DAY FOUR - How Can I Pray Effectively?
If the Bible can be likened to food, because it nourishes our spiritual
lives, then prayer can be likened to our breathing. There are two
parts to breathing-breathing in and breathing out. So it is with
prayer-the outreach after God, and His response to us.
The person who said, "I can't find time for prayer," was
correct. You must make time for it. A good way is to do it along
with your Bible reading. In fact, there are some people who read
their Bibles on their knees; then if some truth grips their hearts,
they stop for a few moments and pray about it.
You'll never become a solid, mature Christian without a consistent
prayer life.
WHAT TO PRAY ABOUT
What to pray about is one of the first problems you'll meet. You
think of your family, your friends, your associates, your own needs-and
in five minutes you've run out of subject matter. One way to solve
this problem is to channel your prayer into certain directions,
a different direction each day. The "Weekly
Prayer Circle" has suggestions for doing this.
KINDS OF PRAYER
Another solution to the problem of what to pray about is to recognize
that there are several kinds of prayer. Basically, it is simply
talking to God.
Petition
This means asking God to meet certain needs. Though some people
never progress beyond the "gimme" stage, always
asking God for something, there is nothing wrong with asking
the Lord for His help. In fact, He encourages us to come with
our needs.
Thanksgiving
Remember, prayer is a two-way street. Don't forget to thank
God for what He as already done for you. In fact, this is
a good way to begin your prayer times. For one thing, it builds
your faith to remember what God has already done for you.
Praise
This is something like thanksgiving but deals with what God
is instead of what He has done. Sometimes you can use one
of the Psalms, reading it aloud to express how you feel.
Worship
Worship is very close to praise, but is almost an attitude. There
will be times when words cannot fully express your feelings,
and you can only say praise words like "glory" or
"hallelujah." You may even become silent as you
kneel or sit, overwhelmed at the sense of how great God is.
Intercession
You may become gripped with the need of someone else, and
feel burdened to keep on praying until you have the assurance
that God has answered your prayer. This is one of the greatest
kinds of prayer, for in it you are thinking of others. We
need more of this kind of prayer.
HOW GOD ANSWERS
This is an important lesson to learn: God answers every prayer.
Sometimes He says, "Yes," sometimes He says, "No,"
and often He says, "Wait." But time spent in prayer is
never wasted. You see, even more than what He does for you. God
is interested in what He can do in you. Prayer changes things--and
people.
PRAYING IN PUBLIC
Sooner or later, someone will call on you
to lead in prayer. Don't get panicky. Simply remember that you're
praying to the Lord, not to the people. Pray as a representative
of the group and express what you feel are their general desires
in that meeting. Don't worry about using exactly the right words.
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SCRIPTURE
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