Transcription
In the ancient temple, there were different courts where different levels of worshippers could enter. The first was the outer court where everyone could enter. The second was the inner court for the priests and the third was the holy of holies for the high priest alone.
Prayer works in the same way. There are different levels of prayers that most Christians never reach. In this video, I will be revealing five levels of prayers.
The first level of prayer is known as a petition prayer. A petition prayer is a prayer where a person limits their prayers mostly to only asking God for things they want. This type of prayer is basic and is the lowest in the realm of the spirit. It's a prayer of need and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Unfortunately, this is where most Christians begin and where most Christians end. The only time they ever talk to God is when they need something: provision, protection, healing, guidance, and blessing.
But you see, the problem with getting stuck at this level of prayer is that it turns prayer into a spiritual vending machine. You put in prayer coins and expect God to dispense what you've requested. And when he doesn't answer the way you expect, you either get frustrated or assume he doesn't love you. Petition prayer is meant to be a starting point, not a destination. The limitation of staying at the petition level of prayer is that it keeps you focused on yourself and your circumstances rather than on God and his purposes. It's me-centered rather than God-centered. While petition prayer is biblical and necessary, it's the most elementary form of communication with God. It's like learning to read but never progressing beyond picture books. It is important that as a child of God, you not only seek what is yours, but you also seek what is God's. A mature believer spends less time in petition prayers, but spends more time praying for what God wants. When you limit your prayers to always asking for things, you might never grow beyond that level of knowing other aspects of God. You might only see him as a provider and not as a true father.
The second level of prayer is known as intercession prayers. And this is where spiritual maturity begins to show. Intercession is when you abandon yourself and start praying for others, standing in the gap between God and people's needs. The Hebrew word parag means to encounter, to meet, or to strike upon. When you intercede, you're meeting with God on behalf of someone else who cannot or will not pray for themselves. The most powerful aspect about praying for others is that whenever you intercede for others, there is a 99% chance that God will sort out the same issue in your life. What I mean is that if you have a particular need in your life and you see someone else going through the same thing and you decide to pray for them, there is a very high likelihood that God will grant you the same thing because you are abandoning yourself and praying for somebody else. This is a secret many Christians don't realize.
In Ezekiel 22:30, God said, "And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it. But I found none." God was looking for intercessors, people who would pray for others instead of just themselves. Intercessors are spiritual wallers who protect others through prayer. This level of prayer requires spiritual maturity because it demands that you set aside your own needs and focus on the needs of others. It's selfless rather than selfish. When you operate in intercession, you're functioning like a priest who represents people before God. You're taking on the burden of someone else's situation and carrying it to the throne of grace. Intercession is more powerful than petition because it operates from love rather than need. When you pray for others, especially those who cannot pray for themselves, you're partnering with God's heart for people. You're joining him in his work of redemption and restoration. This is why intercessory prayers often get faster answers than personal prayers. They align with God's desire to bless and help others.
But intercession also comes with a cost. When you truly intercede for someone, you feel their pain. You carry their burden and you often experience spiritual warfare on their behalf. It's not casual prayer. It's intensive care for souls. This is why many Christians avoid this level of prayer. It requires sacrifice and it's often emotionally and spiritually demanding.
The third level of prayer is spiritual warfare prayer. This is where most Christians get uncomfortable. Warfare prayer isn't about praying against people. It's about praying against the demonic forces that influence people and situations. It's recognizing that as Ephesians 6:12 tells us, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Warfare prayer is really an active aggressive engagement with demonic forces that are hindering God's will from being accomplished. It requires understanding spiritual authority and knowing how to use the weapons God has given us.
In Luke 10:19, Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." The word power here is exusia in Greek which actually means delegated authority. Warfare prayer includes binding and loosing just as Jesus taught in Matthew 18:18. In warfare prayer, you're exercising spiritual legal authority to forbid demonic activity and permit God's will to be done. This level of prayer is absolutely essential for breakthrough in difficult situations. Sometimes your prayers aren't answered, not because God doesn't want to help, but because demonic forces are actually hindering the answer. Daniel experienced this when his prayer was delayed for 21 days due to spiritual warfare in the heavenly realm as recorded in Daniel chapter 10. Warfare prayer really requires spiritual maturity, biblical knowledge, and a strong relationship with God. You just can't fight spiritual battles in your own strength. You have to be clothed with the armor of God and operating under his authority. This is why honestly many Christians avoid this level of prayer. It's intimidating and it often provokes counterattacks from the enemy.
