Prayers of Petition
To hear the word, petition, is almost an everyday occurrence in these times. I really don’t think you can get on any social media platform or listen to any channel on the TV without someone sharing or mentioning a petition going around. Petition has been overused so much it has lost its significance and charisma. We forget that the definition of a petition is to make a request to a person in power about a particular situation. The worldly perspective of petitions should not be our prayer life’s perspective of a petition. When we are praying regarding a petition, we are praying to the One who has authority over everything. We are making our petition to the One with the highest authority. Two verses come to mind when we are reminded that God has authority over all, “6 and he said, “Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.” 2 Chronicles 20:6 and ““I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2.
One great example of a prayer of petition can be found in Acts 4:24-30,
“24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.””
This prayer occurs after Peter and John had been imprisoned for healing the lame man (Acts 4:4). The high priests questioned Peter and John regarding whose authority they had to heal the man to which they boldly proclaimed that they had authority through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:8-12). This prayer takes place when Peter and John return to their companions after being commanded by the high priests to stop speaking and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ.
This prayer starts with the members approaching God with awe, they acknowledge that He is ruler of heaven, earth, and everything in between. They acknowledge His authority even to the point of the Jews and Gentiles putting the Son of God to death, all to fulfill His predestined plan of salvation for all mankind. After acknowledging His authority they come before God with a desperate plea, to keep them preaching the faith without any fear of the threats of the high priests. They close their prayer with the hope that He will continue to perform miracles through them so as to further share the gospel.
We can learn from this prayer of petition today. Prayers of petition reflect on God’s promises, this gives us boldness when we pray. It also allows us to grown in our faith as we lean on God and His promises. Look at verses like, “19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 or “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans for us and He will provide for our needs, the plans that He has may not be what we immediately think we want, but since He has ultimate authority His ways are greater than ours. ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 our prayers of petition need to reflect upon who God is and remind ourselves of His promises and power.
Remember, a petition is to request from a person of authority (God) to act on a specific situation. This means that our prayer of petitions are to ask God to act on a situation that we are encountering. This does not mean that we ask for our will to be done, but for God to act on His promises. As we have already seen, God’s ways are greater than ours. This means that sometimes our prayers of petition will be answered in a way that we do not immediately see as good. However, when we reflect back, we see that God was working the situation out for our own good.
God is at work when we request Him to act on a situation. This is seen in Acts 4:31, “31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Those involved with the situation that Peter and John found themselves in immediately saw God responding. It was right after they had prayed the prayer we just discussed that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and found the courage to continue to boldly speak the Word of God.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex