How Many Ways Are There to Pray?

Summary

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Grace in Focus Podcast Summary

Episode: How Many Ways Are There to Pray?
Date: June 1, 2026
Hosts: Bob Wilkin & Sam Maher

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Episode Overview

In this 13-minute episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Maher respond to three interrelated audience questions on prayer, fasting, and how to handle Christian books that may teach unsound doctrine. The central theme focuses on practical and theological concerns regarding the “right” way to pray, biblical teachings on fasting, and discerning Christian literature. The discussion is rooted in Free Grace Theology and emphasizes clarity and biblical fidelity.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Are There Different Ways to Pray?

(Main segment: 01:17–08:26)

• Listener’s Question: Hayden found a book listing “10 different ways to pray” and asks if Scripture teaches this.
• Biblical Response:
  • Bob Wilkin asserts that “The Bible does not describe 10 different ways to pray,” but offers general principles ([01:43]).
  • Examples are given (David and Daniel) of regular, planned prayer but emphasizes this is not a strict command.
  • The Lord’s Prayer is presented as a model, not a checklist of methods:

    “What you find in that is kind of like a coat hanger to hang your prayer on—general principles.”
    (Bob Wilkin, 02:24)

  • Normative practice is to pray to God the Father, though praying to Jesus or the Spirit isn’t strictly forbidden ([02:51]).
  • The ACTS acronym (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) is introduced as a helpful tool but not a biblically mandated structure ([03:40]).
  • Types or “aspects” of prayer (thanks, supplication, adoration) are described as naturally integrated in typical prayer, not distinct forms:

    “They’re really all wrapped in the same thing…typically it’s all rolled into every session when we pray.”
    (Bob Wilkin, 05:37)

  • Distinction is drawn between biblical prayer and “centering prayer” in contemplative spirituality, criticizing the latter as unbiblical:

    “…what they teach you in contemplative spirituality is…I don’t want you to think about God…just open your mind up so that God can speak to you. Well, that’s not a biblical concept of meditation, nor is it a biblical concept of prayer, really.”
    (Bob Wilkin, 04:33)

  • Sam Maher affirms that prayer should be communication and fellowship with God and not overcomplicated by “types” ([06:53]).

Notable Quotes

• Sam Maher (03:04): "I like to pray to the Lord because it’s kind of like sending a triple CC email…it's going to get to the right person no matter what."
• Bob Wilkin (06:52): “Sometimes you might just quickly say to God, thank you for that. What's important is that you're communicating to God because that is how we have fellowship with God. One of the ways.”

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2. Should We Fast?

(Segment: 08:26–10:42)

• Is Fasting Commanded?
  • Old and New Testaments mention fasting, but there is “no command in the New Testament to fast,” only instruction on how to do it properly ([08:30]).
  • Fasting should be private, not for show (reference to Matthew 6).
• Personal Experience:
  • Bob shares his inability to fast for health reasons (hypoglycemia) but affirms it can help some focus on prayer ([09:28]).
  • Fasting is “fine to fast, and we should fast if we’re wanting to have especially focused time of prayer and meditation” (09:40).
• Guideline:
  • Fasting for spiritual benefit is good; for attention, conformity, or “checking a box” is discouraged ([10:02]).

Notable Quotes

• Bob Wilkin (09:36): “I find not only couldn’t I concentrate better, as a lot of people would say, but I couldn’t concentrate at all. So I don’t fast. But for those who have fasted and found it helps them to pray better and to concentrate better, that’s great.”

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3. What Should We Do With Books That Don’t Teach Correct Doctrine?

(Segment: 10:42–12:57)

• Assessing Christian Books:
  • Bob keeps books with opposing views (e.g., Lordship Salvation) for reference, to counter arguments ([10:48]).
  • Books with little to no value—or with teachings far outside orthodox doctrine—can be discarded.

    “A lot of the stuff we have is Christian books these days are…about touchy feely, experiential things. And those books have very limited value…”
    (Bob Wilkin, 11:53)

  • Use discernment: keep for reference or illustration, but avoid spreading false doctrine by giving inappropriate books away.
  • Example given: Changing Joel Osteen’s “Your Best Life Now” to “Your Best Life Then,” making a point about eschatology vs. prosperity theology ([12:11]).
• Sam Maher’s Advice:
  • Even imperfect books may have useful insights; always verify with Scripture ([12:39]).

    “You have to be discerning with what you’re reading and you always have to verify it with scripture, because if it contradicts scripture, then it’s just no good.”
    (Sam Maher, 12:48)

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Memorable Moments and Practical Tips

• Expanding the Lord’s Prayer ([07:39]):

  • Bob suggests pausing at each line to personalize and expand meaning:

    “When you say, hallowed be thy name, you might say, hallowed be thy name, because you are true and your word is true and everything you do is true.”

