Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
I’ve recently started a short series on my podcast called the “Mature Christian Woman” in which we’ve discussed the power of prayer, fasting, and spiritual discipline. It occurred to me while talking with my guest that some may not know how to pray or understand prayer. I wanted to do this blog to help those who may be struggling with the consistent/daily discipline of prayer and also encourage others to pray as much as they can!
I first want to dismiss any claims that you have to pray for X amount of minutes for X amount of times a day. I don’t think that’s biblical unless the Lord himself speaks that to you personally; however, I do believe that pray is simply talking to the Lord.
I also want you to think of God as a loving Father who delights in you and loves to hear from you! In Luke 11:13 Jesus speaks fondly of those who are persistent in prayer, how He doesn’t mind blessing us with answers when we pray. He says : “If you, being evil [that is, sinful in nature] know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
Also, know that it does not have to be long to pray but your heart just has to be in it. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 6:7 that when we pray “do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose they will be heard for their many words”. It can be as simply as “Lord, thank you” or “Jesus, I need your help right now”.
I have included this simple acronym to help those who want to pray in a way that mirrors the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6:5-15 and Luke 11:1-13. Here is a great way to remember how to pray:
P– Praise. Start your prayer off with praising God, acknowledging Him, thanking Him for who He is and what He’s done.
R -Repent and ask for forgiveness for sins. When we enter the presence, it is important we ask God to forgive our sins and repent. Repent means to “turn”, so to turn away from our sins and ways that are not in alignment with God. Having a heart of repentance is essential to being righteous (right standing with God). Repenting is also emphasized in Luke 11:2-4 by Jesus. One verse I have incorporated in my prayers is Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me”. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done God is ready and able to forgive us (1 John 1:9).
A: Ask. I encourage you to ask God for what you want! I love to ask for big things and small essential things. In Matthew 7:7 it says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. I also want to add that God is not our genie. I have a friend who always says: “Seek God for his heart and not his hand”. I love that because often we can treat God like He’s our genie instead of authentically seeking His heart and will for our lives. God is a good Father and knows if it’s the right season for it or if it is not within his will; but the word also says when you ask you must not doubt! So still ask and believe!
Y-Yield. It’s about God’s will. Period. If it is His will for us to receive what we’ve prayer for then it will happen if it is not then He has something better. I include very often in my prayers “Your will be done Lord”. It was also mentioned in Matthew 6:10. Yielding is also apart of trusting and having faith. We must know that God’s plan for us is for good! In Jeremiah 29:11, God offers encouraging words I believe we can keep in our hearts when we have to yield; it says “for I know the plans I have for you.. plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope”.
Lastly, seal the prayer “In Jesus name” because Jesus died for our sins, was faultless, and fulfilled God’s purpose to reconcile us back to Him we must go through Jesus to get to God. When we pray finish our prayer in Jesus name we can assure our prayer is getting to the Father. John 14:6 supports this: ” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”
I believe that the P-R-A-Y acronym is great but I also believe that if you have the right heart and acknowledge Jesus then God will hear you as well. Sometimes we might not even have the words but by being in the presence of God, God will understand us. In Romans 8:26-27, Paul talks about how the Holy Spirit can intercede for us even when we don’t know what to pray.
I hope that this post has been helpful to you and provides a basis for your prayer life! I pray you pray as often as you can. Also, feel free to look up any of the scriptures I’ve mentioned to include them in your prayers. Including scriptures while praying is wonderful as well. I pray you continue to bloom where you are planted and know God loves you and is for you! God bless!
Love,
Annielle
