T

alk With God

Praying is simply talking with God. It's the most important part of the Christian life. Since you love God, you should want to spend time with Him. Have you ever loved somebody so much that you can't wait to talk with them again? That's how we should feel about talking with our Heavenly Father. We don't need to wait to talk to Him again. We can talk to Him any time. He wants us to talk with Him. The Bible says that his thoughts about us cannot be counted. His thoughts about you are like the sands of the sea in number. He loves you and cares about you and he wants you to talk with Him. Nothing is too big or too small to share with Him.

Why Should You Pray?

Why do you talk to your best friend or your mother or your husband or wife? It's because they are part of your life. You should pray because you're happy or sad, or you need help. Pray and thank Him when you are satisfied.  Pray when you are worried, or confident, or weak, or strong. You can pray for other people's needs, or for other people to come to know Jesus Christ. The reasons to pray are without number. Think of all the events in your life. Think of all the people that you know. Think of all the things happening in your government and in your country. Also, praying doesn't always mean asking God for something. You might just thank Him for something or you might share your concerns with Him. Just talk with Him always. Share your life with Him.

Where and How Should You Pray?

Pray everywhere and in every situation. Your body doesn't need to be in a certain position. You can be standing, sitting, kneeling, laying down, driving, working, or riding your bicycle. You choose. Your prayer should be natural.  It should be as if He were sitting in a chair near you. Don't try to think about what you should say and how you should say it like you would do if you wrote a letter to somebody. Don't rehearse  or practice a prayer like an actor rehearses his lines for the theatre. Don't try to use biblical language so that you sound more holy. Those things don't matter to God. He wants you to communicate with him honestly and simply.  Also, a prayer shouldn't be a practiced prayer that's repeated over and over. That's not communication. That's just vain repetition and defeats the purpose of prayer. Speak to Him like you would to a perfect Father; a Father worthy of all your respect and all of your love. If you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life then the Holy Spirit of God dwells in your heart and helps you to communicate with God. There will be times when you don't know how to pray; when your sorrows or joys are beyond words.  The Bible says that the Holy Spirit helps us by making intercession for us with groanings too deep for words.

Who do we pray to?

In Matthew 6 (in the Bible) the disciples of Jesus asked Him to teach them to pray.  So the Lord taught them to pray to, "Our Father in heaven". In John's gospel Jesus says that because of our relationship with Him that we have direct access to the Father. So the simple answer is that we pray to the Father. However there will be times when you are studying the Bible or worshipping that you want to ask Jesus what He meant when He said something, or to help you understand His word, or praise and thank Him for dying for you. It's okay. Don't worry about it. God is one and He hears you. Jesus said, "I and My Father are one." The Holy Spirit will also help you talk with God correctly.

Praying in the Name of Jesus

Without Jesus Christ we have no other path or way to God. You will often hear Christian prayers ending with, "in Jesus' name". Jesus said that if we ask anything in His name that we will receive it if the request glorifies God. When you pray in Jesus' name, you pray recognizing that it is only through Jesus that you are able to speak with God. You don't need anybody else to speak to God for you. You can come near to Him. You are His child and you can speak directly with Him because of the sacrifice Jesus made for you.

What Should We Pray For?

We don't know what's best for us. God does. We don't know the future. God does. We are children. We may think that we know what is best for us but we rarely do. Ask for God's purposes to be accomplished in your life. If you have a need or desire then ask Him, but submit to His Lordship. Yes, let us ask Him for what we need or want but let us also add, ".. if it pleases you Father". The plans and purposes of God should always be more important to us than our own desires.  Also, we should not try to find passages in the Bible to use to try to control Him.  Again, it should be more important what He wants, than what we want.

Be Honest With Him

You might hear a few people say that you need to be careful how you pray because you might get unintended or unexpected results. This is not true. Be honest with God. God is not lying in wait to trap you. Somebody might say, "Don't pray for that because then God will make you sorry and give you hard times". That's not true. God isn't looking for ways to play a trick on you. He doesn't wait for you to say something wrong and then say, "Ha, ha! Be careful what you ask for!" It isn't so. The Father wants us to open our hearts and minds and pray in all honesty, and not to try to guard our thoughts against Him. Don't try to hide anything from Him. The Bible says he searches the heart and examines the mind. Since it is not possible for you to hide anything from Him, don't try. He knows you inside and out. If you are ashamed of something, tell Him.  He already knows. But if you confess to Him and tell Him then He will help you with it. Open yourself to Him and He'll work on you. God is an expert builder. He made your mind and body.  He can also make repairs and adjustments to you. He can make you much better than you are if you allow Him.

What to expect

It has been said that God answers every request in one of these three ways: "Yes", "No", or "Wait". We can usually accept the "Yes" or "No" answers if they come quickly.  But waiting is often the most difficult thing for us to do. If you have asked in submission to His will and desire, then you will get the answer that's best for you in the end. As you become closer to Him you will recognize His answers more easily. Some answers, He's already given in the pages of the Bible and He will never contradict, or go-against His word (the Bible). So if you ask Him for something, and He's already written in His word that it does not please Him, He's not going to change His mind. The best way to know what He wants, and what is acceptable to Him, is to read His word. Another thing you can expect to come from prayer is comfort and strength when you need it. Prayer is a never-ending source of peace, strength, and security.

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

You can send a private comment to the author. Others will not see it.