When I Pray
Prayer is essential to one’s walk with Christ. Through prayer, one can receive instruction from God, as well as make their requests known unto God. Prayer is also a way to vent to God about the trials and tribulations going on in one’s life.
But, Kay, how do I pray?
It’s easy; simply, talk to God.
When you visit church or hang around people who have been in church all of their life, you may feel inadequate to pray. You may feel like you aren’t using big enough words. You aren’t using correct titles when referring to God. You may not even know exactly what to pray for. Let me tell you, God doesn’t care about the use of big words or if you call Him every title that He has. What God cares about is having a conversation with YOU.
God is God of all people, which means He understands and can communicate with people who speak Chinese, Italian, Greek and even American slang. Moreover, He is the one who created you, meaning He knows what you think, how you think and why you act the way that you do. He is your best friend even if you don’t recognize Him as your best friend. There should be no reason why you should be intimidated to talk to Him.
When you think about prayer, think about having a conversation with your best friend. Sometimes, I begin my prayers with, “Hey best friend.” Additionally, there is no appropriate length to prayer. It can be as short as “Father, please give me strength” or it can be as long as that prayer given to bless the food on Thanksgiving. You can also pray at any time. You can pray at home, at work, at a restaurant or at a friend’s birthday party. (If you ever see me out in public with my eyes closed, I’m praying lol.) He’s always available to talk!
If you need help with formulating a prayer, you can also look at the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, KJV):
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
In this prayer, we recognize God for who He is; praise Him; ask Him for His will on our lives; ask Him to meet our needs; ask Him for forgiveness and to help us forgive others and ask for protection from evil.
Sometimes, I start my prayer with the Lord’s prayer, then thank Him for all He has done for me and then pray for loved ones individually. But, it’s ultimately up to you and your comfort level of how you pray to God.
Remember, there is no wrong way to talk to God; just start a conversation.
