Let’s enumerate the types of prayers and examine the practical meaning of different kinds of prayers and how it works in our lives. A prayer as communication or a talk to God is a classical theological view at what a prayer is. But it’s only one-sided explanation of the kind and practical appliance of a prayer. A real conversation supposes participation as minimum of two parts. But we direct many prayers to the devil, who is not God. But we don’t communicate with devil, we only order him. In order to analyze it we need to enumerate all or practically all kinds of prayers.
1. The first classical understanding of a prayer is communication, a talk to God. We find a lonely place and listen to Him, asking questions from time to time. But in the real fact, in order not to hear interference (the voice and the will of demons) we need to enter into His presence (it often means to burst through «thick layers» of the evil spirits). And at this point we have at help the prayer of praise. God gave it to Israel as a weapon of victory and they successfully burst through circumstances, received victories in the real physical wars without victims and wounded. In front of the troops they let go not the most courageous and bold from their group, but the group of praise, with tympans and zitterns. In the same manner God also acts today, ruining the circumstance built by the enemy, (invisible spiritual obstacles), when we praise Him on instruments, with dances, songs and joy. David wasn’t ashamed of his linen when praising God, because he was more a man of faith than the one dependent on the rebukes of the surrounding people. But it’s not always enough to confidently enter the Most Holy place and have a 100% communication with Him. We add the prayer of worship (though after many years in faith I entered God’s presence using only worship) in order to get united with Him in one spirit. But after communication with Him we shouldn’t forget to take the Word in our hands. We need to keep a balance between grace and truth (John 1:14). Unfortunately, it’s impossible to explain using only texts with explanations, but we often can number the types of prayers using a visible example. It’s important that your prayers of request, agreement, proclamation etc. be grounded on the Word of God. They should be grounded on God’s promises, or His commands to us believers (for example, Isaiah 54:17, Luke 10:19, or Matthew 18:18-19 etc). God loves it when we remind Him of his Word, and devil and circumstances subdue themselves to this word.
2. Aren’t we tired of constantly talking about the prayer of intercession? It’s when in devotion we lay our soul praying for the needs of other people or for other land, identifying ourselves with it. The right answer is – we shall talk about it eternally, till the rapture. Because it’s unknown whether you will go on a mission to Pakistan, whether you will be a prophet or not, but in any case you will all be intercessors. Not all Apostles will become Apostles (will enter their calling), but all will be intercessors.
3. About the prayer of agreement (Matthew 18:18-19) we can also talk till the second coming of Christ, because this prayer is our power and possibility to bind the satan to make him powerless for a certain period of time. It’s the case when asking something according to God’s will (for example, to send the workers to gather the harvest, or to heal the unbeliever, or anything you ask for) is much easier when the power of the answer is doubled not twice but much more times – you just need to practice it. If a prayer of agreement was heard in all parts of the earth, the Devil would have escaped to the moon, but he stays on the earth, because the prayer of agreement doesn’t last long, the believers don’t endure in it (the «demon» revolts and doesn’t let believers pray, and most often they are obedient to him), that’s why unfortunately the devil will never be bound decisively, – and this is the result of tiny and very insignificant devotion of Christians to the Gospel. The entrance into my calling and victory in the promised land in my personal life was the result of the prayer of agreement, strengthened by fasting, that’s why I practice it till nowadays and will continue doing so.
4. The practice of Christianity shows that not all people will lay their hands on the dead, but all Christians must ruin the works of the devil (Matthew 12:29), because first we must bind the strong one and then preach. He who doesn’t do it lives at the expense of somebody other’s prayers and fasting, because all the earth (most of it, unfortunately) is filled with works and presence of demons and if we don’t destroy their power and works, the people living on earth as well as believers will feel bad, and the spreading of the Gospel will slow down.
5. A prayer of curse is something we practice selectively – for example, we can curse coronavirus. «May no one ever eat from your fruit again!» – this is how the Lord treated a fig tree! The more your prayer leans on His word, the more it is grounded on the Word of God, and strengthened by the revelation of each promise, at this multiplied by your obedience to His predestination on your life and affirmed by your devotion and persistency, the more answers and miracles you will see even at the level of the state.
A prayer of faith with proclamation of the promise and the Scripture verse will heal the sick and chase the demon.
A prayer of request.
A prayer of thankfulness.
A prayer of faith with the power to order circumstances or nature disasters.
A prayer of repentance.