Every Christian prays at least once a day. This prayer may be silent or vocal, private or public, with the mouth or in the heart. Most times, we pray without realizing that it is prayer. Prayer can be as long as three hours or as short as three seconds. As long as the conversation is directed to God, it is called prayer.
However, making three seconds prayers every day may not fully accommodate all that God wants us to pray for daily. We need to learn to pray for at least an hour each day.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? – Matthew 26:40 KJV
A long prayer not only includes more prayer points but also helps us to grow and become like Christ. Our daily prayers should contain praise, confessions, petitions, intercession and gratitude to God.
Praise
A basic Christian prayer begins with praise. We start by recognizing the Father as God, Creator, Lord, Supreme King and everything we know He is. When you look at most of the prayers in the Bible, you will notice that they follow this pattern (Nehemiah 1:4-11; Daniel 9:4-19; Matthew 6:9-14; Acts 4:24-29).
Confession
Another basic prayer to make daily is the prayer of confession. We must confess our sins so that God will forgive us and accept our prayers. Confession of sins is important to open the way to God’s throne of grace. God is holy, and we must ensure that sin does not come between us and God. Otherwise, our prayers will have no effects no matter how long or passionately we pray (Psalm 66:18; Daniel 9:20; Matthew 6:14-15).
Petitions
Petitions are all kinds of personal requests we want God to attend to. These include family needs, job demands, healing, finance and the basic things of this life. When we petition God, we must not feel embarrassed as though we are seeking carnal things instead of spiritual things. God wants us to ask Him for our daily needs (Matthew 7:7; John 16:24; Philippians 4:19). So let’s pray with boldness to God ego answers prayers.
Intercession
Intercession is the act of praying to God on behalf of other people. This usually involves serious prayers such as salvation of others, healing of a family member or friend, or divine intervention in a matter of life or death. Examples of people who interceded for others include Abraham (Genesis 18:22-33), Isaac (Genesis 25:21-23), Moses (Exodus 32:11-14), Jesus Christ (John 17:1-26), Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:15-23), and Epaphras (Colossians 4:12).
Thanksgiving
Lastly, the prayer of gratitude or thanksgiving is another basic prayer to add. Here you thank God by faith, telling Him that you believe He has answered all your prayers. Bear in mind that when you make positive confessions, you are agreeing that God can do what you prayed for. Acting by faith is different from telling a lie. As long as you say what the Bible says you should say, you are not lying but speaking by faith.
Prayer Points for Today
If there are prayer points that God wants every Christian to pray, they are prayers of praise, confessions, petitions, intercession and thanksgiving. These five prayers are important because they capture everything Christians should pray.
God does not work until His people pray. If you want God to show up in your life, then begin to pray. Praise God, confess, petition, intercede for others and show gratitude to God for all He’s doing in your life. These are the five basic Christian prayers to pray everyday.