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Praying
Since I began my Christian journey over 7 years ago, I discovered that two of the most important elements in a strong relationship with God is daily prayer and daily Bible study.
Having come from a Reformed Jewish family, we didn't prayer nearly as much as we should have. Only during holiday's and at the synagogue on Sundays. So I must say that I was no expert on prayer, and I had no idea what it truly meant to pray.
All I did know was that deep within me I felt with certainty that I needed to begin to communicate with our Father.
But how does one pray? Is there a "proper" way to pray? Is there an unacceptable way to prayer? Should I be alone or with another? Many questions came to mind when I began to learn to pray. Since I was a teenager I have been doing the prayers before going to bed. It was comforting laying in bed talking with God about things that had transpired that day. At first I prayed the 'Now I lay me down to sleep...' prayer. That one seemed right and it appeared to cover everything I at that young age was concerned about. But before I would say Amen, I would feel the need to add 'please bless my mom, dad,...etc.' Than I change over to the Lord's Prayer. After having children I returned to saying the child's prayer, but after I would say the Lord's Prayer, changing the Child's Prayer so I was saying the prayer for my children. Now my children say 'Now I lay me down to sleep..., prayer, well at least I know my six year old son, Jared, does, he has to say his prayers with either his daddy or me. I think the sound of a child saying his prayers is by far the sweetest sound that ever was. Jared also reminds his older sisters to say grace at breakfast and lunch.
Yet as I grew stronger in my faith and belief, I suppose it is only natural that prayers would change too. And they did. And I grew more concerned that I was not praying properly.
All through out the Bible it speaks of praying. It speaks of heads bowed, hands raised, kneeling, quietly, loudly, in a small group, in a large gathering, where all can see, or where it is just you and our Father. I suppose they all can be right. Well at least depending upon the circumstance that is calling for the prayer to be prayed.
I began to watch as others prayed, at churches, (and there depending upon the denomination, Now that is something to see. It amazed me how totally different denomination's prayed). And then there are the people who have had years of experience, they can say a prayer that would cover everything that needed to be covered, and would cause my soul to sing. Those were the people I yearned to be like. They had it all together. But I must be honest with myself, they are also the ones who have spent years walking with Christ. Growing up around God-centered parents, or spent years living a Christian life. Periodically I would see a family or even a single person at a restaurant, with their heads bowed, saying grace before their meal. Even on television I was able to witness praying. Yet none answered my questions which I began to realize were pointedly yes or no questions, not somewhere in between. And that the type of praying was searching for, was not the type seen at churches, or at a dinning table or on the television. At this point I was totally confused and was beginning to think that maybe it was me and I had no chance of learning. Maybe my relationship with our Father was wrong. Or not strong enough. At one point I seem to remember I was even in tears.
And then one day it happened. I was reading thru the Bible, when I came upon Matthew 6:5-13 in the Beatitudes, (I read from the NIV Bible. I find this one is perfect for a person who is just beginning their spiritual journey, it was easier for me to understand.) I read:
5: "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6: But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7: And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8: Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9: "This, then is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
10: Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11: Give us today our daily bread.
12: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgive our debtors.
13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Amen
Now I find it very interesting that we have taken this prayer and added to it, "For thine is the kingdom, and power and the glory forever." I am not certain where this came from. I was finally able to find this in a King James version on the internet, or if I find this verse in other Bibles, I see that the verse is in [ ], which makes me wonder who really said it. But in many churches this is how they will end the Lord's prayer. I can see nothing wrong with this ending, I suppose it could be considered words of praise. Though I personally do not use this ending and will not until I know that Jesus, Himself said it too. I base my beliefs and feelings upon the greatest teacher, Lord Jesus, and I choose to only do as He said to do. And having been raised in the Jewish religion, I have discovered that many "beliefs" have been added by man for man, and not from God. It is difficult to truly understand what our Father expects from us with things being added to the Bible that are not from God, Himself. But anyway. I began to recite the Lord's Prayer on a daily basis, and in the evening I still do my little before bed prayer, but now it has turned into the joining of two prayers and to this I added my own part at the end. But the Lord's Prayer was, is and will always be the base for my prayer. I feel that since Jesus said this is how to pray, then this is how I will pray.
