why & how we do prayer, so check that out if you are unsure about praying. I'm so glad you read this post, I hope you have a lovely day! God bless!

- Acadia :)