Why do we pray? Because God listens. Because He is Sovereign over every life, whether we choose to submit to His authority or not. Because He is holy, most holy, and the one, true God. Because He is worthy of our praises, often and always. Because only God saves, allowing we who are stained with sin to be washed clean by the blood of His Son. Because prayer, along with study of His Word, shows us the way, even among the murky waters of daily living. Because the act of genuine prayer draws us ever closer to God.
The Bible is replete with examples of ways to pray, examples we can study as guides for our own prayers. Jesus tells us to pray like this:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
(we honor God as the Supreme Being of the Universe)
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(we acknowledge God’s Sovereignty over heaven and earth)
Give us this day our daily bread,
(we take each day as it comes and trust in God to provide as we need, without worrying about future days’ troubles we don’t even have yet)
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
(we offer our true repentance for our unforgiven sins and remind ourselves to forgive others just like we hope to be forgiven)
Lead us not into temptation,
(we show God our desire to walk along the narrow way that leads to true, Christian living and our need to submit our will to the will of God, our Sovereign)
and deliver us from the evil one.
(God is our protection from not just evil in general but also from the very real designs the devil has on us to distract us from our walk with God)
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
(Again, we praise God for all the ways He blesses us and continue to acknowledge His sovereignty over all)
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.
(we acknowledge the ways the God-head supports us as we seek the path of righteousness: God, our God, our Father God, Jesus, our Savior King who lived as human and died for all of us sinners who acknowledge His Lordship, the Holy Spirit of God that dwells inside of and guides all those who accept Jesus as Lord and King)
Prayer is a muscle, and like any other muscle, it requires regular exercise or else it will atrophy. Just like an unexercised muscle becomes flabby, even useless, the less we pray, the weaker our walk of faith becomes. Please don’t be that person who waits to pray only when things get bad or scary. Yes, God listens when we speak to Him, but how will you learn to be patient, trusting in God for answers, even when the answer is no, if your prayer is rare and fear-driven?
Just like you might begin an exercise plan with a walk to the end of your street and back each day, your early prayers may be brief. You may feel stilted or lack words. But, eventually, you will become more comfortable speaking to God because you will have continued to pray. Reading prayers like those found in Psalms, offering other verses you love, and seeking prayer mentors among your church community are just a few of the ways you can practice prayer. These are also great ways to freshen your prayer-ability when you find yourself becoming repetitive instead of focusing on the words you offer God.
Prayer is more than a fair or foul weather friend. Making prayer an active part of your life will give you the foundation to cope with whatever this life throws at you, even when life throws you the kind of problems that seem insurmountable. Because God is the God who comes through when hard faith is the only thing you have left on which to cling, learning to use prayer daily in your life will serve you well, especially in your toughest times.
In Christ,
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