Heartfelt Prayer

"Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
                                                        -Luke 11:1

This post was supposed to be primarily because one of our followers wanted to hear our thoughts on the topic of "prayer". But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I'm also writing this because it's something I need to think about more often. So writing this makes me think of not just how it might help you, the readers, but how I can better approach our Father in heaven in the most honoring way. Jumping right into this, the first question to prayer that I would like to ask you is "why"? Why do we bother to pray when God already knows what our dreams are, what our thoughts are about, what we desire to have, or even what our pains are before we even experience them? Why do we take some time to talk to Him about things He already is aware of? After searching for the answer, we'll cover the "how" and "when" aspects of praying.

Why do we bother to pray? 
Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Really, it's not any different than talking with each other, except that prayer is on a Spiritual level. When we come to our Father in heaven, we praise Him for Who He is. We offer up thanksgiving to Him and acknowledge that He is the Giver of all that we have. We pray because we are not only told to, but because it's beneficial to us in seeking Christ and having fellowship with Him. We also pray, because we are seeking His will in a certain area(s) of our life and we would like direction (Psalm 40:8). We tend to pray because we want to ask God for healing for a health issue, guidance in making decisions, happy marriages, healthy children, satisfying careers, etc. that we believe are important in our lives (Luke 11:9-13).

Personally on some days, I feel like I'm bothering God by continuously talking to Him throughout the day. From struggling with thoughts to praying for a safe drive home from town, I find myself continually "chatting" with Him every other five minutes...or so it seems. But I've come to realize that He wants me to talk to Him and have a growing relationship. Talking with Him, keeps us on the same page and makes our relationship with Him grow stronger every day.

By praying, we are keeping that line open between Him and ourselves. We might pray for rain to help the crops grow, we might pray dad will get that job to support the family, we might even pray that we'll have a safe trip to the market and back. That's great(!), because we are told to "pray without ceasing" (1Thess. 5:17). Praying for God's protection, guidance, and care are just a few of the general things we may pray for and God loves that communication. Anytime that we open up and share what's on our minds with Him, He is overjoyed to see the commitment His children have in wanting that fellowship.


How should we pray?

In Luke 11:2-4, Jesus tells us how we 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 day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

The first part speaks of how reverent His holy name is and then jumps to His will being accomplished here on earth. Asking God for daily substances to keep us alive, and asking Him to forgive and forget our sins as we [should] do with each other. Then it's a plea for God to keeping us from Satan and the temptations that are abundant in this world. We are to enter into prayer recognizing His holiness and remembering what awesome things that He has done in the past, is doing in the present, and believe that He will do more great things in the future. We are then to be thankful for the blessings that He bestows upon us and our families. In our prayers, we ask that He will extend His merciful hand upon us and forgive us. Also that we will forgive those who have wronged us. For if we cannot forgive our fellow brothers and sisters, how then can we expect a perfect God to forgive us when we fall (Matt. 6:15)? Jesus also tells us to pray for deliverance from the evil schemes of the devil. God will protect us from him; but in a world owned by Satan, we cannot expect to go far without seeing his handiwork.

To be honest, I've often wondered how to best pray. Do I need to talk to God as if He were my Master or Father? As both. Just like with our parents, we can usually speak to them respectfully, but also as good friends. I know that I can talk to God on a comfortable level. I don't have to get all stressed out, because I'm imperfect and may say things in a "clumsy" manner. God knows that I make mistakes and that's okay. He still listens. Just as He listens to you when you truly desire to have a "one-on-one" with Him.

It doesn't matter if we're excellent orators or if we stutter a lot. It doesn't matter if our prayers are five minutes or three hours long. The only thing we need to do is approach Him in a sincere and honoring way. He won't put cotton in His ears when we start to speak to Him from our hearts.

When can we pray to God?

We can pray at any time and in any place. God is omnipresent and can hear us whether we are on top of Mount Everest or in an underground cave.

Yeah, I've often wondered where I should pray and make that my "quiet place". Do I have to enter prayer on bended knee and folded hands or can I be doing dishes and talk with Him? I believe that in any situation, no matter where we are, no matter what day of the year, we can lift up our voices and He will hear us. The quote that says: "God can hear the smallest voice" may sound familiar to you. Whether you're talking out loud, whispering, or praying silently within, no word you say will be missed by Him. God hears each and every thought you think and knows exactly what you mean to say--even if it's hard to find the words.

But if you're like me, you find it hard to find a quiet time with jobs, school, social networking, and other activities being such demanding parts of your life. I'd like to raise a tough question though. Can you prioritize things, so that God is #1 and all the other activities take 2nd place? When we really think about it, though these things are a big part of our day-to-day schedules right now, they don't amount to anything in our relationship with Christ.

Personally, I've re-evaluated my schedule time and time again. It's super hard! But if we really want to stay on the same page with God and "keep the line open", we will need to set aside a certain time to talk and listen to Him. Even when we're busy, it's great if we talk with Him on the go, too. Though you may find (or have found) it harder to concentrate if your mind is going in a million different directions. However, we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). If we multi-task, it's harder to focus our energy on Him and find it much easier to just keep working on the present project--which will most likely "drown Him out". Like in the middle of a test, I sometimes find more peace if I can just break for a couple of seconds to just ask for God's help. As I said earlier, God doesn't put a word count on prayers.

As another personal note, I find mornings to work best for a prayer/devotional time. At night, I tend to be studying/working/watching a TV show; so mornings work the best. Plus, I feel that I'm starting the day out right. :) Of course, go with what works best for you. We all have different opinions and we might all discover that certain routines work better for us than they do for others. I encourage you to look for the best schedule that works for you and to stick with it as best as you can!


I hope that you are encouraged and are able to (if you have not already) find a time to spend with God in prayer. Remember that God doesn't expect a perfect, well-rehearsed, six-hour, bedside prayer. He just wants you to be open and honest, no matter where you are.

Psalm 5:2, "Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to You I will pray."

Sister in Christ,
Anna