WHAT IS PRAYER?

Prayer is talking to God! Its a direct way for us to talk to God and hear from Him. Often times when we think of prayer, we think about being on our knees with our hands folded asking God for things. While that is one way to pray, it is not the only way. Prayer can be done in loads of different ways, whether its private, public, formal or informal. Prayers can be said over meals, for protection, for blessing, for healing, and for an infinite number of other things. I like to pray as if im talking to a life long friend. Most of my prayers revolve around have a conversation with God about things going on in my life. Just like a real conversation though, I leave room for God to speak to me as well. Honestly, not all of my prayers are perfect, and they aren’t always happy and Holy either. Some of my prayers have come from my deepest feelings of anger or sadness. Gods desire is that you talk with him. Its like any friend or family member, if you don’t talk to them, you don’t build a relationship with them. Pray is the foundation of relationship with God. Its our direct connection to the Father that no one can take away. Philippians 4:6 says “dont worry about anything, but in pray about everything.” this verse is not an exageration. God wants you to bring ALL of your hurts, pains, joys, successes, failures, questions, and comments to Him. he just wants to talk to you. 

WHY DO WE PRAY?

We pray for a lot of reasons! The first one being because the bible tells us to. This reason may not seem important, but if we believe the bible is the word of God, then the bible is God himself telling us to pray. The second reason is that prayer alignes our hearts and minds With God’s. This may sound really weird to you, so i’ll explain it a bit more. When we pray, we are getting to know God. When we get to know someone and hang out with them more, we start to become like them and take on their ideas, mannerisms, and characteristics. It works the same with God, when we talk to him and read about him, we become more like him, which is the goal for all christians. The next reason is because prayer works! Jesus says in John 14:12-13 "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Jesus tells us that whenever we ask for something in His name, that glorifies the Father, it will be done. 

Here are some verses for you to reflect on:

Matthew 6:7 - And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Philippians 4:6-7 - 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.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

HOW DO WE PRAY?

There is not perfect way to pray! God is not concerned with how you pray, he cares about your heart. Are you being genuine and real in your prayers, or are you just praying because you feel like you have to? Do you honestly want to talk to God, or do you only pray when you are forced to? You can pray standing up, sitting down, eyes closed, eyes open, hands clasped, or hands raised. All that being said, here is a general outline you can follow when you pray. This is not the be all end all format to prayer, but it is a good place to start. Feel free to change, adapt, or take out anything you read from the format. It is only here to help you get started. 

Praise - Start your prayer by thanking God. Thank him for anything you can think of! This will help put into perspective how good God is, even when we don't see it. 

Repent - this means asking for forgiveness. There may be ways you have done wrong against God, whether its a lie you told you parents, or something you stole from a gas station. This is your opportunity to apologize to God and ask for His forgiveness. 

Ask - Now ask God for things you or others need. No matter how big or small, ask God and see what happens. This could be anything from finding something you lost, to asking for healing for a sick family member. 

Yield - This is your time to pause and listen to what God wants to say to you. Sometimes God is trying to get ahold of us, but we are to busy to notice. This is time of yielding is for God to speak back to you. Out of all the time I have spent in prayer, yielding has been the most impactful. 

Tips:

Try and eliminate distractions when you pray. Put your phone in a drawer and close your eyes no nothing can visually distract you. At first it will be really hard to focus, but it will get better the more you pray. 

Set aside a dedicated time and place for prayer. This can help you establish a regular prayer practice and create a sense of sacredness and intentionality.

Keep an open and receptive mindset. Approach prayer with an attitude of humility and receptivity, rather than trying to dictate the terms of your prayer or expecting a specific outcome.

Experiment with different styles and forms of prayer. There are many different ways to pray, including traditional prayers, contemplative prayer, journaling, and simply having a conversation with God. Find what works best for you and your relationship with the divine.

Extra Resources:

What is prayer?

https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-prayer/

What is prayer?

https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-prayer.html

What is prayer, why do we pray, and how do we pray?

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/what-is-prayer-why-do-we-pray.html