The fourth level of prayer is prophetic prayer. And this is where prayer becomes creative rather than just reactive. Prophetic prayer is praying God's future into the present, speaking his will into existence and partnering with him to establish his kingdom on earth. It's praying with revelation rather than just information. In Jeremiah 1:12, God told the prophet, "Thou hast well seen, for I will hasten my word to perform it." God watches over his word to perform it, but he needs people who will speak his word in prayer to activate his performance of it. Prophetic prayer operates from understanding God's heart and will, not just knowing his promises. It's praying with insight into his purposes and plans. When you operate in prophetic prayer, you're not just asking God to change circumstances. You're speaking his desired outcome into existence. You're calling things that are not as though they were. As Romans 4:17 describes, this level of prayer requires intimacy with God because you must know his heart to pray his will. You can't pray prophetically without spending time in his presence, listening to his voice, and understanding his ways. It's not about making predictions. It's about partnering with God to accomplish his purposes through prayer. Prophetic prayer is incredibly powerful because it operates from God's perspective rather than human perspective. Instead of praying about problems, you're praying God's solutions. Instead of being limited by current circumstances, you're praying future possibilities. This is the level of prayer that can literally change nations and alter the course of history. But prophetic prayer also requires great responsibility. When you speak God's word in prayer, things begin to change in the spiritual realm. Angels are dispatched, demons are displaced, and circumstances begin to align with what you've spoken. This is why this level of prayer requires spiritual maturity and biblical grounding.
The fifth and highest level of prayer is contemplative prayer or what I call the intimacy level. This is where prayer really transcends words and enters into pure communion with God. Contemplative prayer isn't about talking to God. It's about being with God. It's the prayer of presence, of listening, of just being absorbed into his love and glory. In Psalm 46:10, God commands, "Be still and know that I am God." The Hebrew phrase rafa yada means to relax and experience intimate knowledge. This is the prayer that moves beyond doing and enters into being. It's where you stop trying to accomplish something through prayer and simply enjoy God's presence. Jesus modeled this level of prayer throughout his ministry. In Luke 5:16, we are told, "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed." The Greek word huporo means to go away secretly or to withdraw quietly. Jesus regularly pulled away from ministry activity, to simply be with the father, not to ask for anything specific, but just to maintain intimate relationship. Contemplative prayer is where you discover that God's presence is the answer to every need, the solution to every problem, and the satisfaction for every longing. It's where you move beyond wanting things from God to simply wanting God himself. This is the prayer that transforms you from the inside out because you're not just talking about God. You're experiencing God. At this level, prayer becomes less about words and more about wordless communion. It's where you learn to listen with your spirit, not just your ears. You might sit in God's presence for an hour and say very little, but honestly, you accomplish more than hours of petition prayer because you're being changed by his glory. The Hebrew word shak means to meditate, muse, or commune. And it's often translated as prayer in the Old Testament. This kind of prayer is like marinating in God's presence until his nature begins to really permeate your being. It's where transformation happens naturally because you're beholding his glory and being changed from glory to glory. Just as 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes.
These five levels of prayer are progressive, meaning each level builds upon the previous one. You don't abandon petition prayer when you learn intercession. You add intercession to petition. And you don't stop interceding when you learn warfare prayer. You incorporate warfare into your intercessory practice. Each level honestly enhances and empowers the others. The believers who see the most dramatic answers to prayer are those who operate in all five levels as the situation requires. They know when to petition, when to intercede, when to engage in warfare, when to pray prophetically, and when to simply be still in God's presence. They've developed a full range of prayer skills that make them effective in any spiritual situation.
Think of it like learning to play a musical instrument. First, you learn basic notes and simple songs. Then, you progress to more complex pieces, different styles, and advanced techniques. A master musician can play everything from simple melodies to complex symphonies because they've developed skill at every level. Prayer works the same way.
The reason most Christians never move beyond the first level of prayer is because each higher level requires greater commitment, sacrifice, and spiritual maturity. Petition prayer is easy because it's about you and your needs. Intercession is harder because it requires caring about others more than yourself. Warfare prayer is intimidating because it involves spiritual combat. Prophetic prayer demands intimacy with God and understanding of his will. Contemplative prayer requires time and quietness that many people aren't willing to invest.
Another reason Christians stay at basic levels is that they think they're supposed to. Many churches only teach petition prayer, never mentioning the higher dimensions. People assume that asking God for things is all there is to prayer. They never realize that prayer is meant to be a journey into deeper relationship and greater spiritual authority.
Fear also keeps people at lower levels. Intercession can be emotionally demanding. Warfare prayer can provoke spiritual attack. Prophetic prayer carries responsibility. Contemplative prayer requires vulnerability and surrender. It's easier to stay safe at the petition level than to risk the challenges that come with higher dimensions of prayer.
If you want to move to higher levels of prayer, you must first be willing to pay the price. Each level requires something of you. Warfare prayer requires boldness and authority. Prophetic prayer requires intimacy and revelation. Contemplative prayer requires time and stillness.
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