Pray Like You Mean It

Last year I wrote a short post called 'How To Pray.' It was mostly just a link to the audio file and handout from a teaching session I gave at church. This post fills out some of the details and will also appear in the Faith section of the Henderson Daily Dispatch sometime in June.

Pray without ceasing - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Most of us know that we should pray more. Paul's command to "pray without ceasing" usually makes us feel like we fall short. Like dieting or exercise, prayer is a discipline that we too often put off for another day, perhaps when we have more time. But just like an athlete who prepares her body for competition by eating well and training every day, we can only become people of prayer by working at it. Praying all the time takes concentrated effort -- it comes naturally for very few people.

How do we pray more often and more effectively? First, don't be afraid to ask for help. Jesus' own disciples had to ask him how to pray: "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). That's when he introduced them to the Lord's Prayer. There are people around you who are also struggling to be better at prayer. Ask them how they are doing -- when they pray, what they use to guide them, etc. It will encourage and bless the person you ask.

Second, remember that prayer is a response to God's grace. This order of operations is very important. We don't pray so that God will do things that we want. Instead, we pray to thank God for the love that has already been demonstrated for us through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This means that it is not up to us human beings to "come up with" something to pray for. Rather, we are simply responding to God's goodness and mercy by giving thanks. Our petitions and requests are nothing more than responses to needs in the world. Don't pressure yourself to invent beautiful prayers off the top of your head. Praying is just responding to what you have experienced from God and seen in the world.

Third, be honest. Have you ever read through the Psalms? Notice how straightforward the psalmists are about their needs and discouragements. If they feel let down by God, or that the Lord has abandoned them, they are not shy to shout it out! God can handle it when you feel disappointed, ashamed, or let down. Don't feel like you have to clean up your prayers into nice tidy statements. Tell God how you really feel.

Fourth, pray with others. Prayer is not meant to only be a solitary activity. Indeed, it is one of the most important parts of what happens when God's people gather together. If you need help learning how to pray, go to church more often. Go to all the services that your congregation offers, and then attend some others at nearby churches listed in your newspaper. Worship is about prayer, and worshiping more often will help you pray more. If you don't believe that, I challenge you to try it!

Finally, remember that you always have back-up. Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Spirit will pray for you when you don't know what to say. God is not interested in giving you a grade for how well your prayers are structured. Instead, God will actually help you pray when you struggle for words, or even when you lack the faith to pray on your own.