How to Pray

When I used to teach Bible Study for middle and high school students a common question came up when it referred to prayer. Many didn't know how to pray or even what to pray about. What is prayer? Simply put prayer is us having a conversation with God. Prayer is us going to God and just pouring out everything to him, our hopes, our desires, our praises to Him, our thanksgiving and it’s also God speaking back to us. Even if it’s the smallest thing we can go to God and tell Him about it. In fact God desires for us to have communication with Him, He wants to have a relationship with us where we can know Him and become more like Him.

Just like a relationship with friends, families or a spouse. The more time we spend with someone the more we pick up some of their traits, that’s why it’s important to hang around the right flock of people. Have you ever heard the saying “birds of a feather flock together?”  Such is true with our relationship with God. If we are not continually going to God in prayer to be recharged and filled with His Grace, then life will start to get overwhelming. We will start to get irritated and then our flesh will start to take over because we are not walking by the Spirit anymore.

We’re like a battery and God is the source that we must go to to be recharged again and again. This life will come with trails, but no trail is hard enough for God. With every obstacle we face if we go to God we will be sure to be set on the right path.

Regarding prayer there are a few important things we must know about it from Scripture.

We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. John 9:31

The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:39

So according to these verses we must be believers in order for God to hear our prayers. That doesn't mean that a sinner who sincerely repents to become saved won’t be heard, but what this does mean is that in order for our prayers to hold any merit or power, we have to be living for God and in His will. We can’t be willfully living in sin and expect God to bless our mess, it doesn't work that way with God.

I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. Isaiah 13:11

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

Also when we pray to God it’s important for us to be honest to Him. Though we shouldn't always come to God complaining about everything we should also be able to go to Him with our concerns. God tells us to cast our burdens to Him (1 Peter 5:7).

I find when I’m overwhelmed after going to God I leave with a peace that surpasses all understanding, but it’s important to stay consistent with our prayer to God because we don’t want to be up and down with our emotions. We need to learn how to continually be in that perfect peace and that takes a daily relationship with God and also constant obedience to Him as well.

When we pray we need to also remember to give God thanks.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

So when it comes to prayer we can see that God does have some requirements for certain promises in the Bible that He’s made.

We must be in His will, and we should regularly be praying. It’s also a good idea to set aside a quiet time daily with God, whether it be 30 minutes to an hour. Jesus was always in communication with the Father, and it was one of the reasons why Jesus was able to complete the mission he was assigned to do on the earth realm. It takes God for us to be effective in our lives. So go to Him when life seems overwhelming because God has the perfect road map to the destination He desires for us to take. You can do this!

God’s grace is limitless,