You already know what prayer is. Even if
you don't do it often, you probably have prayed. Your prayers
may have been little more than a plea for help. That's a good
start. To utilize prayer properly, however, we must go further.
A common misconception is that prayer is just a request. You
ask for something you need or want. Here we can get off the
beam. Prayer is more accurately a mindset. The act of pray gets
us out of ourselves. We raise our thoughts and consciousness
to a higher level.
Action is a Key Part
Proper use of prayer can result in miracles.
Our own efforts are not enough in life. We are, however, responsible
for our actions, and action is a key part of prayer. It is not
just sitting doing nothing and waiting for God to waive His
magic wand. A heartfelt prayer is an act. It is an act of turning
our thoughts and mind to God. We have to let go of the outcome
and believe fervently that God will both hear and answer our
prayers.
Anyone who is a skeptic of prayer hasn't tried it. Or if they
have, they either didn't like the answer to their prayer (all
prayers have answers) or they didn't stick with it. The answer
to your prayer will either be yes, no…or wait.
So, why pray? First of all, you should pray because it is part
of your relationship with God. God desires a personal relationship
with you and that requires communication. Prayer is a form of
communication with God. Secondly, proper prayer releases us
from our self-centeredness. As we deflate our ego, and let go
of our self-controlled will in matters we cannot change, we
allow God's power and grace to flow. It is always God's desire
to draw us closer to Him and prayer can certainly do this.
Another reason to pray is to express gratitude. God has certainly
blessed all of us. Your present circumstances might blind you
to your blessings. Prayer allows you to see again all the good
things in your life. Through praying you quiet the inner turmoil
and this allows you to open your heart to God. Since God wants
a personal relationship with you it is important that you pay
attention to His communication. Oh yes, God does communicate!
It is rude to ignore someone who is speaking to you. The height
of rudeness is to ignore God.
What Are You Praying For?
What you pray for or about is really important.
There are those who state that you should pray for specific
things in your life and then lay claim to them. Maybe that works
for them, but I've always found I get into trouble with this
approach. It's far better to simply pray that I can be useful
to God and others. I pray that God will reveal to me what he
wants me to do and will give me the strength and courage to
do it. I also pray especially for the willingness to do it.
When you have prayed then it is time to accept that God has
heard your prayer and to be open and willing to accept the answer.
You must also believe without doubt that God is going to answer
your prayers. Read in James 1 of the New Testament. Verse 5
and 6 are incredibly important:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given
to him.
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the
wind.
You can certainly make good use of prayer on a regular basis.
You can pray at any time, but there is great benefit in regular
morning and nightly devotion. Try to find a quiet place, get
peaceful and spend quality time in prayer.
Another great scripture verse is "Be still and know that
I am God"(Psalm 46:10). I marvel at the immensity of this
short phrase. You can break it down into a meditation mantra,
if you'd like, and find peace. It goes like this:
Be still and know that I am God. Be still and
know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be.
A Really Good Prayer
There are lots of great prayers and many
books have been written that can help you develop a richer and
more rewarding prayer life. I recommend anything that helps
you in this area. Avoid, however, simply mouthing words. God
already knows your heart. Sincere, honest, humble and heartfelt
prayer thoughts are the most effective. If you want one prayer
that covers everything, remember the prayer Jesus gave us in
response to his disciples' request (Luke 11). The Lord's Prayer
is remarkable in its efficient use of words and proper order
of acknowledgement. We pray to our Father in heaven, praising
His holy name. We request that He provide our daily needs. We
ask forgiveness of our sins, recognizing and admitting that
we must also forgive others. Finally, we ask for protection
from evil and temptation.
The benefit of a good prayer is that it changes our attitude.
That is a very important thing. Maybe that is why the Bible
encourages us to pray always. Paul frequently speaks of prayer
in his Epistles, especially Ephesians 6:18
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 saints
Individual prayer is valuable, yet when two or more gather in
prayer it can be phenomenal. Jesus said, "Wherever two
or more are gathered in my name there I will be". Try this.
You can really feel the spirit move.
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"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.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."
