Prayer?

trustgod

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I am sure this may sound like a dumb question to most, if not all, of you, but it's something that I have a huge problem with and thus could use some help with.

The point is, I have difficulty with praying. Big difficulty. As in, maybe a couple times a month. Really. I just don't know how to do it. It doesn't feel normal, or natural, as if I were just talking to an imaginary friend.

I've heard all the standard retorts for this before. Just pretend you're talking to a friend who you can't see, and all that stuff. Thing is, I don't talk to anyone, not even my close friends, and being a guy, I certainly don't talk to other guy friends the way I hear people praying.

Bottom line, it seems forced. I don't know what to say. It feels odd like I'm just talking to myself. No, strike that -- I don't talk to myself that way, either. And before you ask, yes I do believe in God; specifically the God of the Bible. Anyone else have this problem? I know prayer is supposed to be natural for Christians, but for me that's just not so....
 

oi_antz

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To worship God's conscious personality (as in speaking with words in prayer) is a good technique to connect with God omnipotent/present/conscious creator and father of life, whose will sustains the consistency of life - certainly prayer requires a humble approach. Prayer remains the most direct communication with The Lord and He will always hear you (I suspect He hears even after you stop praying, I think..)

I find it is good to follow up a prayer session by reading The Word and seeking to know Him :thumbsup:
 
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Turtle Dove

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Hello, I hope this can help you. I know that in times past it helped me out. I just talk to God like I am talking to myself in my head. He can hear your thoughts so you do not even have to open your mouth. I just talk away ask him for advice and I thank him for food and shelter, my health. Than as time goes on you will start to feel natural at it. I used to think you had to get down on your hands and knees to pray. I believe that it doesn't matter where or how. It is just important to do it. I always just start with thank you God for letting me be alive today to see my family. You might feel more natural if you just walk around do your everyday thing and when it pops in your head to say thank you God or help me God you can. Hope this helps, your sister in Christ
 
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DoctorJosh

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I am sure this may sound like a dumb question to most, if not all, of you, but it's something that I have a huge problem with and thus could use some help with.

The point is, I have difficulty with praying. Big difficulty. As in, maybe a couple times a month. Really. I just don't know how to do it. It doesn't feel normal, or natural, as if I were just talking to an imaginary friend.

I've heard all the standard retorts for this before. Just pretend you're talking to a friend who you can't see, and all that stuff. Thing is, I don't talk to anyone, not even my close friends, and being a guy, I certainly don't talk to other guy friends the way I hear people praying.

Bottom line, it seems forced. I don't know what to say. It feels odd like I'm just talking to myself. No, strike that -- I don't talk to myself that way, either. And before you ask, yes I do believe in God; specifically the God of the Bible. Anyone else have this problem? I know prayer is supposed to be natural for Christians, but for me that's just not so....

If you feel you are just talking to the wall, then you really need to know the Lord Jesus to know who you are talking to and this is done by understanding the Lord Jesus through the Word. We cannot imagine whom to talk to, but it is blind Trust that the Lord Jesus hears us since the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus hears and sees all things. Your Prayers, no matter if they are silent or out loud are heard by the Lord Jesus. Send out your message like a beacon in the night, Jesus our Savior hears it. Send out your cries and the Lord Jesus hears them. When you address the Lord Jesus in Prayer, Dear Jesus (a child may say), or Lord Jesus our Savior then it is like dialing 911 on your phone. You get connected right away. Even if there is no answer coming back, your Prayer is sent and heard. When Praying for Forgiveness we must be sincere and feel remorse for our sins. Send a sincere Prayer or just talk away to God as He is your Father, talk to Jesus as He is your Lord and Savior, when we are alone in our travels, alone at home, when our friends are gone, when our family is gone, God is still there and we can always share our life with the Lord Jesus.
So even if you feel you are talking to a wall, the Lord Jesus hears that message sent out to Him. He is there. I talk to both God the Father and Jesus the Savior as they both need to hear from us and know we care and we are there for them just as they are here for us. So don't feel like it is in vain, your beacon sent out is heard. God Bless.
 
