Prayer

Some prayers are memorized and recited, some are extemporaneous. They can be spoken aloud, whispered, shouted, or sung. We pray collectively as a congregation, as part of a small group, or privately. Some are long, and some are short. There are morning and evening prayers, before meal prayers, driving the car prayers, before tests and free-throws prayers, and anytime-of-the-day prayers. There are prayers of thanksgiving, forgiveness, praise, guidance, questioning, healing, and pleas for help. Some are eloquent and others are simple. Some are generalized, some are quite personal. Some are answered in a timely fashion and to our liking. Others test our patience and understanding or not answered exactly as we had planned.

The important thing to remember is that there isn’t a “wrong” way to pray. The power of the prayer doesn’t come from us. It comes from God, so communicating is the most important thing!

Like other spiritual disciplines, we can learn about prayer from Jesus.

When did Jesus pray? He taught us the importance of praying daily. He said “Always pray, never lose heart” (Luke 18:1). He taught us to talk with God day and night (Luke 18:7). When He taught His disciples to pray, He told them to ask God to meet their daily needs (Luke 11:3).

What did Jesus pray for? By example He taught us we should pray during all kinds of circumstances:

  • He prayed at His baptism (John 3:21).
  • He prayed all night before He chose His disciples. (Luke 6:12).
  • He prayed as He faced crucifixion (Matthew 26:39) and he prayed on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Luke 22:22-44, 23:34).
  • He prayed when He broke bread and gave it to others to eat (John 6:11).

Where did Jesus pray? He went to places that allowed Him to focus on the communication with His Father. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16), or He sent the crowds away and “went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23). We also read that Jesus rose “very early in the morning” and “went off to a solitary place where He prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Some other scripture about Prayer:

  • Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer – it does not rise from deceitful lips. May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. (Psalm 17: 1-2; 6-7)
  • The prayer of an innocent person is powerful, and it can help a lot. Elijah was just as human as we are, and for three and a half years his prayers kept the rain from falling. But when he did pray for rain, it fell from the skies and made the crops grow. (James 5: 16-18)
  • This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

Growing closer to God requires us to do several things:

Worship (doing all that we do in our lives in response to His love), Fellowship (sharing Christian life with other Christians), Discipleship (Intentionally trying to become more like Christ every day), Ministry (serving and giving), and Evangelism (sharing the love of Christ with everyone). To be able to faithfully stay on track in doing these things requires that we be in communication with God – asking, listening, responding and praising.
Nearly every Christian that I’ve ever heard speak about prayer wishes they could be better at it; wishes they could be more effective, more confident. Even though there’s not truly “right” or “wrong” way to pray, there are some good guides to praying to get us started.
You’ve probably heard the following acronym:
A Adoration Telling God that you’re aware of how special He is; how wonderful His works are; how much you treasure your relationship.
C Confession Confess the things you have done or left undone that you wish to have forgiven.
T Thanksgiving Show the gratitude you feel for blessings; individual, and on behalf of others, especially for answered prayers
S Supplication This is where you ask God for the longings of your heart, including prayers for others.

Prayers can be very simple. Some simple prayers suggested on the website (http://www.allaboutgod.com)

  • (Our sins) “Jesus, I am a sinner. I know you came to earth, died on the cross, were buried, and rose again so I can have eternal life in heaven with You. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me of my sins. Amen.”
  • (Loved ones) “Father God, someone I love is hurting today. Please visit them. Touch them and make them whole again. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
  • (Thankfulness) “God, thank You for the blessings in my life. I know all good things come from You. I love You God. Amen.”
  • (Healing) “Father, I come to you and ask that you heal me of the pain I am in. I ask that You do above and beyond what my doctors can do. I ask in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.”

And of course we have another model for prayer in the prayer Jesus taught His followers in Matthew 6:9-13, The Lord’s Prayer:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” At the beginning of your prayer, acknowledge that God is your Father. For example, you might pray, “God, thank You for loving me and adopting me as Your child, though I did nothing to deserve Your love.”
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” These phrases are all about your desire to have God’s ideals acted out here on earth. Ask God to show you what He wants done today and to give you the energy or courage to do it. Ask Him to show you any ways in which you might be unaware you are doing something that is less than His ideal and to help you change.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Ask God to provide for you physically today. Feel free to ask for other needs such as housing, clothing, a job, safety, etc. Get specific about what you need and thank Him for the ways He has provided in the past.
“And forgive us our trespasses even as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Ask God to forgive you for those things you know you have done wrong. You may want to pray for God’s help in conquering a sin that keeps recurring in your life. Ask God for His forgiveness and thank Him. Then, think about whether there is anyone in your life who you have not forgiven. Take a moment to mentally forgive others. Ask God to intervene in those areas of your life.
“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” After praying for forgiveness, pray for protection from temptations and evil for self and family.
“For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Amen.” Acknowledge that God has the power to answer your prayers and perform what He has promised.
(Source: http://www.allaboutgod.com/christian-prayer.htm )