WHAT IS PRAYER?

TALKING TO GOD

Prayer is spiritual communication between man and God, a two-way relationship in which man should not only talk to God but also listen to Him. Prayer to God is like a child’s conversation with his father. It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things he needs.

There are many promises in God’s Word to encourage us to pray, such as: “He shall call upon me and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him” (Psalm 91:15); “And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24); “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). The Scriptures tell us that we are to pray for one another and also assure us that God hears and answers prayer.

When you receive Christ into your heart, you become a child of God and have the privilege of talking to Him in prayer at any time about anything. The Christian life is a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ. And best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity.

WHEN YOU PRAY:

Talk to God about your needs

Matthew 7:7 says that we should always ask God about our needs. John 15:7 and Philippians 4:6-7 talk about bringing your needs to God. If He can take care of the birds, He can take care of our needs.

Ask Him for forgiveness

1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, God will forgive our sins. In your prayer time, ask God to forgive you where you messed up. Ask Him for strength. Even though you are a Christian, you will probably still sin. You need to confess sin to God.

Listen for His response

Nobody likes a one-way conversation. In fact, one person talking is not a conversation. When you talk to God, give Him a chance to answer you. He may not speak with an audible voice or write letters on your wall, but He will answer you if you are listening and walking with Him.

Keep it going

I Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray all the time. You don’t have to be in church with your eyes closed to pray. You can pray in your heart to God wherever you are.

Invest some time in other people

God is not Santa Claus! If all you ever do is give God a shopping list of your needs, then you are being selfish in your prayers. Pray for others. Pray for your church. Pray for those who don’t know God. Pray for your family.

Never quit being thankful

Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude to God for specific things. When God answers a prayer, thank Him. Thank Him for spiritual blessings, people, gifts, etc. You can thank God not only for what He has done, but for who He is. Get alone somewhere. Part of your daily time with God should be reading His Word and talking to Him. You probably can’t do that with too many distractions, so get alone somewhere and begin spending time with God.