Prayer is one of the most important aspects of Christianity. For those raised in a praying house or who have been praying for years, prayer comes easy. But when you are starting from square one, starting to pray can be hard. And that’s completely understandable.
Prayer does fill awkward at first. Your flesh does not like it. Plus you feel weird because on the surface it seems like you are talking to yourself (which is not true at all, God is listening). On top of that, it’s hard to know when you should pray or even how long you are supposed to say. Then you have to answer the question of what should I even be praying for?
Why Pray
Before you can learn how to pray you must understand why we do it. The simplest answer is of course because the Bible tells us to.
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
From the Old Testament to the New we are exposed to the act of prayer. Whether it just records a prayer, teaches the reader how to pray, or just simply mentions prayer. The Bible time and time again call the reader’s attention to the act of praying.
By far the best reason to pray is that God hears the prayers of His people. God loves and cares about His creation so when we take the time to talk with Him, He takes the time to listen.
1 John 5:14 (ESV)
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
By the way, that is exactly what prayer is, direct communication with your creator. You can’t really find something better to do with your time then talk with the one who made you.
When to pray
Knowing when you should pray is often very hard to figure out. Step one is to realize that you need to pray daily, not just when things get hard or when it is convenient. Prayer is like taking a vitamin. When done right it can keep the bad times at bay or at least weaken their force when they do come.
Once you see the need for daily prayer though you must figure what time of day to pray. The best example we have to live by is Jesus Christ. He would often pray early in the morning by Himself.
Mark 1:35 (ESV)
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Praying early the morning is great and something many people choose to do. If you are able to rise early and start your day in prayer we highly recommend that you do.
However, if that does not work for your lifestyle the Bible never says you must pray a certain time a day. The Bible is more concerned with the fact that you actually pray. In fact, Paul says we should always be praying.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
17 pray without ceasing,
Ultimately the timing of your prayer is not as important as the fact that you’re spending time in prayer daily. And be sure to pray any time throughout your day. Bring any need to God at any time. He should be the first place we go no matter the problem.
What to Pray
Figuring out what to pray can be just as hard as finding the time to pray. Thankfully the Bible is full of great examples of powerful prayer. Plus it holds many verses we can include in our prayers. We actually have another article that offers five scriptures everyone should add to their prayer life that you can read here.
A great place to start is with the example of prayer that Jesus Himself laid out for us. He was asked by His disciples to teach them how to pray. Jesus replied with a prayer that is great to pray simply as it is or to use as a template for your own prayer.
Luke 11:1-4
1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
In that one short prayer, you are giving honor to God, asking for His will to be done, making a request for provision, repenting of sin, and asking God to lead you away from sin. Of course, you can expound in any area you fill necessary.
Since your prayer is your own you can add elements that are not mentioned in the Lord’s prayer. Like praying for the needs of others, for the Gospel to be spread, wisdom, healing or anything else you believe is worthy of prayer.
When it comes down to what you should pray the best advance one can give is to not focus all your prayer on yourself. The Bible teaches Christians to pray for the needs of others. Even those you do not like or possibly have never met. As God’s children, we are called to live a selfless lifestyle and that includes our prayers.
What Not to Do
Not only is the Bible full of examples of how we are to pray. It also has a few examples that teach us how not to pray. We are instructed in Matthew to not pray loudly in public for the purpose of being seen by others. That does not mean we should never pray in front of others. But that we should pray to speak to God not so others view as very religious.
Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV)
5 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
In another area, we are told not to pray long meanless prayers believing that the longer we pray the more likely we are to have our prayers answered. Long prayer is great and often very needed but only when it is sincere. God already knows what you have need of. Prayer is the act that shows you trust in God to provide.
Matthew 6:7-8 (ESV)
7 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Put it all Together
Believe it or not, that really is all it takes to start a successful prayer life. Honestly, the hardest part is just making prayer a daily part of your life. But if you just push through the first little bit you will soon be able to pray like its nothing. And before you know it you will be praying for long stretches of time without even realizing it. Doing this will cause noticeable changes in your daily life.
Hopefully, this article has helped you understand how to pray or even pray better. If you have found it helpful we ask that you please share it with someone else. Your shares are the best way for us to reach new audiences. Thanks in advance and God Bless!
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