Feeling Like You Want To Pray, But Not Sure How? These 3 Simple Tips Will Help.
Have you ever wanted to pray but wondered if you were doing it right or if there was a formula you needed to know?
You. Are. Not. Alone.
Searches for “how to pray” have surged on Google over the last year, and we can all understand why.
We’ve all had the realization that many aspects of our lives are out of our control. Because of this, it makes perfect sense to want to chat with our creator. The Bible has some simple instructions to demystify it for you if praying feels overwhelming or uncomfortable.
Here Are 3 Simple Things To Remember When Praying.
TIP #1 Drop The Pressure To Perform
“7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
Jesus wasn’t into prayer being a performance. Prayer isn’t about using big words or being eloquent. God’s not checking your grammar and isn’t judging your delivery. In fact, here in Matthew, we’re directed not to repeat stuff over and over or talk just for the sake of talking. God’s not deaf, and there isn’t any magical combination of words to get him to listen to you. This is a heart thing, not a performance thing...so take the pressure off and start the conversation. He’s always listening.
TIP #2 Be Yourself
“9Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.”
In this part of the book of Matthew, Jesus is teaching about prayer. He reminds his disciples that when you pray, pray to your Father.
For some of us, praying to a father can feel weird. We may not have had a dad who was present, attentive or even very loving. Jesus wants to invite you into a relationship with your heavenly Father. He knew you before you were even born. The Bible says that he has even gone as far as numbering each and every hair on your head; that’s how much he cares. Your heavenly Father unconditionally loves you, so rejection and judgment are off the table.
You are safe with him.
When you pray to your heavenly Father, you can be yourself. There’s no pressure.
TIP #3 Invite Him Into Your World
Jesus continues to teach his disciples how to pray by telling them to invite God into our world. He demonstrates prayer to God by asking that His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
But our prayers are often filled with trying to convince God to get on board with our plans. They can turn into a negotiation instead of a conversation between Father and child. Negotiating with God is easy to fall into, but it comes from a belief that you know better, have a better plan, and that God is withholding something from you. He’s not. God loves you and is for you. Negotiations aren’t necessary.
Throughout the scriptures, we see that God is for us. He sees the other side of whatever we’re going through. He knows our needs, and he wants to walk with us every step of the way.
In prayer, you can be yourself; you can speak freely, just as you would to someone who loves you unconditionally. You can trust that God is for you, and He has a plan for your life that is meant to prosper you and not harm you.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Thanks so much for being here today. We sincerely hope that this brought you clarity on how to pray and that it’s taken any apprehension you may be feeling about starting a conversation with God. We’d love to connect with you more. Feel free to join us on Youtube every Sunday for more content on connecting with God during these crazy times.
Praying God’s best for you!