How to begin to pray
How to begin to pray
Prayer can sometimes be the most difficult thing a Christian does, we hope this short guide will help
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Philippians 4:6
Introduction
Many people find prayer one of the most difficult of Christian activities - and yet praying is crucial to interpreting scripture into our daily lives and ensuring that we understand God.
At all times prayer should go hand-in-hand with regular Bible study – in the Old Testament alone there are 85 written prayers and 74 of the Psalms reproduce prayers or part of prayers.
This sheet is by no means exhaustive. There are many issues we* haven't been able to cover in depth. The key thing we want to pass on is the importance of prayer. This sheet will only be usable with an open or on line Bible. All quotes are from the NIV, but different interpretations of the Bible will have a similar text (www.biblegateway.com
is a helpful resource).
Just four simple questions:
Do you find time to pray on your own?
Do you pray together as a family?
Do you pray each day with your children?
Do you pray with close friends from your church?
If the answer is "no" to any of these questions then we hope this sheet will provide some encouragement.
Three steps to prayer
STEP 1: Find a time and place which will be as free from distractions as possible. Pray every day, especially when you don't feel like it and things are hectic.
STEP 2: Have a clean conscience before God. Through the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross we can come close to God - but we still need to confess any wrong we have done on a daily basis.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9
STEP 3: Pray for God to help and guide you in your praying. When you feel your prayers are "bouncing off the ceiling", tell God how you feel and ask His help.
"...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." Romans 8:26
Is prayer a natural activity?
Many believers make the mistake of thinking that prayer is a natural activity which should come easily to them. This is not so. We worship "in spirit" and prayer is an unnatural or "super natural" activity.
"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth."
John 4:24
"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh"
Philippians 3:3
Supernatural activity means supernatural opposition
We should not be surprised when our efforts to pray "in spirit" meet difficulties. Paul warns us:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
Does God hear every prayer?
Not unless we approach Him in full repentance.
"When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood."
Isaiah 1:15, see also Isaiah 59:2,3
Are we praying to God or Jesus?
This often causes confusion but is crucial to our understanding of God and His relationship with His son. Jesus is doing two things in heaven which are crucial to our prayers:
1. Jesus speaks to God on our behalf - he "intercedes". He hears our prayers and takes them to His father.
"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who was raised to life— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."
Romans 8:34
"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Hebrews 7:25
2 Jesus pours out God's gift of the Holy Spirit on His people. Jesus is not the long dead representative or spokesman of a distant God. Through the Holy Spirit He is alive and active in today's world.
God promised Jesus the gift of the Holy Spirit for His followers on earth. Jesus pours this gift over us:
"I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
Luke 24:49
"For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit."
Acts 1:5
"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear."
Acts 2:32,33
Be bold in asking for the Holy Spirit
Don't be afraid to simply ask God, through Jesus, to help you pray "in the spirit". We are promised:
"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Luke 11:13
Be tenacious
Take care not to loose heart. Keep praying, especially when you don't feel like it - discouragement is a weapon often used against God's people.
"....always pray and not give up."
Luke 18:1
"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?" Luke 18:7
Be constant
Keep praying, even in the most unlikely circumstances or at the most unlikely times. Always be ready to face temptations or to take advantage of opportunities.
"Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come."
Mark 13:33
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Mark 14:38
Be humble and penitent
Never think yourself better than others, especially because you pray.
"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:14
Be charitable towards others
Other people can be annoying, bully us, hurt us or take advantage. Jesus makes it clear that we should have forgiveness in our hearts as we pray for others, especially those we find unlovable.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Matthew 18:35
Love your enemies
.......and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:44
Be simple
There are no special words or language to use when speaking to God through Jesus. God is more interested in our spiritual well-being rather than our eloquence or the volume of our words.
"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."
Matthew 6:7
Be private
"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
Be united
Not a contradiction from being private. Find others you can really trust to pray and talk things over with. Look for ordinary believers just like you.
Take seriously the promise of Jesus:
"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:19
Be expectant
God is with us even in the most difficult circumstances. He wants us to bring Him the problems which seem to have no end and no known solution to us. So when we pray we should expect God to respond, not necessarily is the way we want, but we should expect.
"...whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23
Be still
Sometimes God wants us to simply listen to His voice. We shouldn't be afraid of silence.
"Be still, and know that I am God"
Psalm 46:10
* This sheet was originally compiled by David and Claire, both Methodist Local Preachers in the Birmingham West and Oldbury Circuit, to help members of their congregations learn more about prayer from the Bible
First published online 2008 ©David Hallam
