What Is Prayer?
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Prayer is communication between God and us
Simply put, prayer is the way in which we are able to communicate with God. This is the simplest and most basic way to describe what prayer is. Just like any good relationship, there needs to be communication. God wants us to talk with Him even when we feel like we can’t or when we come to Him with tons of requests.
But it is important to remember that we don’t have to come to Him with requests and words. Prayers can be in many forms that include our thoughts and feelings. He is our heavenly Father and just like any father, God desires to know His children and for His children to know Him in every way.
Prayer is a gift from God
God has given us the way to speak to Him. Not only to speak to Him but speak to Him DIRECTLY. We don’t have to rely on priests, pastors, or any other religious leader in order to let God know how we are doing or to get His direction for us in our lives. We can simply come before Him on our own. This is the gift He has given us. The ability to have that intimate conversation. This is an amazing thing, isn’t it? With billions of people on this planet, God desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us.
This gift of prayer is special because it was not given to us because we deserved or earned it in some way. God gave us prayer out of His love for us. And this gift was not just given to people that follow Him but everyone and anyone, both believing and unbelieving. Doesn’t that tell you how amazing God’s love is?
The power in prayer
God uses our prayers to show us more of who he is. He uses prayer to work in our lives and the lives of others. While there are many reasons that we should pray, there are 2 primary principles.
The first is to unleashe the power of God. Just one example from the Bible comes from the book of Luke. There was a man named Zechariah who prayed for a child of his own and his prayer was answered. It is quite an amazing story because the child that was born to Zechariah was John the Baptist. (Read the full details in Luke 1:5-15)
The other purpose in prayer is to change our hearts and for us to grow in our relationship with Him. As you pray, you will find that your heart will change. The desire to know Him will increase. Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. Remember, prayer is the way we communicate with God. So the more you pray the better you will be able to talk with God. You will begin to understand more of what He is trying to do in your life and how to deepen your relationship with Him.
Is Your View of God Hindering Your Prayer Life?
Home > Prayer > Is Your View of god Hindering Your Prayer?
I hear it way to often. Excuse after excuse as to why people don’t pray more. I even use them myself from time to time…”Not enough time”…”I don’t know what to pray”…”I don’t see answers to my prayers”… “The things I pray for aren’t important enough”…You can add your own excuses here as well. Are these the real reasons that we don’t pray the way we should or as often as we should? Or is there something deeper that we need to examine?
If you truly want to have an effective prayer life you need to look at the way in which you view God. I truly believe that the way in which we think about God, and our perception of Him, affects the way in which we pray to Him. If we believe that He is the God of mercy and grace…if He is the God who sent His only son to take our sins, our prayers should reflect that. If we believe that God doesn’t hear our prayers or answer them, then, of course, we will make excuses not to pray. So we see that having an effective and powerful prayer life has to start with our view of God.
Probably the greatest misconception of God and the greatest reason our prayer life may be so ineffective is that we believe we only need to come to Him in prayer when we want to ask Him for something. We basically reduce God to someone like Santa Claus. All He is there for is to fulfill our list of requests. This is not to say that we can’t go before Him with our requests and petitions but too often this is the only time we spend with God in prayer. Then, also, when we don’t get what we want, we get angry or frustrated and say to ourselves, “What’s the point in praying if God isn’t going to answer my prayers?”
There is so much to God that we miss out on when we pray like this. If you truly want to know who God is then you have to get to know Him not by asking for things but learning about who He is. This is the God who took nothing and created the whole universe. This is the same God who took the time to make each and every one of us special and unique.
We need to be able to see the majesty of God as the creator of the universe and of everything in it. When we begin to see the awesomeness of God, we begin to put into perspective our life in relation to that awesomeness. We are no longer alone and hopeless but instead, we are free and joyful because of who He is.
I guarantee you that if you pray with your whole heart and try to see God for who he is instead of what He can give you; He will change your heart. You will begin to see God in a whole new way. You will see God not as a wish granter but, instead, a joy giver. Then you will see your prayer life soar. Not because of your prayers but because of the one you are praying to.
