RELATIONSHIP WITH
GOD & PRAYER
YOU AND PRAYER!
Talk to God About Everything! How Do I Go About Praying As I Should?
Many people want to know. How am I suppose to pray?
The words “pray” and “talk” are used interchangeably.
That is what prayer is, simply talking to God.
You don't need to be afraid to approach Him.
God welcomes your prayers and answers them.
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IN PRAYER
Each day we should spend time alone with God from the distractions of life around us.
After a child is born, they begin to grow. They must have proper food. What a joy for those parents when they begin to walk. They look forward to that day when they hear their baby talk. The words "dada" and "mama" are sweet to the ears of a parent. So it is with the Christian. The Christian needs spiritual food, the Bible. He begins to walk with God. And it also delights the heart of God when His children talk to Him and call His name. This is what we call prayer. Talking to God, as a child would speak to his father, for He is our Heavenly Father.
HOW DO I GO ABOUT PRAYING AS I SHOULD?
Many people want to know HOW am I suppose to pray?
Don't feel bad if you are asking this same question. The disciples also had to come to Jesus and say, "Lord, teach us to pray"(Luke 11:1). Don't forget that praying is talking to God with a sincere heart. Most of us know how to talk!! Talk with God as you would a good friend, except results He is more than just a good friend, He is your Heavenly Father who has saved you from your sin.
Approach God boldly, but also in a respectful way, realizing He is Holy and Righteous. But don't be afraid, for He loves you and wants to talk with you and you to talk to Him.
Take time every day to get alone with God and pray. This is a good time for your daily devotion in the Bible too. After studying, then you can pray to the Lord. Just be honest and tell God what is on your heart and how you feel and what you desire.
Some people have begun as a new Christian to follow a simple rule of praying. You don't have to follow this exact pattern, but it might help you to develop a good pattern for praying. Make sure it doesn't become mechanical, for God is REAL, and your praying should be real.
ACTS:
A = Adore and worship the Lord first in praying.
C = Confess any sin and disobedience in your life and ask forgiveness.
T = Thank the Lord for all He has done for you, not only in salvation, but for daily things.
S = Supplication, which means praying for others and their needs and also for yourself and the needs you have.
Just a tip:
You may want to start a “Journal” to record specific prayers, requests, thoughts, etc. Over time, you will begin to see that God is answering your prayers in marvelous ways.
PRAYER IS VITAL TO YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
God is your Heavenly Father, and He wants to hear from you and have daily fellowship with you. Not only does He promise to answer your prayers, but as you pray He will also provide guidance and spiritual strength. The Bible tells us to "Pray continually," that is to pray faithfully every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Prayer is just talking to God, and it doesn’t have to be poetic, master-minded or perfectly worded. Just from your heart. Share your concerns, hopes, dreams. Prayer is not formal: we are simply talking to God as we would to a friend. If you are not sure how to pray, begin by thanking God for all the good things that have happened to you, then pray for others, and finally pray for your own needs.
You may want to spend some silent time waiting on the Lord, for Him to speak to your heart. Also, it is good to learn to pray throughout the day, for example: while driving alone in the car, or while doing some task which requires no concentration. And as good things happen during the day, take a moment to thank God for them.
Prayer is the portal by which the Holy Spirit is allowed access into our hearts and minds, and any serious inquiry into God’s guidance and direction must begin with this simple act of communication.
When we pray, we can be completely honest. Jesus knows our hearts, our motives, our thoughts, our sins, and struggles. He fully understands our pain and temptation: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
Jesus understands us much better than we understand ourselves. He made us and lived among us. He knows what we are going through. And part of our being an effective tool for Christ is being willing to open up our hearts and souls to Him — allowing Him to share with us in our successes and failures.
The best way to get to know a new friend is to spend time with him, to talk to him. And the best way to get to know God better is to spend time with Him, to talk to Him. That’s what prayer is-simply is talking to God.
WHEN SHOULD YOU TALK TO GOD?
Actually, there is no wrong time. You can pray whenever you want to. But having a specific time to pray is as important as having a specific time to read His Word. When you pray, you talk to God. When you read His Word, He talks with you.
Psalm 55:17 says, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray.” That’s a good pattern, but not a magical formula. IMPORTANT: Actually, you need to pray more than that, and you dare not pray less. I wish someone would of told me that when I first started my first steps with Jesus.
The morning is an excellent time to worship God in prayer, to tell Him what He means to you and how much you love Him. It is a good time to praise Him for who He is and what He has done. It is an excellent time to seek guidance and blessing on all your activities of the day.
No one time provides an opportunity for you to take stock of your day. Ask God if what you have done in the morning is pleasing to Him. If so, thank Him and ask for a similar afternoon. If not, confess your shortcomings of that morning and ask God to pave your path with His wisdom the rest of the day.
Evening can be a delightful time of thanksgiving and communion with God. Thank Him for your day, for your salvation, for His promises to you. This prayer time may not be as long as the morning time, because you may become tired and sleepy.
HOW SHOULD YOU TALK TO GOD?
Perhaps you don’t know how to pray, and you are wondering what you should say.
That’s easy. Say what you would say to any good friend who loves you. You don’t need a special vocabulary, nor do you need to be eloquent.
Don’t be concerned if initially, your prayers are short. Martin Luther once said, “The fewer words, the better prayer.” Luther wasn’t suggesting that all prayers should be short. He was saying that a sincere prayer that uses only a few words is better than an insincere prayer that uses many.
Do not be concerned if you are not a polished “prayer.” God prefers sincerity to polish. If you cannot pray as you want, pray as you can. God knows your heart; He knows what you mean.
WHO CAN HELP YOU LEARN TO PRAY?
If you are experiencing difficulty in learning to pray, here’s some good news. When you pray, you are not on your own. Jesus, God’s Son, and the Holy Spirit will help you in your prayer life. That’s God’s promise!
When you have sinned and needed to talk to God about it, God’s Advocate, His Son Jesus is there to help you. “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1). And when you don’t know what to say, God’s Intercessor, His Holy Spirit-helps you. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:26). Discover more on the Holy Spirit here.
What should you pray for?
When men and women pray, they seldom ask for a change in character, but frequently they ask for a change in circumstances. That is a huge mistake. God controls our circumstances to improve our character. So do not get into the habit of pleading for a change in your financial or your physical condition when you pray. Allow your prayers to be a vehicle for God to shape your character into the character He intends you to become.
Prayer is the preface to purpose, the prologue to power and the prelude to peace.
As soon as you have come to Christ as Savior, learn to come to the Father through Him in prayer. It’s like talking with an old friend.
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