The book of Psalms has been referred to as the prayer book of the Bible.  It gives us a vocabulary for prayer. King David's prayer in Psalm 3 is an example of praying with confidence in the midst of a crisis. 

The prophet Malachi writes about the coming of the "Day of the Lord." This refers to the time of Jesus Christ's return, the Second Coming. How should we be praying in light of Jesus' return?

Malachi's prophecy teaches us how not to approach God in prayer and worship. He rebukes the Israelites for coming to God with the worst that they had to offer and for having a lack of true instruction coming from the priests. They also oppressed the poor and needy and did not give proper tithes. 

In Zechariah, there is a call for people to return to the Lord and to look to God, not to idols, for provision. Our salvation comes from the Lord and our power to walk with the Lord comes from the Holy Spirit.

One of the lessons we learn from the prophet Zechariah is that it is possible for people to go through religious motions without really "returning" to the Lord. True humility, repentance, and sincere seeking of the Lord are necessary for us to pray prayers to which God responds.

The prophet Zephaniah predicted that judgment would come upon Judah. He also called for the humble in the land to seek the Lord. The book ends with praise. The message for us is that as people who live in a time and nation in which God's righteous judgment is deserved, we are called to be people of humility who seek the Lord.

The prophet Habakkuk prays with reverence for the Lord, for God to revive his good work for God's people, and for God's mercy. He concludes his prayer with beautiful words that look to the future glory for those who place their faith in Jesus.

The prophet Habakkuk's prayer for understanding was answered in a way that he could not have fully understood at that time because the answer points us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus has provided deliverance from the judgment that we all deserve. 

The prayer of Micah teaches us how to approach God properly as people who do justice, love kindness and mercy, and walk humbly with God. We do not always live like this. However, God, by sending his Son Jesus to die for us, provides pardon for our sins.

The prophet Micah accused the leaders of Israel of being confident of their position in the Lord while they were actually doing ungodly things. We must not be like the rulers and prophets of Micah's day who prayed and got no answer because their prayers were presumptuous.