Q-A: Prayer in the Grace Dispensation

Prayer in the Grace Dispensation The Grace Dispensation brought about MANY changes in lifestyle and patterns. Prayer is one of these attributes that radically changed from how the Gospels represent it.  Let's have a look at prayer in this grace dispensation.

One cannot deny that the change in dispensation from Prophecy to Mystery altered the entire lifestyle of the believer. When Paul started revealing the mystery doctrine, his teachings were quite literally the flip-side of a coin from the Kingdom message. God's new economy was grace, through the finished cross work of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus had done ALL that was required to satisfy the law, law that accused and condemned men, God's grace could abound, setting men free, and regenerating their dead spirit, filling it with the Spirit of Life in Christ.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Because of the new life and relationship we have through Christ, the rules for living had to be rewritten. It was God who revealed to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom.11:13), a whole new way of life (Eph.3:1-7), which radically changed the pattern of living (1 Tim.1:16) from the former dispensation of law. Out of the many lifestyle changes, such as observances, forgiveness, works, baptism, and purpose, to name but a few, prayer was one of these where its practice and characteristics changed dramatically. Let's focus on prayer to provide some insight into the differences, as opposed to prayer in the previous dispensation. 

(For a more comprehensive list of dispensational changes, including this insert on prayer below, see my article called: To Cut Straight, to Handle Aright.

The risen Christ revealed to Paul that prayer would no longer be based on the Law covenant agreements made with Israel. Prayer would change as we moved from Israel's dispensation to the Body of Christ. Let's have a look at what the Word reveals.  

Matt 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 

How many of us have prayed this prayer and it hasn't happened? There's a reason why it hasn't happened. It belongs to the Kingdom program! You are not in the Kingdom program today!

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 

"If you shall ask anything in my name I will do it". A lot of people's faith has been devastated because their prayer was not answered and things didn't happen as they expected. But know this again, these are promises made to the Jews in the Kingdom program! Did you see the conditions attached to it? Just like anything from this time, it is attached to conditions because it is attached to the Law. If you do this, God says, He'll do this. If you do that, God says, He'll do that. It is part of the requirements of the covenant God has with Israel. We are NOT under that covenant, and God does not have anything to fulfil in this regard. These promises in the Bible are spoken to Israel and they are not for you!

For us, the Body of Christ today, Paul says,

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he [the Spirit] maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

"Helpeth our infirmities". If our prayers were answered like those of Israel, why would we even need to go through infirmities? God will help us through infirmities and trials, not take them away from us. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit maketh intercession for us". It seems we don't even know what to pray for? Shouldn't we be more reliant on the Spirit and not jump so quickly into prayers by asking God to change this or do that without even consulting what His purpose and will is for our situation.  

Paul writes,

Phil.4:6 Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

The passage above points to the fact that when we pray, we can have peace with God, but this peace is linked with faith. There is no promise in this scripture that God will answer your prayer (like He promises to Israel!) No! The verse is informing you that you can ask, in actual fact, it is saying that you can appeal, and exhort and urge and plea, but it all must be connected with 'genuine' thanksgiving, not demands or ultimatums. The thanksgiving and resulting peace is part of the outflow of faith, faith that knows innately that God is in complete control, and will provide the outcome of that situation to be what He knows is for your best at that time. Will God hear you prayer? Of course He will! Will you know that He will answer based on your expectations? Absolutely not! He might answer you, He might not*, He might do it a different way, He might delay it. Should this be of concern? Do I need to continue to bear the weight? No, never! Once you have prayed, it is in God's hands, and all you can do from then on out is trust Him and thank Him. Will you know that He has your best in mind and will always remain in control for your good? Absolutely He will! He loves you more than you will EVER know! God knows better, and He wants us to learn how to trust Him, and leave our petitions with Him. He can handle it any way He wants to, but one thing He does promise is that we can have peace that God always does what's right. Amen.

*Even when God does not answer your prayer, it is an answer to prayer. When God does nothing to change a circumstance, then the act of doing nothing is what is best for the situation. God knows best. Have faith!

I encourage you to watch this video from for further explanation.