16. March 2025
Praying to God
Do you ask yourself, how do I pray…
When I earnestly began my Christian walking, I was confused with “how to pray.” I did not know “what to pray for” or what was the correct method to pray.
I grew up in a small small town Methodist Church. There, “praying” was usually reciting text from the Methodist Hymnal or the pastor’s prayer that lasted several minutes. I am not good at all about thinking of things to say when under pressure. Therefore, as I began my walk with God as an adult, I was quite nervous about praying the “right” way to God. However, after reading and researching, I came to realize that “praying” needs to be nothing more than having a conversation with God. Much like you would have a conversation with your parents or a spouse. Prayers can be more elaborate, such as some of the prayers in the Bible or given by pastors. However, God does not have a “requirement” for prayers to be elaborate or of a certain length. Prayers can even be simple one-line statements, such as “God, you are good.”
If you do not know where to begin, I would highly recommend reading Max Ludo before amen, The Power of a Simple Pray
It breaks prayer down to its simplest form with the “Pocket Prayer.”
The bottom line is that praying is about your relationship with God and being honest with your feelings with God. Keep in mind…
(Matthew 6:8 ESV) …for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Also be aware of praying just for the sake of praying, or to look good in front of others. God wants a relationship with you not with a robot.
(Matthew 6:6-7 ESV) 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. “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.
Of course a great example of how to pray is found in the prayer that Jesus taught his desciples to pray… The Lords Prayer
The key points of pray is to -
• Be Humble
• Give God Praise
• Ask that God’s Will be done
• Ask for God’s forgiveness
• Ask God for what you need
• Ask for God’s protection
Keep in mind that God knows what you need before you even know or realize what you need. So, praying is not about informing God what you need; it is the act of humbling yourself and coming to God with the understanding that only he is in control.
Also, just because you do not get what you asked for in a prayer does not mean that it was an “unanswered prayer.” Sometimes God’s answer to your prayer is “no” or “not now.” What you pray for must be in alignment with God’s will. Praying is not a method to bend God’s will to meet your desires. God is not a magic genie that we rub a lamp and get what we want. God knows what is best for us.
Below is some additional Information on praying to God -
• In this video Charles Stanley talks about “A Life Changin Prayer”
• Here is a sermon from Jack Graham regarding “How to Pray Effectively”
• Here is an excellent six-part audio series from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemut on the Lords Prayer.