How to pray?

[St_Worm2]

St Worm2, many thanks for the link. Like the originator of this thread, I also have been looking for the "right way" to pray to our Heavenly Father. A.C.T.S. is going to be a great help to me. Many thanks again and God bless you.
Tremic

Hi Tremic, you're welcome! I'm just glad to be able to pass on the great stuff that others passed on to me. It's certainly one of the best parts of belonging to a place like CF ..

As far as ACTS is concerned, I like that it helps get the "me" out of my prayer life by getting my attention where it needs to be right from the start, on Him. I always want to jump right into supplication and confession, but then end up guilty of neglecting the more important aspects of prayer, Adoration and Thanksgiving. ACTS slows me down and helps me focus. I agree, it's a great little tool ..

Yours and His,
David

 

[follower08]

Hi Tremic, you're welcome! I'm just glad to be able to pass on the great stuff that others passed on to me. It's certainly one of the best parts of belonging to a place like CF ..

As far as ACTS is concerned, I like that it helps get the "me" out of my prayer life by getting my attention where it needs to be right from the start, on Him. I always want to jump right into supplication and confession, but then end up guilty of neglecting the more important aspects of prayer, Adoration and Thanksgiving. ACTS slows me down and helps me focus. I agree, it's a great little tool ..

Yours and His,
David

That's also brings up a great thing to remember when praying. I believe prayer should be done with full and complete attention to God. I always try to focus completely on God when I pray, and not about my homework, or what's for lunch. God's time is for God, so I make sure to set aside enough time to pray in an unhurried manner. That way, I'm not in a rush to do something else.

 

[PureDose]

Hi

I know this may be a silly quetion but how do I pray? I have never prayed before and I don't how how to begin. I know that sounds silly, but I have no idea what to say or anything.

Begins and ends with belief. If you believe God hears your thoughts, then direct your thoughts to God.

If you sometimes believe God hears your thoughts and at other times are not conscious of that belief, then God still hears your thoughts but you are not directing them at God in prayer.

The same goes with words.

See God there when speaking to him.

One thing a Christian once pointed out to me which really helped me but took a lot of time to sink in was "prayer is not or does not have to be a monologue", "it should be a dialogue".

 

[asiyreh]

Amen, Pure, Amen.

In fact I might go a step further and suggest that Monologue is actually condemned by Christ.

Have a look at the various translations of Mat 6:7.

Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Let that sink in...

Now only two sentences later the "Our Father" is given.

How do you pray? If any new Christian need a template...

Well there you have it. The TEMPLATE for prayer. The template for Dialogue with God.

This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.a’ Mat 6:9-13

 

[relate4ever]

How you would talk with a close friend? Or your spouse? Or your father? Or God?

 

[Sonya1980]

I don't know if this is right but I often start with thanks and then go on to to talk to God ad if I were talking to my best friend.

 

[Girder of Loins]

I don't know if this is right but I often start with thanks and then go on to to talk to God ad if I were talking to my best friend.

You got it.

 

[Forge3]

I don't know if this is right but I often start with thanks and then go on to to talk to God ad if I were talking to my best friend.

Sounds right to me. This is part of prayer. And like the others it is one of the ways of growing in a relationship with Jesus. Adding that just when in dialogue we have moments of hush and listening.

 

[tbogunro]

Hi

I know this may be a silly quetion but how do I pray? I have never prayed before and I don't how how to begin. I know that sounds silly, but I have no idea what to say or anything.

Just have a conversation telling God about your day and what you want or need and ask about his day and what he wants done. Lol he's your best friend so just talk to him like you would do to your human friends. Let your relationship with God begin to develop by having these convos and you will begin to see how God will lead you to pray for certain people or things. God sometimes doesn't bring things to pass until we ask. What I did and didn't even know it was called praying was when I was younger I would imagine he was next to me and just talk with him...people might think you are talking to yourself but who cares God knows it's you just conversating with him....I guarantee if you do this you'll will hear in your heart God responding back! Thoughts and answers to your questions will just come to you.

 

[Alive_Again]

God delights in your every day activities. He wants you to talk to Him as your friend. He wants you to sit down with Him and give Him all of your troubles and burdens.

I can tell you that He takes great delight when you pray His Word to Him. Make it your prayer. David went through everything we do, and he was as open as you can be. Many times as I read them out loud, God will touch my heart (without any hint beforehand) when I read a certain line.

God knows everything about us and why we act like we do. He wants us to yield to Him and by doing His Word, we show love to Him.

God likes it when you tell Him what He means to you. God wants to be acknowledged for doing what He said He would do for you, even when their is no evidence to support that. The just shall live by faith and it takes real faith sometimes to say that He's guiding us, even though we have difficulties. That He is our righteousness, even though we may feel badly. He wants you to pray for those that you see need Jesus.

In my mind, one of the most important things to do is remember that it is a relationship, a covenant relationship where He has committed all of His resources to you and you do likewise. If we transgress, that we approach Him and ask and believe Him for forgiveness. When you do this, you acknowledge that He is still a forgiver.

He likes it when we commune with Him. When everything else comes to a stop and we just enjoy the unity of our spirits. When we listen with our heart. Our worship is the highest thing we can offer God and we can do this outside of church and anywhere you want.

It's a lifetime to grow in this and as we grow into oaks of righteousness, God will increase the quality and solidity of our prayer life as our love and faith grow and our working knowledge of His Word increases.

I like to hunt up promises from the Bible and speak them to Him in thanksgiving. I always feel better when I do. He wants us to anoint Him with our very lives.

 

[Peripatetic]

Chatting with God is the most personal and honest kind. It's also a good idea to be still and listen, or just meditate on what you've learned form the Bible. If you find that you're doing too much "asking", remember to praise, confess, and give thanks too!