How to pray

[Dianna]

When we pray does it matter how it comes out? I remember being in church and the Pastor or other members of the church would get up to pray and it was the most beautiful thing ever heard. When I go to pray I feel like I sound like an idiot basically. Does it matter how the prayer or said, or is it about intention and sencerity? Is it good to find scripture that speaks to you and read that as a prayer?

Dianna

[DawnTillery]

There is the Lords Prayer.
I feel your prayers should come from the Heart and we should have a prayer upon our Heart at all times (1 Thessalonian 5:17), and I don't think it matters what you say. Sometimes my prayers become more of a conversation for me, because I really need to talk..
I am about to do a lesson on this and this is what I discovered for a basic prayer
Greet and Praise (Heavenly Father - Praise Him for what He has done for you, others etc)
Needs (What is needed) -- I always ask for spritual strength for everyone
Forgiveness
Obedience -
Closure - In Jesus name - Amen
I hope this helps

[Dianna]

Thank you, that does help :) I appreciate it.

Dianna

[alextg55]

i felt like that too but then i realised that god doesnt want to hear big fancy prayers he wants to hear your words.

[Radagast]

Romans 8:26-27:

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 with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
-- Radagast

[Dianna]

i felt like that too but then i realised that god doesnt want to hear big fancy prayers he wants to hear your words.


Yes I am starting to see it is not as much about how it is said, but what the feeling and intention are. I know he is listening no matter what words I say.

Dianna

[Radagast]

... I know he is listening no matter what words I say...
And even when you say no words at all!

-- Radagast

[Dianna]

And even when you say no words at all!

-- Radagast

Yes very true. What an amazing God we have!!!


Dianna

[salvationwriter17]

God already knows what we will ask before we ask, so it doesn't really matter how it comes out. Sometimes all we have to do is ask. "Ask and it shall be given unto you"

[Dianna]

God already knows what we will ask before we ask, so it doesn't really matter how it comes out. Sometimes all we have to do is ask. "Ask and it shall be given unto you"

That is very good to remember "Ask and it shall be given unto to"

Thank you

Dianna

[KingdomScribe]

What wonderful counsel is being given on this thread!

I have a joke. (A good one!)

A brand new Christian was standing with three older ministers. The three men were arguing about the right "posture" for prayer.

The first was saying, "The great Apostle Paul said that men everywhere should pray with hands lifted up!"

The second disagreed, saying, "We must pray on bended knee -- showing humility in our hearts!"

The third countered with, "But Jesus Himself went into His 'closet' and prayed in secret where none but His Father saw!"

The new Christian stood there, really confused. But then remembering something, he interrupted and said, "Hold it, guys! I gotta tell you that the best praying I ever did in my whole life was when I'd fallen in and was hanging by my ankle, upside in the well!"

We gotta keep prayer simple.

Here's a simple question for anyone who wants to learn how to pray.

Why do you want to pray?

This is a very important question!

If you want to learn how to pray because someone told you "need to pray" -- don't even bother.

And if you think you need to learn "how" to pray because "God wants you to "pray" and will be unhappy if you don't -- don't even bother.

And even when you have the Lord's Prayer -- don't think that by repeating it frequently you'll somehow "please" God. No -- praying that Prayer with true understanding is one thing -- but simply memorizing it and repeating it "by rote" is condemned by Jesus! He said that men should not think that they'll be "heard" by God by "vain repetition"...that is, the simple thoughtless repetition of prayers.

Here's a picture of why you shouldn't even bother to "pray" if it's any of these three kinds of "prayer":

The Bible likens our relation to God as a Bride to her Groom (Jesus is the Groom -- we're the Bride.) In other words -- His Love for us is like the Romance between a Bride and Groom.

Let's say you have a spouse. And you sit down at the table every morning and say, "My Spouse, on the Other side of the Table, Your Name is precious to me!"

(I mean, every morning!) And you go on, "I want to do your will in our house, just as if Heaven were doing it for you! Please -- pass the salt & pepper, and forgive me my offenses against you just like I forgive my offenses against others..."
Don't you think, after about the fiftieth morning when you sit down and run through that morning "greeting", your spouse is likely to show up with ear-plugs?

If prayer is anything it must be an expression from your heart...intimacy!

And you see how bad it would be if you "talked to your spouse" simply because someone said you "had to" or that if you "talked to him" your spouse "would be pleased"?

Intimacy.

Now -- here's a very practical approach.

Jesus (when He was Tempted in the Wilderness by the Evil One) said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the Mouth of God"!

Look carefully at that sentence. We're to live by what words? By the words "which proceed from the Mouth of God."

Proceed.

There are Words which are proceeding from or leaving the Mouth of God to come to you -- and these Words are the Spiritual Bread of Life!

