What is Prayer?
We pray to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. Prayer is how we communicate with God allowing us to connect with Him deeply. All throughout the Bible, believers pray, seeking help from the Lord. Some prayers are made in a structured form, sitting at an altar, hands crossed, and head bowed. Other prayers have a variety of forms. Maybe you're going for a walk, praying as you go, laying in bed, driving to work, or just hanging out holding open the Bible. Whether our prayer is formal or informal, big or small, serious or silly, it builds our relationship with God.
How To Pray
If you haven't prayed before, it may seem like a huge leap of faith to start. God hears us when we pray. As mentioned above, prayer can be formal or informal. It depends on how God convicts you to pray. However, no matter how we pray, we must be sincere in our hearts and do it honorably. Some people pray before they eat, and some before they go to bed. Prayer can also be spontaneous at very random times. Sometimes people stop doing everything and clear their heads, while other times, they pray alongside doing something. It depends on the severity of the prayer. Prayer is a great time to also talk to God like a friend. Some people hold their hands in the air, others clasp them together, and some hold onto the pews. Scripture doesn't really have a definitive answer to how people pray. The most common structure is heads bowed and hands clasped. It is important to pray by following the Holy Spirits' lead and ensuring it comes from your heart.
Some people only pray once a day, but we should strive to do it much more often. We can never pray too much! Here, scripture is more specific on how often we should pray. Thessalonians tells us to "pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV). Colossians emphasizes devotion "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (Colossians 4:2 NIV). John Tells us to remain in Jesus, not to visit Him occasionally. "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7 NIV). Scripture definitely tells us to pray more than just once. It should be multiple times a day. Even if it is something short and simple, it includes God within our daily lives.
When Christians pray, it brings on blessings and help from the Lord. But that does not mean every prayer is answered. God knows infinitely more than we do, so it is not for us to be mad if our prayer isn't answered right away or ever at all. The Bible provides us with a brief warning in James, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3 NIV). We do receive help when we pray since, at times, we may not know what to pray for. The Holy Spirit, who resides in born-again Christians, intercedes on our behalf to the Father with our prayers. Romans explains, "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" (Romans 8:26 NIV).
As you learn more from the Bible and get more mature in your faith, your prayers will become more solid. One of the best scripture for prayer is from 1 John, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14 NIV). Prayer is not about your worldly ambitions, as warned about in James 4:3 mentioned above but about spiritual guidance. Sure, prayer can be helpful in times of lust and sin, as mentioned in Matthew, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41 NIV). That is to keep our spirits pure for God. However, we are not supposed to pray for a new fancy car or big-screen tv.
Matthew 6:5-14
Who better to learn how to pray than from Jesus Himself? In Matthew chapter 6, verses 5-14, Jesus explains to the disciples how to pray. He first starts with a warning. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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." (Matthew 6:5-6) This warning follows a scene in many other parts of Jesus' teaching about hypocrisy. Too often, people have done things in public to gain attention, appeal, and status. In the case of prayer, this is also true. We are not called to pray to make ourselves look better. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8) This does not mean we can’t pray and talk to God in a friendly, informal manner. Many times other believers and I go on long informal prayers with God, just talking about life. In our hearts, we are not seeking recognition for our long prayer from God but simply loving Him so much that we are speaking as friends. We are not praying long prayers to show our better devotion and higher status than those who pray short prayers. Rather, we feel so close to God that we can feel Him right next to us as if visiting a beloved friend. It is about the condition of your heart and how much love you put into your prayer. I used the NIV scripture here for consistency through the website, yet I believe the King James Version used better wording for this verse. “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7 KJV) This translation agrees with the NIV about people’s status for saying long prayers, making them feel better than others. It also highlights what I feel is very important about repetitive prayers. Good examples are the Catholic prayers of the Rosary. Saying Hail Marys may not at a glance seem wrong, but in turn, it is idolatrous worship of Jesus’ mother, Mary. This is where the repetitive prayers' dark side shows. Many of these prayers follow the wrong theology, damning principles, and idolatrous worship and provide false works-based salvation.
Following the quick warnings, Jesus then teaches the disciples how to pray. “This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13) This prayer really packs a lot! Touching bases on bringing God’s will, taking care of our needs, forgiving us, and protecting us. This is not the only prayer that believers are taught to pray, but it does fulfill many of the important needs of believers. When analyzing this short prayer, the simplicity of it turns complex. When looking at the broader scope of things, these are not only the basic needs of a Christian, but they are essential to our lives. Returning to repetitive prayers, this prayer touches all the right bases for what a Christian should search for. However, this prayer should not be prayed repeatedly just because, nor should it be your only prayer. It was given as an example of what you should be seeking through your prayer life. Again everything to do with Christianity is what God will find when He searches your heart. Were you praying simply because you had to, or were you praying because you wanted to?
Praying comes from our love for Christ. It is meant to be a meaningful time for us to connect with God. Not only for us to ask things of Him but to thank Him for what He has done for us and for others. Prayer can also be done in the communion of others. Not so much as to “fit in” with others, but group prayers are extremely powerful. Matthew 18:20 emphasizes this point by saying, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (NIV). It is up to each individual in the group to be sincere and pure in their prayers.