• Corporate vs. Individual Prayer ([08:00]):

  • The Lord’s Prayer is corporate (“Give us…”), but individual prayers (e.g., Christ in Gethsemane) are valid, reflecting prayer’s flexibility in context.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Listener questions introduced: [00:56]
• Discussion on prayer “types” and models: [01:17–08:26]
• Fasting in Christian life: [08:26–10:42]
• Dealing with unsound Christian books: [10:42–12:57]
• Closing remarks and takeaways: [12:58–13:06]

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Tone and Language

Bob and Sam maintain an encouraging and practical tone, focusing on freedom, discernment, and relationship (not legalism or ritual) in spiritual practice. Their humor (e.g., “triple CC email” and “upside down” Aussie friend) brings warmth and relatability.

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Summary Takeaways

• Prayer in Scripture is about relationship and can include praise, supplication, thanks, and more; do not overcomplicate it with “types.”
• Fasting is biblically permissible but not required; motivation matters more than the act itself.
• Handle Christian literature with discernment—some materials may be useful for reference, but spreading unsound doctrine should be avoided.
• Always test teachings against Scripture.

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Final Words:
“Let’s keep grace in focus.”
(Sam Maher, 12:58)

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Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society today on grace in a discussion about prayer. Are there different ways to pray? How often should we pray and what are the parts of a prayer? Thank you friend for joining us for this ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org Lots of things to participate in and to learn about us. There we are in our application window and our registration window for our online online seminary, Grace Evangelical Theological Seminary. We'd love for you to think about studying with us in the fall. There are full scholarships available for students maintaining good academic standing and this is because of our generous donors. Get all the [e-mail] and now with today's discussion, here are Bob Wilken and Sam Maher.

[B]

Alright Bob, we've got a question from Hayden. He's actually got three questions but they're all pretty concise and they're all related so we'll go through them in order. But we might bounce around our Aussie friend.

[C]

Yeah, he's, he's south of the border. Way south of the border.

[B]

He's upside down. But we still like him.

[C]

Yes, we do.

[B]

I can still read his questions. Okay.

[C]

It's probably winter there or it's coming

[B]

up on I think so. So he's got a couple of practical questions. One, how do we pray? Two, should we fast? And three, what do we do with books that we've come to learn don't teach correct doctrine? And now that last question is related to his first question because he says I just read a book about prayer and it has 10 different ways to pray. That seems convoluted. So let's start with the prayer question.

[C]

Yeah, I love all three questions, Hayden. And on the first one, I don't think The Bible describes 10 different ways to pray. We do find that some people like the psalmist David, he would pray at certain times of the day. Daniel prayed at certain times of the day. So there have been people who had a plan that they were going to pray multiple times each day and have a set aside time to pray. So that's something we could all do. But it's not commanded in scripture that we pray so many different times a day. Nor is that telling us how to pray. The Lord did tell the disciples how to pray. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom, power, glory forever. Amen. What you find in that is kind of like a coat hanger to hang your prayer on general principles. Generally speaking, we don't pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. We pray to God the Father, our Father. Doesn't mean we can't pray to the Holy Spirit or Jesus. But the more normal is to pray to God the Father.

[B]

I like to pray to the Lord because it's kind of like sending a triple CC email, because there you go, it's going to get to the right person no matter what.

[C]

And then you have certain principles like, we recognize that God is transcendent, that he's in the third Heaven and we're not. That his name is hallowed. And that should remind us of many things to praise him for. In fact, a lot of people, they use the acronym ACTS and they say adoration is the first thing. You adore God. Well, that's part of the Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. The idea there is we really long for the Lord Jesus to come and establish what is the Father's kingdom and his own kingdom, and then give us this day our daily bread. We recognize every day whenever we're praying that all that we have comes from God. So we don't need to just pray that while we're at a meal. We can pray this throughout the day and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This is great stuff because we know that God's the one who delivers us. And again, his is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. And so all of this gets us to focus on the coming kingdom. And so prayer should be like that. And yes, we're to bring our supplications before him, and we're to do those repeatedly. Like with the widow who kept bugging the judge until he finally gave her satisfaction. We're to bring our request, but we're also to bring our praises. We're to bring our thanks. All of it. We're to bring. And it's not 10 different types of prayer. You know, some people have like this prayer in contemplative spirituality. It's called centering prayer, and it's not prayer at all. What you do is you focus on one word. Like certain people within Christianity use a Hindu deity to pray to Jesus supposedly. Or if you're other forms of contemplative spirituality, you use a Christian word like cross or resurrection or life. But what they teach you in contemplative spirituality is I don't want you to think about the cross. I don't want you to think about the resurrection. I don't want you to think about God. What I want you to do is use that word to block everything out so that you just open your mind up so that God can speak to you. Well, that's not a biblical concept of meditation, nor is it a biblical concept of prayer, really. We could say there's the prayer of thanksgiving. We could say there's the prayer of supplication, if you want to call those different kinds of prayers, but they're really all wrapped in the same thing. There's the prayer of adoration. You could say there are different aspects of prayer, but typically it's all rolled into every session when we pray. Even if it's just I'm driving down the road and go, lord, I've got this tough meeting coming up. Please help me. Well, there I'm recognizing that he's the sovereign, that he's hallowed. I'm recognizing I need him to deliver me from temptation. I. I need him to give me the strength.