The Bible was written originally in Greek (there was no English 2,000 years ago!) There are two Greek words in the Bible translated as "word": logos and rhema. (This isn't church doctrine -- this is straight Bible verses.)

logos refers to a teaching, a collection of doctrine, the Bible as a whole... But rhema refers to the spoken or the conversational word. That's why, in this verse, Jesus is saying that we live by every (rhema) "conversational word" -- every word "proceeding out of the Mouth of God" to us.

This means God is talking to us. It means that every day God is talking to us. And that His Words to us (rhema) are Life!

Later, Jesus told His disciples, "My sheep know My Voice," and before His crucifixion, He said, "I no longer call you servants but friends..." He's calling us into intimacy... not simply "obediance"!!!

With all this in mind, here's what true prayer looks like. Let's look at our "married couple" again (remember -- the Bride and Christ?)

You walk in to where your spouse is sitting at the breakfast table. You sit down and sipping your coffee, say, "Ummmmmmm..." He looks at you and asks, "Good coffee?" and you say, "No! I just love looking at you in the morning!" He smiles back and says, "And you know how much I Love you, too." Then he asks, "Did you sleep well?" and you frown, admitting, "You know, something's been disturbing me lately." He waits, and you grudgingly admit, "I can't help but be worried about our son, over there in the war zone." Your spouse nods, and he says, "It'd be different if we could be there beside him to guard him, but Dear, Someone IS right there beside him...He will never fail..." You smile, nodding, drawing the strength of that word into you...because every Word that proceeds out of His Mouth, is the Bread of Life...!"

You see -- true prayer is a conversation! Sometimes it's a conversation between you and your Father, sometimes between you and Jesus your Elder Brother, sometimes between you and the Holy Spirit Who is your Comforter and the One given in order to "lead" you into "all truth"!

There's no "formula" to an intimate conversation!

Last -- at some point, people wonder what God's Voice "sounds like".

Unless God speaks audibly from the heavens (which is pretty rare) then you "hear" God's Voice in your "mind". His Voice is really coming through your spirit, but you "hear" it in your mind.

And what does His Voice sound like?

It sounds like your "voice".

Don't try to "listen" for a different "tone" that's "God's tone"...His Voice sounds like your voice. And they both sound like the Enemy's voice (he can "speak" to us too.)

So, how do you tell the difference between God's Voice, your voice or the Enemy's voice?

By the fruit that comes from that Voice.

If what you "hear" in your thoughts is going to bring evil fruit (division, malicious accusations, contention and quarrelling, lies and deceptions...) then the "voice you're hearing" is the Enemy's.

If the "voice" you're hearing is going to bring selfishly evil fruit (fear and anxiety, increased rationalizations for continued sin, an arrogant despising of others, or leads in a direction that the Bible clearly forbids...) then the "voice you're hearing" is your own, natural (sinful) mind.

But if the Voice you hear ("falling on your ear...") is bringing forth good fruit (like unity, peace, reconciliation, building others up, increased confidence in God and faith, trust, Love toward another...) these are a demonstration that the Voice truly is the Father's Words, "proceeding out of His Mouth..."!

And besides -- you'll always be checking the "voice" you hear, not only against the Scriptures themselves, but with the spiritually mature and safe brothers and sisters the Lord has given you!

Why pray?

Why sit on the living room sofa and talk to your Father? Why sit on a porch swing and talk with your Beloved?

Why? Because having conversations with God is one of the best things this world has to offer! :clap:

KingdomScribe

[Dianna]

What wonderful counsel is being given on this thread!

I have a joke. (A good one!)


A brand new Christian was standing with three older ministers. The three men were arguing about the right "posture" for prayer.


The first was saying, "The great Apostle Paul said that men everywhere should pray with hands lifted up!"

The second disagreed, saying, "We must pray on bended knee -- showing humility in our hearts!"

The third countered with, "But Jesus Himself went into His 'closet' and prayed in secret where none but His Father saw!"

The new Christian stood there, really confused. But then remembering something, he interrupted and said, "Hold it, guys! I gotta tell you that the best praying I ever did in my whole life was when I'd fallen in and was hanging by my ankle, upside in the well!"


We gotta keep prayer simple.

Here's a simple question for anyone who wants to learn how to pray.


Why do you want to pray?

This is a very important question!

If you want to learn how to pray because someone told you "need to pray" -- don't even bother.

And if you think you need to learn "how" to pray because "God wants you to "pray" and will be unhappy if you don't -- don't even bother.

And even when you have the Lord's Prayer -- don't think that by repeating it frequently you'll somehow "please" God. No -- praying that Prayer with true understanding is one thing -- but simply memorizing it and repeating it "by rote" is condemned by Jesus! He said that men should not think that they'll be "heard" by God by "vain repetition"...that is, the simple thoughtless repetition of prayers.

