What is Prayer?
Prayer is our communication with God. We talk to Him and listen to what He says to us.
There are many promises in God’s Word to encourage us to pray, such as: “He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” (Psalm 91:15); “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24); “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7).
As you build your prayer life, you’ll find there are many different ways to connect with God. Not sure where to start? Here's an idea for a quiet time with the Lord:
Find a Quiet Space: Choose a peaceful place where you can focus without distractions.
Open Your Heart: Approach prayer with sincerity and a genuine desire to connect with Jesus.
Begin with Reverence: Start by acknowledging Jesus, recognizing His presence and significance in your life.
Show Gratitude: Thank Jesus for His blessings, love, and sacrifice. Expressing gratitude helps you focus on the positive aspects of your life.
Confess and Ask for Forgiveness: Confess your sins and mistakes to Jesus, seeking His forgiveness.
Share Your Concerns: Talk to Jesus openly about your worries, fears, hopes, and desires. Be honest and open about what you're going through.
Ask for Guidance and Help: Request Jesus' guidance, strength, and wisdom to navigate life's challenges.
Listen and Reflect: Take a moment to listen and reflect. Pay attention to any thoughts, feelings, or insights that come to you during this time.
Close with Gratitude: End your prayer by thanking Jesus again and expressing your trust in His plan for you.
Praying Scripture:
Scripture prayer is the practice of praying God's Word back to Him. It involves selecting Bible verses that resonate with our current situations or needs and transforming those scriptures into personal prayers. For example, someone dealing with anxiety might pray 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.”
By praying scripture, we engage powerfully with the living Word of God. We align our desires with His will and boldly affirm what He has already proclaimed in His Word. Scripture prayer helps us focus on God's truth, steering our hearts away from our circumstances.
Praying scripture brings us face-to-face with God's promises and it unleashes God's power. God's eternal Word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12). By praying scripture in faith, we allow that power to work in our lives, moving beyond our own limited strength.
It provides an effective prayer strategy. Many believers struggle with knowing what to pray. Praying the Bible gives us Spirit-inspired content and wisdom to pray accurately over our needs and the needs of the world.
An easy way to start is with the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 or verses from the Psamls, e.g. Psalm 23 or 139:23-24.
Pray with Jesus:
The German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that when we pray Scripture, we are praying with Jesus: “All prayers of the Bible are such prayers which we pray together with Jesus Christ, in which he accompanies us, and through which he brings us into the presence of God. Otherwise there are no true prayers, for only in and with Jesus Christ can we truly pray. If we want to read and to pray the prayers of the Bible and especially the Psalms, therefore, we must not ask first what they have to do with us, but what they have to do with Jesus Christ.”
The Scriptures tell us that we are to pray for one another and also assure us that God hears and answers prayer. Walking with Christ is a personal relationship. And best of all, it is a relationship that developes over time and will last for all eternity.
