Praying by the Numbers: 5 Prayers Every Believer Should Have on their Speed Dial
Scripture tells us to “Be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Because prayer is a Christian’s lifeline there are at least five types of prayers we should have on our speed dial, ready to send at the appropriate time.
- 911 Praying / pray in emergencies
(Psalm 102:1-2) “Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry for help come before You. Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble. Listen closely to me; answer me quickly when I call.”
This is easily the most common kind of prayer. 911 praying is a cry for help. The emergency may be our own or someone else’s, it may be sudden and temporary or sustained and long term. It may be a cry for help, or hope, or healing, a need for rescue or escape. The prayer may be as simple as David’s “Help, Lord”
(Psalm 12:1), or Peter’s “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). But, God is already tuned to the problem and ready and able to respond. So, if in need of the ultimate crisis intervention, dial a 911 prayer with confident expectation.
- 411 Praying / pray for information
(James 1:5-6a) “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.”
Where to go for wisdom? Who to ask for direction? We are confronted with these questions every day as we process life’s information and make choices that determine our life paths. While the wisdom of the world is ever present, the wisdom of God is always accurate, timely, and generously given to those who ask. The difference between taking risks in faith and a reckless decision is the promises of God. When you have a need to know, hit 411 on your prayer speed dial.
- 111 Praying / pray evangelistically
(Romans 10:1) “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.”
Part of every believer’s prayer life should be the earnest intercession for the salvation of others. 111 praying is for one person to become one with the one and only true God through Jesus Christ. One approach is to pray for the salvation of one person for one minute at one O’clock each day. If necessary, a different person could be prayed for each day of the week. Set your alarm or alert on your cell phone and pray. Ask God to remove any obstacles that might keep this person from hearing and responding to the good news. Ask him to orchestrate circumstances in the person’s life to produce receptivity to the gospel. And beseech the Lord of the harvest to send someone to share Christ with them. Then make yourself available to go as God directs.
- 714 Praying / pray for spiritual awakening
(2 Chronicles 7:14) “And (if) My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Research shows that the fastest growing religion in the world is Christianity --except in North America. With thee-fourths of our population living in spiritual darkness, and three-fourths of our churches stagnant or dying, our desperate need is a widespread spiritual renewal. We are like fish in a dried up pond, gasping for air and clinging to life. 714 praying is not an option.
Evangelist R.A. Torrey offered this prescription for revival, “First, let a few Christians get thoroughly right with God themselves. This is the prime essential. Second, let them bind themselves together in a prayer group to pray for revival until God opens the heavens and comes down. Third, let them put themselves at the disposal of God for Him to use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ.”
- 618 Praying / pray as a spiritual warrior
(Ephesians 6:18) “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
Spiritual warfare is real, and so are the consequences of ignoring it. When a person is born again into the kingdom of God, it is like being parachute dropped into enemy territory. Engagement with the enemy begins immediately. But God has given us sufficient armor (Ephesians 6:14-17), a host of heavenly allies (2 Kings 6:16-17), and a powerful arsenal (Eph. 6:17). Although, Satan has placed a target on every church, believer, and family, we can stand firm and join the resistance movement by praying. Deploying all kinds of prayer energizes our armor, mobilizes our allies, and powerizes our arsenal. Pray as a spiritual warrior, being assured that there is victory in Jesus.