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Wells Marsh

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Dear TrustGod,

Has anyone ever made Jesus real to you? Has anyone ever really helped you to understand just how much Jesus loves you? Has anyone ever helped you to focus on Jesus and His finished work at the cross? Has anyone ever unveiled the loveliness of Jesus to you?

My husband said that he has received more revelation on Jesus’ love for him in the past few months than he has in the past 15 years! This has had a tremendous impact on his prayer life! A few months ago, we started watching Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church in Singapore. Go to JosephPrince.org or NewCreation.org to see his broadcast schedule or to listen to his sermons.

Blessings,
WM
 
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Hakan101

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I used to have this same problem as you did, I did not really know how to talk to God when I prayed. But I have listened to a podcast from a user on this forum called VertigoAge, and he offered some very helpful advice on how to pray. He talked about a prayer structure called "ACTS", which stands for "Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication." In a shortened sense, what this means is you can begin your prayer by praising the Lord (A), then confessing your sins to him (C), thanking him for the blessings in your life (T), and finally asking him for things you really want (S). Of course, I am sure Mr. VertigoAge explains it much better, but I hope this was still helpful for you.
 
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trustgod

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Dear TrustGod,

Has anyone ever made Jesus real to you? Has anyone ever really helped you to understand just how much Jesus loves you? Has anyone ever helped you to focus on Jesus and His finished work at the cross? Has anyone ever unveiled the loveliness of Jesus to you?

My husband said that he has received more revelation on Jesus’ love for him in the past few months than he has in the past 15 years! This has had a tremendous impact on his prayer life! A few months ago, we started watching Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church in Singapore. Go to JosephPrince.org or NewCreation.org to see his broadcast schedule or to listen to his sermons.

Blessings,
WM

Hi,

To be honest, now that I think about it, no, no one has made Jesus real for me, nor any of that other stuff. I do believe in the historical figure of Jesus, that he existed and was who he said he was, but not much beyond that, really.

But, is that necessary for prayer? Aren't we praying to God when we pray?
 
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banish'd

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Hi,

To be honest, now that I think about it, no, no one has made Jesus real for me, nor any of that other stuff. I do believe in the historical figure of Jesus, that he existed and was who he said he was, but not much beyond that, really.

But, is that necessary for prayer? Aren't we praying to God when we pray?


Hello,

Joseph Prince's latest sermon on, "Grace" will get you started off on the right track.




Praise the Lord



I am a Protestant now, but I came out of a Catholic background. Truthfully, I still say my prayers exactly the way I was taught while I was a Catholic. I will suggest saying this little Catholic Prayer before each meal, and then Bless yourself.

"Bless O Lord, and these your gifts which we are about to receive through Christ our Lord. Amen."


That little gesture will start you off praying 3 times a day.

 
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Wells Marsh

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Dear TrustGod,

Please do start watching Pastor Joseph Prince – it will be life changing for you!

Your reply makes me wonder if anyone has made God real to you--maybe that is where the problem is. It is only as I learned of God’s great love for me that He became real to me. He became “my Father in Heaven.” He became Father-God to me.

To develop any relationship, you must invest time. You must take the time to get to know the other person. Otherwise that relationship will remain shallow, that person will remain merely an acquaintance. This is also true with your relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit.

Ask God to make Himself real to you. Spend time in His Word and ask Him to teach you who He is and to reveal His great love for you. I am including two of my favorite prayers, based on scripture, and recommend you pray them.

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom and Revelation
Based on Ephesians 1:15-23 (AMP)

Dear God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

I ask you to grant me (Your child) a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the (deep and intimate) knowledge of You. Flood the eyes of my heart with Your light, so that I can know and understand the hope to which You have called me, and how rich is Your glorious inheritance in me (Your set-apart one).

So that I can know and understand what is the immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing greatness of Your power in and for me who believes, as demonstrated in the working of Your mighty strength which You exerted in Christ when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your own right hand in heavenly places.

So that I can know and understand that You have placed Him far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named (above every title that can be conferred), not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

So that I can know and understand that You have put all things under His feet and have appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church (a headship exercised throughout the church) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (for in that body lives the full measure of Him who makes everything complete, and who fills everything everywhere with Himself).

