Episode 5 (2/14/2020)
The New Christian Podcast
Title: How to Pray Effectively
1.
Greetings
There have been many hundreds of book written on
effective prayer and how to pray but I want to give you the best advice and a
step by step beginning to grow in your prayer life.
I’m a wanna-be prayer warrior. I long to grow a deeper
prayer life, but I have a secret struggle with boredom. I know prayer carries
power and changes lives. But when I sit down to pray, I find it hard to focus.
After three minutes, my mind travels back to the last season of Downton Abbey or wanders to my to-do list. Or I try to pray before bed, but I fall asleep.
Are prayer wimps a thing? I suspect I am one and I'm
left wondering how to pray better.
I don’t mean to be flippant. Prayer is an amazing
privilege. Through words like these in scripture, we have an open invitation from
the God of the universe: “Call to me and I will answer you.” (Jeremiah 33:3a)
We have a promise that He hears us: "You will call on me and come and pray
to me, and I will listen to you." (Jeremiah 29:12)
Through the pages of our Bibles, we see examples of
men who prayed. Even Jesus, the Son of God, prayed. So I know I should too, but
I find it challenging. I suspect I’m not alone. Many Christians struggle with
knowing how to pray.
Why do we struggle
with how to prayer?
Maybe we over-spiritualize it. We think we have to
pray long and eloquently for it to really work. We measure ourselves with
spiritual giants like Billy Graham or Mother Teresa, and we feel unqualified
and unworthy. Sometimes we separate prayer from the rest of life; we look at it
as something we do at prayer meetings or in our quiet time.
When I read Paul’s words in Colossians 4:2, “Devote
yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,” I wonder… how do I devote
myself to prayer when I have a regular life with a job and kids? I forget that
Paul was surely talking about a heart attitude, not a never-ending prayer
meeting or devotional time. Devoted prayer is a heart tendency to turn to God
at each turn in our day.
Tip 1: Pray Simply
We might think we have to pray passionate, persuasive
words for God to hear us, but in reality, He listens even to our shortest “SOS”
prayers.
“The fewer the words, the better the prayer,” said
Martin Luther. Isn’t that reassuring? We can talk to God in everyday language,
just like we talk to a friend. We don’t have to pray long. God delights in a
simple word of praise, like “Lord, I love you.” He treasures the anguished
prayer of a mother when she calls, “Heal my child.” He answers the simplest
request: “Lord, give me strength for today.”
Tip 2: Read the
Bible and Pray Over Verses
Have you ever had a one-sided conversation with
someone who talked continually without listening to you? The conversation
didn’t go very far, did it? We do the same thing to God when we pray without
reading the Bible, His eternal letter of love and wisdom to each one of us on
earth. Reading Scripture helps us get to know God. It brings life to our
prayers.
If you want to have a more effective conversation with
God, read Scripture. Let David’s words in the Psalms enliven your prayers. Stop
in the Gospels to pray over a verse that strikes you, asking God to work that truth
into your heart. Let the words of Paul’s letters give you specific prayer
requests for yourself and the people you love.
Tip 3: Make Prayer
Active and Multi-Sensory
Prayer grows dull when we turn it into a purely mental
exercise. God made us creative beings, so why don’t we bring creativity to our
prayer lives? Lighting a fragrant candle can send a signal to our brains: “It’s
time to pray.” It can bring a sacred sense of awe to a few minutes of prayer.
Listening to music can help us focus on God. Many people enjoy doodling,
drawing, or painting while they pray.
I help my ADHD-plagued brain focus on prayer by
keeping a prayer journal. Making a list of requests keeps my mind alert; I stop
to pray for each petition after jotting it down. Occasionally I write out
longer prayers like a letter. A prayer journal builds faith when you look back
over your petitions and recall God’s answers.
Remember you don’t have to sit quietly to pray. My
best prayer times happen out on the walking trail. Praying aloud also helps me
keep my mind engaged, but I save that for prayer times at home.
Tip 4: Make Prayer
an Integral Part of Your Day
This verse baffles me: “Rejoice always, pray without
ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;” (1 Thess. 5:16-17) Is it really possible
to pray without ceasing?
How about trying an experiment? Start and end your day
with prayer. Lift up short prayers to God as often as you can throughout your
day. Pray over your schedule. Ask God to help you with your to-do list. When
you hear a troubling news report, lift the situation up to God. Say a prayer
for your spouse or child as you give him or her a hug. Pray for the person
you’re talking to. A friend of mine gives thanks whenever she stops at red
lights while driving. Look for prayer moments that work for your life.
Tip 5: Pray
Expectantly
Prayer becomes a lifeless exercise when we’re not
looking for answers. Jesus invites us to expect God to work. “Ask, and it will
be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to
you." (Matthew 7:7)
How much more exciting prayer becomes when we keep our
eyes open to watch for God’s answers. Sometimes I wonder how many answers we
miss because we don’t really expect God to respond.
Remember Colossians 4:2: “Devote Yourselves to Prayer,
being watchful and thankful.”
How about getting started today? Don’t get discouraged
if you get distracted like I do. Just get back on track. Pray and watch for
God’s answers, so you can thank Him. He might answer differently than you
expect, but His answer will always be better than what you had in mind.
Comments
Post a Comment