I titled this post and the previous one “Talking with God” because prayer really is a conversation with God. It is one of the many privileges that followers of Christ have. In addition to The Lord’s Prayer, we can speak with God in detail about everything we are dealing with. There are various types of prayer, but prayers of petition are the most common and it is what I will cover here based on my journey. I am learning so much and look forward to growing even more in my prayer life.
Although prayer is a big topic, the actual “How to” is quite simple. I start by addressing God with the words “Father God” and then I praise and thank Him for everything that He has blessed me with, and for how good He is to me. Nothing is too big or too small. I thanked God recently for the fact that I do not have allergies that keep me congested or cause perfume to irritate me. It may seem silly, but I smelled a fragrance that I love and was having a moment where I just felt extremely thankful that I could enjoy it.
After thanking God, I ask Him to forgive me for my sins and to use me to be a blessing to others. Then I ask Him to meet specific needs for others and myself. I speak to God with reverence as my Father, but I talk the same way I would any other time. In my earlier post, I explained that we do not need to be in a certain posture or position to pray. It is not a performance. We can be ourselves and talk with God like we are talking to a friend. Whether you are enjoying some quiet time at home, driving, or out for a walk, it does not matter. Talk with Him authentically about everything. He already knows what is in our hearts.
After I have made my requests known, I end by thanking Him for hearing and answering my prayers. I close with the words, “In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
There are a few things that I think are important for me to share about my journey with prayer. As a follower of Christ, I believe in one God who exists eternally in three Persons. There is God, our unseen Father in Heaven, Jesus the Son of God which is God who came to earth in human form, and the Holy Spirit which is the unseen Spirit of God that lives within us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. I only pray to God the Father. I do not pray to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, angels, or anyone else. I end my prayers in Jesus’ name based on the instructions from God’s Word. I do talk to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, usually situationally when I say things such as “Thank you, Jesus” or “Please guide me, Holy Spirit.”
There are several scriptures about prayer, but I will share three of them that help explain why I only pray to God the Father. In Matthew 6:6 (NIV) where Jesus gave us instructions on how to pray, He said “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” In John 14:13-14 (KJV) Jesus says “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) says “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” I have provided more information on my Resources page to help if you are interested in researching more.
One of the biggest things I was confused about concerning prayer was whether to pray persistently about something or to pray only once about it. I did not feel at peace about the repetition of some of my prayer requests. I have heard sermons from both perspectives over the years, and after having a prayer list that just seemed to get longer and longer, I felt like I needed to learn more.
The reason for the confusion for me was that there are so many scriptures about prayer. Some seem to support praying only once, while others specifically speak of persistence. For example, Jesus told us to pray and not give up in “The Parable of the Persistent Widow” in Luke 18:1-8. I finally did what I should have done in the first place. I talked to God about it.
The answer that I received from God was so simple. If I pray once about something and I have truly prayed in faith and believe that it is done, I do not need to pray about it again. If I pray about something and it continues to bother me, I have not truly let go so that I can let God work it out. I pray about it again, but I also ask God to help me release the doubt that is causing me to continue to hold on to what I am praying for. A friend told me to “Walk in the already done.” That was great advice. In John 15:7 Jesus says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” I am all in, abiding fully in Christ. That means I can expect my prayers to be answered. It is already done.
As I mentioned before, prayer is a big topic and there is so much to learn about praying according to God’s will, being specific, and praying boldly. If you do not feel you have victory in your prayer life, there may be more to learn and do. Actually, there is always more for us to learn and do. You may find that you have been asking too small. Talk to God about it. He loves to hear from you and will be more than happy to show you The Way.
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