God-Centered Prayer

The exhilarating prayer in Acts 4:24-30 reveals a biblical pattern we need to see and embrace: attention is focused on God and not on our needs. As a result, it includes much more than petitions. The prayer begins with praise and wonder at God’s creation and reign over all things before calling out for divine aid.

This is not because life was a breeze and the church felt no urgent need for God’s help. In fact, the believers had just come under fire from the temple authorities (4:18, 21), and Peter and John had been arrested and put on trial (4:3, 7): the high priest and Jewish council, who enforced the law, had just cracked down on the church: “Stop speak­ing out about Jesus, or else!” they threatened.

So it’s in spite of ominous developments that the early church goes to prayer in a self-forgetting, God-focused, God-exalting way; it's not because all is rosy. So too Nehemiah 1:4-11: the walls of Jerusalem are in shambles, but praise and confession lead the way before Nehemiah requests aid. And in 1 Chronicles 29:10-19—this time requests are preceded by extended praise and recollection of God’s past provision. Similarly in Isaiah 37:16-20, where Hezekiah cries out in praise to the Sovereign One before making his desperate plea for deliverance. So too in Daniel 9:3-19, with praise, confession and giving credit to God for forgiveness leading the way. Plus the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be thy name” comes before “Give us this day…”

Why build a prayer life that goes beyond mere requests? Because God is honored and our faith is bolstered when we look at the Lord and not in the mirror. By contrast, when prayer is nothing more than requests, self grows large and God appears small in the eyes of your soul. And that, of course, is spiritually catastrophic.

Yes, there’s a time for “foxhole” prayer—simply to cry out, “Help me, help us!” But our day-in-day-out pattern should reflect the balanced, biblical design. This goes for your personal life of prayer and for our corporate practice. Let's join together in the glorious, humbling, joy-bringing venture of God-centered prayer!