So I now have my base, yet that still didn't seem to answer all of my questions. There were still times when I felt like I needed to say more than what the Lord's Prayer said. There were times when I needed to pour out my heart to our Father. How was I to do this. Was this alright to do while praying?
I looked up the word 'prayer' and I read 'The act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)'. Communicating, or transmitting thoughts or feelings. Prayer, the act of transmitting thoughts or feelings to God. Ok, this is what I needed to do, but how does one achieve this? Could it be so simple as just speaking to God. Speaking as you would your best friend, or your parents. Jesus said that our Father knows what we want or what is in your heart. So the prayer is not the way of asking, but the act of asking. All He wants is for you to ask Him ourselves. Or tell Him what our troubles are. How you go about asking I am beginning to realize is irrelevant.
Since beginning my 'Daily Prayer Time', I feel I must stress just how important this time has came to mean for me. I wake each morning, and I get my cup of coffee. I gather up my prayer folder, and or I get on the computer. By the way this web page is a very active part of my prayer / Bible time. I will sometimes read a devotional or two, helping me to wake up, clear my thoughts, and getting myself ready to face God. Even after starting this over 6 years ago, I still must force myself to get up before the children do, so I can have my time alone with God that I need before starting my day. For me it has to be first thing in the morning. If I don't begin my day with my 'prayer time', my day doesn't seem to go as smoothly. Actually my life seems very chaotic without my day first spent with the Lord. I have tried other times, but it didn't quite do the job. This is a practice, and I use the word practice, because that is exactly what it takes, practice to continue with it. It has to be done daily. That once started is well worth the effort. And as I continued on, it grew easier. Though I still have to force myself to wake up, I know it is right and I know I will be happier because of it. It is one of those things you do, that it is a fight to get yourself to do it, but once it is done, you feel so good about doing it, and are glad you made yourself do it.
As I said before, I have come to realize that the way you say your prayers is irrelevant. What is relevant is that when you pray, you pray with doubtless faith. What is doubtless faith? Jesus said that when you pray, believe that you have already received what it is you are praying for, and it will be give to you, (Read Matthew 21:22-22 and Mark 11:22-24 ). To believe without any doubt that I have received what it is I am praying for. Boy in one way it sounds simple. And yet in another way it is not so easy to believe I have already received it, and that is because at the back of my mind I hear that not so Christian part of me whispering words of doubt. And then what do I do, I pray another prayer, 'I do believe, help me to overcome my unbelief.' (Mark 9:24) And that really helps me to push that doubt away from me.
I have to admit I was surprised to read straight from Christ Jesus' that you only need to be doubt free. Believe with all you have that you have already received it and it will be given to you. But as I thought about it, I realized that is shouldn't come as a shock, that, that really is how God works when it comes to us, His children. Salvation is simple, and so is asking for forgiveness. Well simple in the fact that you only need to ask and believe in what you are asking for. Doesn't that sound familiar. It is us and society that makes it difficult and causes us to doubt. Once you truly place yourself into God's wonderful hands, and once you place God before all else, and I do mean all else! Everything falls simply into place. So why should praying be any different? It shouldn't and it isn't! Here are a few prayers that I like saying each morning. Like Bibles, I like to collect prayers. These are prayers I have came across in my studies. I am not certain of the origin of all of them, well except for the Psalm 25 prayer. They are truly wonderfully inspiring.
Prayer for Guidance Psalm 25 1-5 Of David. "1To you, O LORD , I lift up my soul; 2 in You I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3 No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4 Show me Your ways, O LORD , teach me Your paths; 5 guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." “Father help me to know contentment, the kind that comes from accepting Your plan for my life." |
* (This prayer was in a church bulletin, a few years ago. I suppose this could be also used to ask Jesus into one's life. But I find it comforting and also it helps me to remember how I came to be where I am today. )
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