[B]

I know when I was in high school, I was taught like an acronym, and I can't even remember what the acronym is. But the point of that acronym was kind of to order your prayer, to follow the Lord's prayer and to start with praising God for who he is, thanking God for what he's done for you, praying for other people's needs and then praying for your own needs. And it was just a helpful tool of like, you know, when I'm praying, how do I stay focused and give glory to God first, thank him first before I start asking for things for myself, put others needs before my own. But like you said, I don't think that counts as a different type of prayer. And I don't think you have to do everything every time you pray.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Sometimes you might just quickly say to God, thank you for that. What's important is that you're communicating to God because that is how we have fellowship with God. One of the ways.

[A]

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[C]

the way, if you do pray the Lord's Prayer, I would urge you not to just say the words, but stop at each point and expand on it. Like when you say, hallowed be thy name, you might say, hallowed be thy name, because you are true and your word is true and everything you do is true. Or you are just and all your judgments are just something like that.

[B]

Well, and it's also important to note that that prayer is all in the plural, first person plural. Give us this day our daily bread. So it's corporate, right? It's corporate. But then when Christ was praying to God himself before he went before the cross, he didn't pray like he prayed me. I, you know, my. So I think it shows in that sense. There's different kinds of prayer. There's corporate and individual prayer.

[C]

Okay, let's go to two and three. Number two, he says, what about fasting? Both the Old and the New Testament tell us about fasting. However, there's no command in the New Testament to fast. We're not required to fast. What we're told is like in Matthew 6, if we do fast, don't do it so as to be seen by men. Don't try to look like you're sick and then tell everybody, whoa, I'm fasting. I haven't had anything to eat for two days or something. Instead, you want to fast in secret, pray in secret, give in secret, all of it, so that God is praised and God is glorified. But you're not. So in terms of fasting, I personally don't fast. I tried it early in my Christian life. I have something called hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia means that if I don't eat every two or three hours, I get lightheaded, dizzy, and I start feeling faint. And what I tried when I was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ, and we would have times where we would fast from, say, up until lunch or even up until supper. I would find not only couldn't I concentrate better, as a lot of people would say, but I couldn't concentrate at all. So I don't fast. But for those who have fasted and found it helps them to pray better and to concentrate better, that's great. It's fine to fast, and we should fast if we're wanting to have especially focused time of prayer and meditation.

[B]

Right. I think if it's useful and you're doing it properly, then it's good. But if you're doing it one, to impress other people or to follow A group not good. And if you're doing it just to check a box, but you're not really getting the intended benefit out of it, then I don't think it's good. And that kind of leads us into our next question because I think that's a good area to look to Christian literature and see what are people written on fasting? Why did Jews fast? And why should or shouldn't we do it? And how should we do it if we're going to? But with Hayden's book on prayer, what's he supposed to do is should he burn it or should he send the author an angry letter or something? Because it's not so.

[C]

Here's my view on bad books. I have a lot of books on my shelf that hold to lordship salvation. I need them there because this ministry is very strong on the fact that eternal life is the gift of God. It's apart from works. And therefore we have to counter the arguments made by those people in their books. And so I have those books now. I haven't kept. You know, early in my Christian life, I read some charismatic books and things like that. I haven't kept those books because we don't spend a lot of time dealing with charismatic issues. And I would say, yeah, you can get rid of a lot of your books that are worthless, but if they have some material that you're going to want to use later on to illustrate a point when you're teaching a Bible study or when you're teaching a Sunday school class, well, you might keep it for that purpose. But a lot of the stuff we have is Christian books these days are a lot about touchy feely, experiential things. And those books have very limited value even to be used to quote them to say, look, this is a bad problem. I was reminded there's a book by Joel Osteen, I think it's called you'd Best Life Now. And someone here at GES printed it out and put it on the board and crossed out now and wrote then. Because our best life is not now. Our best life is in the life to come. And, you know, it might be helpful to have a book like that if you wanted to illustrate some of the flaws of prosperity theology, maybe. But for the most part, Hayden, I'd say you can probably trash a lot of those books. Just use discernment as to which ones you throw away or give away. You know, the problem with giving away, though, is if it's false doctrine, you really don't want other people reading it.

[B]

Yeah, the other important thing is book like that book on prayer might actually have some really useful information in it. Even if it's not all correct, you can still get something out of it. But you're right, you have to be discerning with what you're reading and you always have to verify it with scripture because if it contradicts scripture, then it's just no good.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Alright.

[C]

Well thanks so much Hayden, and thank you all. And remember, let's keep grace in focus.

[A]

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