In the Mighty Name of Jesus,
Amen

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom and Revelation
Based on Ephesians 3:14-21 (AMP)

Dear God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

I bow my knees before You, for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name.

Grant to me, out of the rich treasury of Your glory, to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit Himself indwelling my innermost being and personality.

May Christ, through my faith, actually make His permanent home in my heart! May I be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

That I may have the power to be strong to apprehend and grasp with all of God’s devoted people, the experience of that love, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it;

That I may really come to know, through experience for myself, the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge. That I may be filled, through all my being, unto all the fullness of God. That I may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

Now to Him Who, by the power that is at work within me, is able to carry out His purpose and do super abundantly, far over and above all that I dare ask or think, To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.

Amen (so be it).

Blessings on your journey of discovering that God is Love (1John 4:8),
WM
 
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trustgod

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Dear TrustGod,

Please do start watching Pastor Joseph Prince – it will be life changing for you!

Your reply makes me wonder if anyone has made God real to you--maybe that is where the problem is. It is only as I learned of God’s great love for me that He became real to me. He became “my Father in Heaven.” He became Father-God to me.

To develop any relationship, you must invest time. You must take the time to get to know the other person. Otherwise that relationship will remain shallow, that person will remain merely an acquaintance. This is also true with your relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit.

Ask God to make Himself real to you. Spend time in His Word and ask Him to teach you who He is and to reveal His great love for you. I am including two of my favorite prayers, based on scripture, and recommend you pray them.

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom and Revelation
Based on Ephesians 1:15-23 (AMP)

Dear God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

I ask you to grant me (Your child) a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the (deep and intimate) knowledge of You. Flood the eyes of my heart with Your light, so that I can know and understand the hope to which You have called me, and how rich is Your glorious inheritance in me (Your set-apart one).

So that I can know and understand what is the immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing greatness of Your power in and for me who believes, as demonstrated in the working of Your mighty strength which You exerted in Christ when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your own right hand in heavenly places.

So that I can know and understand that You have placed Him far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named (above every title that can be conferred), not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

So that I can know and understand that You have put all things under His feet and have appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church (a headship exercised throughout the church) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (for in that body lives the full measure of Him who makes everything complete, and who fills everything everywhere with Himself).

In the Mighty Name of Jesus,
Amen

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom and Revelation
Based on Ephesians 3:14-21 (AMP)

Dear God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

I bow my knees before You, for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name.

Grant to me, out of the rich treasury of Your glory, to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit Himself indwelling my innermost being and personality.

May Christ, through my faith, actually make His permanent home in my heart! May I be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

That I may have the power to be strong to apprehend and grasp with all of God’s devoted people, the experience of that love, what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it;

That I may really come to know, through experience for myself, the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge. That I may be filled, through all my being, unto all the fullness of God. That I may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

Now to Him Who, by the power that is at work within me, is able to carry out His purpose and do super abundantly, far over and above all that I dare ask or think, To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.

Amen (so be it).

Blessings on your journey of discovering that God is Love (1John 4:8),
WM

Hi...thanks. Not sure if I've stated my question very well actually as I was really just inquiring about the actual act of praying and not about a relationship with Jesus.

Was wondering if anyone still had difficulty with the actual act of praying and if so, were you able to over come it?
 
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Edwards1984

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When I first began to pray, I tried to make it a nightly and morning habit. And really, compared to other people, they were miserable prayers. They were sincere, but I was just getting my feet wet. I was nervous, afraid of saying the wrong thing, often explaining myself, etc. I realized later that I was acting like I was trying to explain something to my boss. While God is Lord and Sovereign over us and we should remember that at all times, we shouldn't feel afraid to pray to Him, like if we mess up one syllable we get struck down by lightning. When I began to relax and not worry about what I said, but rather said what I wanted to say (that is, simply speaking from the heart and not dwelling on every word), my prayers became much more developed.

Furthermore, I thought length meant something. It doesn't. Long prayers simply for the sake of being long were actually condemned by our Lord (Luke 20:47). Besides, some of the greatest prayers in scripture, in particular the New Testament, were short. One of my favorite is the words of the repentant thief on the cross: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." He said what he felt needed to be said, and it was short...but it led to the affirmation of his salvation.