Here's a picture of why you shouldn't even bother to "pray" if it's any of these three kinds of "prayer":


The Bible likens our relation to God as a Bride to her Groom (Jesus is the Groom -- we're the Bride.) In other words -- His Love for us is like the Romance between a Bride and Groom.


Let's say you have a spouse. And you sit down at the table every morning and say, "My Spouse, on the Other side of the Table, Your Name is precious to me!"

(I mean, every morning!) And you go on, "I want to do your will in our house, just as if Heaven were doing it for you! Please -- pass the salt & pepper, and forgive me my offenses against you just like I forgive my offenses against others..."
Don't you think, after about the fiftieth morning when you sit down and run through that morning "greeting", your spouse is likely to show up with ear-plugs?


If prayer is anything it must be an expression from your heart...intimacy!

And you see how bad it would be if you "talked to your spouse" simply because someone said you "had to" or that if you "talked to him" your spouse "would be pleased"?

Intimacy.

Now -- here's a very practical approach.

Jesus (when He was Tempted in the Wilderness by the Evil One) said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the Mouth of God"!

Look carefully at that sentence. We're to live by what words? By the words "which proceed from the Mouth of God."

Proceed.

There are Words which are proceeding from or leaving the Mouth of God to come to you -- and these Words are the Spiritual Bread of Life!

The Bible was written originally in Greek (there was no English 2,000 years ago!) There are two Greek words in the Bible translated as "word": logos and rhema. (This isn't church doctrine -- this is straight Bible verses.)

logos refers to a teaching, a collection of doctrine, the Bible as a whole... But rhema refers to the spoken or the conversational word. That's why, in this verse, Jesus is saying that we live by every (rhema) "conversational word" -- every word "proceeding out of the Mouth of God" to us.

This means God is talking to us. It means that every day God is talking to us. And that His Words to us (rhema) are Life!

Later, Jesus told His disciples, "My sheep know My Voice," and before His crucifixion, He said, "I no longer call you servants but friends..." He's calling us into intimacy... not simply "obediance"!!!

With all this in mind, here's what true prayer looks like. Let's look at our "married couple" again (remember -- the Bride and Christ?)

You walk in to where your spouse is sitting at the breakfast table. You sit down and sipping your coffee, say, "Ummmmmmm..." He looks at you and asks, "Good coffee?" and you say, "No! I just love looking at you in the morning!" He smiles back and says, "And you know how much I Love you, too." Then he asks, "Did you sleep well?" and you frown, admitting, "You know, something's been disturbing me lately." He waits, and you grudgingly admit, "I can't help but be worried about our son, over there in the war zone." Your spouse nods, and he says, "It'd be different if we could be there beside him to guard him, but Dear, Someone IS right there beside him...He will never fail..." You smile, nodding, drawing the strength of that word into you...because every Word that proceeds out of His Mouth, is the Bread of Life...!"

You see -- true prayer is a conversation! Sometimes it's a conversation between you and your Father, sometimes between you and Jesus your Elder Brother, sometimes between you and the Holy Spirit Who is your Comforter and the One given in order to "lead" you into "all truth"!

There's no "formula" to an intimate conversation!

Last -- at some point, people wonder what God's Voice "sounds like".

Unless God speaks audibly from the heavens (which is pretty rare) then you "hear" God's Voice in your "mind". His Voice is really coming through your spirit, but you "hear" it in your mind.

And what does His Voice sound like?

It sounds like your "voice".

Don't try to "listen" for a different "tone" that's "God's tone"...His Voice sounds like your voice. And they both sound like the Enemy's voice (he can "speak" to us too.)


So, how do you tell the difference between God's Voice, your voice or the Enemy's voice?


By the fruit that comes from that Voice.


If what you "hear" in your thoughts is going to bring evil fruit (division, malicious accusations, contention and quarrelling, lies and deceptions...) then the "voice you're hearing" is the Enemy's.

If the "voice" you're hearing is going to bring selfishly evil fruit (fear and anxiety, increased rationalizations for continued sin, an arrogant despising of others, or leads in a direction that the Bible clearly forbids...) then the "voice you're hearing" is your own, natural (sinful) mind.

But if the Voice you hear ("falling on your ear...") is bringing forth good fruit (like unity, peace, reconciliation, building others up, increased confidence in God and faith, trust, Love toward another...) these are a demonstration that the Voice truly is the Father's Words, "proceeding out of His Mouth..."!


And besides -- you'll always be checking the "voice" you hear, not only against the Scriptures themselves, but with the spiritually mature and safe brothers and sisters the Lord has given you!

Why pray?

Why sit on the living room sofa and talk to your Father? Why sit on a porch swing and talk with your Beloved?

Why? Because having conversations with God is one of the best things this world has to offer! :clap:

KingdomScribe

I love what you say about having a conversation with God as being the best thing. My conversations with him over the last few days are better and better. Each time I pray the more I feel close to him, it is an amazing feeling.

Dianna