The Timing of Prayer

I was recently given a memento to remind me to pray for a particular person at a particular time, every day. The pray would concern the person’s being receptive to the Spirit of God.
I’m rarely able to meet the deadline.



It got me thinking (a dangerous proposition).

(1) Is pray like an instant messaging to God and does such a prayer generate an instant response?

(2) Are there any such prayers in the Scriptures?

(3) Does the timing of such a prayer matter?
Would it matter if I prayed early or late?
Would it change things at all?

(4) Does it matter if more people pray a prayer?
Is God more likely to answer a prayer if more people pray it?

Rob

 

I don't have any agenda for this thread; this opened ended request for a specific time for prayer has me wondering.

I perceive God as being out of time (time being an aspect of his creation) but he specifically inserts himself into time.
How does this effect how we pray?


Thank you, Ken.
2 Kings 20 - the specific answered prayer of an affected individual. An answered prayer of the leader of Israel effected the course of Israel's history, not necessarily to their liking (be careful what you pray for - you may get more than you bargained for).

Acts 4:24 - corporate praying for God's will to manifest itself among them. It's never wrong to pray that God would work his will among his faithful people


As I was meditating on this, a couple of verses came to my mind.

Daniel 10:12–13 (ESV)
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,

A delayed response to prayer. Here it appears that an antagonistic power thwarted God's messenger from delivering a timely message.​

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

The power of group prayer and group action.
​

I'm still mulling things over.

Rob