I hope this helps just a little bit. :)
 
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Wells Marsh

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Hi...thanks. Not sure if I've stated my question very well actually as I was really just inquiring about the actual act of praying and not about a relationship with Jesus.

Was wondering if anyone still had difficulty with the actual act of praying and if so, were you able to over come it?

Sorry…I thought you wanted a solution to the problem. I did not realize you only wanted answers to your questions. Yes, I once had difficulty with the actual act of praying and, Yes, I was able to over come it.
 
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trustgod

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Sorry…I thought you wanted a solution to the problem. I did not realize you only wanted answers to your questions. Yes, I once had difficulty with the actual act of praying and, Yes, I was able to over come it.
Um, actually I was looking for a solution. I guess that wasn't inherent in my question. Will try again...

Was wondering if anyone still had difficulty with the actual act of praying and if so, were you able to over come it? And if so, how did you overcome it?
 
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trustgod

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When I first began to pray, I tried to make it a nightly and morning habit. And really, compared to other people, they were miserable prayers. They were sincere, but I was just getting my feet wet. I was nervous, afraid of saying the wrong thing, often explaining myself, etc. I realized later that I was acting like I was trying to explain something to my boss. While God is Lord and Sovereign over us and we should remember that at all times, we shouldn't feel afraid to pray to Him, like if we mess up one syllable we get struck down by lightning. When I began to relax and not worry about what I said, but rather said what I wanted to say (that is, simply speaking from the heart and not dwelling on every word), my prayers became much more developed.

Furthermore, I thought length meant something. It doesn't. Long prayers simply for the sake of being long were actually condemned by our Lord (Luke 20:47). Besides, some of the greatest prayers in scripture, in particular the New Testament, were short. One of my favorite is the words of the repentant thief on the cross: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." He said what he felt needed to be said, and it was short...but it led to the affirmation of his salvation.

I hope this helps just a little bit. :)

Thanks...that does help a little bit. I have the same struggles...trying to pick the perfect words, trying to sound coherent, not trying to repeat myself using different words. Glad to know that's not limited to just me :). But I'm guessing the act of praying was never really uncomfortable, or felt odd, to you?
 
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Edwards1984

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But I'm guessing the act of praying was never really uncomfortable, or felt odd, to you?

The temptation did come a few times, especially after hearing what some atheists said regarding prayer. I suppose that is real temptation for every believer. Yet even Hezekiah, going to pray in the Temple, did not directly see nor hear God, yet that night the army of the Assyrians was decimated by the power of God (2 Kings 19) and his prayers were answered. Right now God has been far too good to me in my life for me to even ponder that there isn't a Divine Being listening to what I am saying.

I suppose, although some would say this is misplaced, the words of a Garth Brooks song come to play here. :)

Remember when your talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
 
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Wells Marsh

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Um, actually I was looking for a solution. I guess that wasn't inherent in my question. Will try again...

Was wondering if anyone still had difficulty with the actual act of praying and if so, were you able to over come it? And if so, how did you overcome it?

Dear TrustGod,

I do not seem to be able to communicate what is in my heart to you…

I simply cannot fathom separating my relationship with God from my prayer life. They are inseparable.

My prayer life (the quality of my prayer life) began to grow as I grew closer to God; learned more about Him, developed a relationship with Him, and received revelation of His great love for me. This is how God became real to me and this was necessary for my prayer life to grow.

He is my Father, my best friend, my trusted adviser, my comforter; my source for all this is good in life, etc.

Blessings,
WM
 
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sbbqb7n16

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I honestly suggest you watch the movie Bruce Almighty.

I'm not joking. Morgan Freeman (as God) actually has a good line in there about what it means to pray.


Bruce: "What do you want me to do?"

God: "I want you to pray, son."

Bruce: "Okay...... Lord.... feed the hungry. And…... bring peace to all of mankind...... How’s that?"

God: "Great... if you want to be Miss America. Now, come on - what do you really care about?"

Then Bruce goes into what's really on his heart. What he desires, what he wishes for the woman he loves.


I think that's a great sermon on prayer right there. And I actually ask myself that little question when I pray.

"Come on - what do you really care about?"
 
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