Prayer is our line of direct communication with God. For some people, prayer is intimidating (especially out loud). For others, it is so ritualistic and formulaic that it hardly seems like real communication with God. But for some, prayer flows so naturally that its like the air we breath. Simply put, as reading the Bible helps us hear God; prayer is how we talk to God. The great news is that, God hears every prayer from His children. Through Jesus, none of our prayers miss the ear of God.
The bottom line for prayer is recognizing and thanking God for who He is and what He has done for us for His own magnificent glory. In other words, prayer is more about God than ourselves. And yet, the heart of prayer is recognizing your Heavenly Father loves to hear your voice. The Bible says that we can come to God in prayer about anything going on in our lives. Thankfully, we have a God that can and will answer prayers in his own time and according to His own will.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10
We are to have prayerful attitudes while going throughout our daily lives. Prayer can be a consistent activity throughout the entire day. If you are just learning to pray, start simply by carving out a time to pray each day or ask someone you think has a strong prayer life to pray with you.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18
Being in constant prayer allows you to rely on God for all things and it can give you peace.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillippians 4:6-7
Jesus told his disciples in the book of Matthew how we should pray.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” Matthew 6:5-13
RECOMMENDED BOOKS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PRAYER: