So many people have a skewed view on prayer – so today I want to talk about what prayer is and why we should develop a prayer life.
What is true prayer?
Let’s first define prayer (according to dictionary.com):
1. A devout petition to God or an object of worship.
2. A spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
3. The act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.
4. A formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for praying: the Lord’s Prayer.
5. Prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer.
6. That which is prayed for.
7. A petition; entreaty.
I want to hone in on this definition: A spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
An Act of Worship
Prayer should be an act of worship to God not a grocery list. Yes, we are to bring our needs before God, however, that doesn’t need to be our first priority. Our first priority should be worship and adoration: God is Holy, Righteous, Awesome, All-Knowing (Omniscient), All-Powerful (Omnipotent), Everywhere (Omnipresent) and the list goes on and on! I encourage you to write down a list of all the characteristics of God one day. This will help you bring Glory to Him as you pray.
A Model Prayer
Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT):
Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Steps in this prayer:
- He praised God.
- He prayed that God’s will would be done.
- He prayed for His physical needs.
- He asked for forgiveness (Jesus had no sin, but He did this to show us what to do).
- He forgave everyone.
- He prayed against satan and his attacks.
If you are new to prayer, start praying using the model above.
Why Should We Develop a Prayer Life?
Prayer make you stronger. Think of prayer as the gym for your soul. When you pray – you are lifting a Spiritual weight! The more you “lift” the stronger your Spirit-man (or women) will become. Secondly, we have the ability to change the spiritual atmosphere of our life, family, home, church, city, state, country and world. However, this will not happen without prayer.
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