7 Ways To Revitalize Prayer
Home > Prayer > 7 Ways To Revitalize Prayer
Has your prayer been a bit stale lately? It happens even to the best prayer warriors. From time to time it may be necessary to break from our regular prayer routine and try something new. Here are seven ideas to revitalize your prayer life and time with God.
1. Incorporate Praise
Praise is a great way to prepare the heart to pray. If you know how to play an instrument like the guitar, you can use your talent to get the heart ready to pray or even to pray while you are playing.
Another praise method is to simply play music as you pray. It could be just an instrumental CD, a favorit Christian group, or even hymns. Just listening to music can invoke heart felt prayers.
2. Pray the Bible
When guidance or ideas are needed for prayer there is no better place to go to than the Bible. Use it to get inspired or to find things that you may be looking to pray for. What better way to pray than with the Word of God?
3. Prayer Journal
Prayer journals are a great way to remember your times with God. They work just like a diary. You can look back on dates for specific prayers that you made and the answers you received for them. If you have never kept a prayer journal before, then this may be just what is needed to revitalize prayer.
4. Write A Letter to God
Just being able to write a letter to God as if we were writing to someone who is not with us at the moment can create a sense of intimacy. Writing a letter allows you to gather your thoughts and take your time on what you want to say to God.
5. Take A Prayer Walk
What better way to get in touch with God than praying while enjoying His creation? Try getting up early in the morning and take a walk around the block praying over all that you see that God has done. If you are lucky to live near a forest or lake, you can spend some quality time enjoying the view and praising God for it.
6. Pray With Someone
If you know someone who you admire as having a deep prayer life, why not ask to pray with them? People of prayer always enjoy praying with others to share in concerns or just to praise God. The person you pray with might have a perspective or style that you never thought about and would like to incorporate into your own prayer life.
7. Fasting
Traditionally fasting means to go without food for a period of time. The purpose of fasting is to spend time with God trying to get closer to Him in prayer and in study of the Bible. These days people have expanded fasting to include other things that might be a hindrance to their relationship with God. An example would be giving up something you may enjoy like playing golf. You decide to fast for a year in order to use the time you would normally spend golfing and instead use that time to be with God.
By no means is this a comprehensive list of ways to revitalize prayer. This is simply suggestions on how to get over a dry spell when you pray. Prayer is dynamic and will change as our relationship with God deepens. Don’t be discouraged if you feel seperated from God but instead continue to pray consistently and persistently and always in trust to the Lord that He hears your prayers.
Different Types of Prayer
Home > Prayer > Different Types of Prayer
This is just a brief introduction to the different ways that we can pray to God. Prayer doesn’t have to be the same way every time and should actually be dynamic. Just as our conversations with people varies depending on the content of the conversation, prayers to God are the same way.
Petition
The prayer of petition is the most basic type of prayer. Simply put, prayers of petition are most often prayers that we make to God on our own behalf. Most Christian learn this type of prayer early in their faith.
Intercession
The dictionary definition describes intercession as pleading on the behalf of another. This type of prayer usually comes from a strong desire from within the person to come before God over a situation or person that is in need.
Adoration
Another name for adoration is praise. Prayers of adoration are ones where God is honored through exaltation of who He is. This is THE most important type of prayer. There are two reasons why it is most important. First, it puts things into perspective. It shows us who God is and the ‘bigger picture’ of life. Secondly, adoration allows us to get to know God more intimately. We can see God and it helps us develop and deepen our relationship with Him.
Thanksgiving
Often, thanksgiving is confused with adoration in prayers. There is a difference. When prayers are given in thanksgiving, we acknowledge the things that God has done in our lives. Whether we know it or not, He does send blessings and things that we could be and should be thankful for.
Healing
Healing is just like it sounds. Prayers of healing are times when we ask God for His divine intervention for someone who is ill, in need of medical attention, or suffering from another physical or psychological ailment.
Confession
Prayers of confession are times when we confess to God things that we have done that we know displease God. By confessing our sins, we stay in an intimate relationship with God. It also keeps us humble.