When you don't know how to pray?

[Krillin]

Often times I am compelled to pray, but have no idea what sort of things to lay before God.

I have a strong desire to pray to God, but its like words and ideas just never come.

 

[seashale76]

You know, there is nothing wrong with scripted prayers from prayer books, or even using the Lord's Prayer. If you mean the words you're praying, then it doesn't matter.

 

[znr]

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Not a bad place to be, krillin

 

[1watchman]

Prayer is a conversation with God, and it should be done in reverence and humility, with thanksgiving and praise. God should be loved for even thinking upon us and paying the awful price of death on the Cross to redeem us. One ought to thank Him often for sending His beloved, only begotten Son to save us.

If one has called upon God and confessed their desire to have the Lord Jesus in one's life, He will come and seal that one as a "child of God" by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Do that my friend and you will see the good of God's salvation. Then one can continue in conversation with the Lord Jesus as your Savior and best Friend in everything along life's pathway.

 

[BFine]

What ZNR posted-- I share that scripture lots on here.

 

[Shattered-Reflections]

Generally speaking, I believe prayer is conversation and there is no right and wrong. Tell God what's on your heart. Looking at the Palms are some beautiful examples of raw prayer. But I know when you're out of practice, it can be hard to start praying again. Just like it's hard to talk to someone who has become a stranger or you never were good speaking with strangers. So using the Lord's prayer or other prayers (most letters in the NT start and/or finish with prayers) as a guide isn't a bad place to go to "break the ice" and getting comfortable again with prayer.

Also it's okay if your prayers are awkward or forced, what's important is that you're making an effort because eventually it gets less and less difficult


Matthew 6:9-13
Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.


You don't have to pray the Lord's prayer word-for-word. What's important is the contents. There are many dissections of this prayer but I'm going give you a simple crude version.

The prayer starts off by setting a proper context: a way to view prayer and life. Our close relationship to the Lord as a father, His holiness, His Kingdom, and His will.

You can start off your prayers by acknowledging His beauty, His mercy, His holiness, His grace, His glory, His power, His love. This is praise and thanksgiving for His character versus His stuff. Then acknowledge and ask for His Kingdom, as what we're called to seek first. Praying for His will, is accepting and allowing His authority over our lives.

After the stage has been set, the prayer then addresses our physical and spiritual needs. Forgiveness for ourselves and others. Then help and rescues from temptation and Satan.

...

If it helps at all... Lately I pray like this: Praise, His Will, Repentance, Request. This is just a crude guide and it's not as mechanical as it sounds, but it helps me keep perspective and gives me a focus (instead of not praying at all).
I start with praise and gratitude. I focus on God, I thank Him for Him, His attributes, etc, and acknowledge His work through Christ and in my personal life. Then I ask for His will to be done, not mine. I use that as the lenses for which I make any request. With His "big picture in mind", I tell Him what's on my heart, the troubles I see, and for the help, forgiveness, wisdom, grace, etc that I and/or someone else needs.

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

Often times I am compelled to pray, but have no idea what sort of things to lay before God.

I have a strong desire to pray to God, but its like words and ideas just never come.

one of the first times i clearly heard from God was about prayer. i used to say the 'Lord's Prayer' every night before i went to sleep. it became more and more difficult for me to focus on what the words meant as i prayed that prayer, until one night i realized that although i was pronouncing all the words right, i had no idea what i was saying; i cried out to God in shame and fear, confessing this, and He said "I hate it when you just parrot things you've heard others say or use old english with Me when you don't use it with anyone else - why don't you just talk to me like i was your True Friend?"...

He's interested in everything about you; even the number of hairs on your head. talk to Him about whatever is on your mind; even that you don't know what specifically to say to Him at the moment (true friends don't always need to talk to enjoy each other's company) - treat Him as your loving Father and best Friend - He has a great sense of humor btw .

if you are troubled about something and don't know how to pray about it, pray in tongues.

this should help:

A Better Way To Pray - Audio Teaching - Andrew Wommack Ministries

The New You & The Holy Spirit - Andrew Wommack Ministries

Knowing God | Faith Life Church - Branson, MO

 

[A New Day]

Often times I am compelled to pray, but have no idea what sort of things to lay before God.

I have a strong desire to pray to God, but its like words and ideas just never come.

If you have a difficulty why not pray the Lord's prayer, and think in every word that you speak, that is a great prayer from Jesus himself.

I think that it is not always about to lay things before God because we are in need of God, we can lay thankfulness to God.

 

[Pal Handy]

My prayer of late consist of me going outside late
at night and looking up at the stars and just unloading my
heart to God.

I just let it all out, my fears, my desires my concerns and my pleas
for God to have His way in my life and the lives of my family, loved ones,
friends and all those who are involved in my life.

At the end of my unloading on God, I always feel assured that He will
bless me and bring me through.

God loves when we come to Him and speak to Him our heart, good or bad,
as He knows and sees all but He delights when we come to Him as our
loving Father and pour out our hearts to Him.

Prayer doesn't need to be so formal that it is as if we are praying to
someone who is so far above us and disinterested in our lives that we
feel like we cannot approach God as our best friend, our loving Father
and the one who loves us more that anyone else ever could.

Hope this helps you.

 

[sunshineforJesus]

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Not a bad place to be, krillin

Yup,I actually find I pray the best prayers when I have no idea what
to say and let God completely take over.

 

[Tigger45]

Whenever I don't know how to pray I go to the old standby. Thanksgiving and praise.
Works every time

 

[sunshineforJesus]

Whenever I don't know how to pray I go to the old standby. Thanksgiving and praise.
Works every time

Same here,I find whenever I start praising God the words
just come to me.I love Jesus so much and will praise his name forever!

 

[Krillin]

one of the first times i clearly heard from God was about prayer. i used to say the 'Lord's Prayer' every night before i went to sleep. it became more and more difficult for me to focus on what the words meant as i prayed that prayer, until one night i realized that although i was pronouncing all the words right, i had no idea what i was saying; i cried out to God in shame and fear, confessing this, and He said "I hate it when you just parrot things you've heard others say or use old english with Me when you don't use it with anyone else - why don't you just talk to me like i was your True Friend?"...

He's interested in everything about you; even the number of hairs on your head. talk to Him about whatever is on your mind; even that you don't know what specifically to say to Him at the moment (true friends don't always need to talk to enjoy each other's company) - treat Him as your loving Father and best Friend - He has a great sense of humor btw .



if you are troubled about something and don't know how to pray about it, pray in tongues.

this should help:

A Better Way To Pray - Audio Teaching - Andrew Wommack Ministries

The New You & The Holy Spirit - Andrew Wommack Ministries

Knowing God | Faith Life Church - Branson, MO

I'm afraid I wasn't granted the gift of tongues.

 

[godenver1]

Praise, thanksgiving. I'd listen to the advice given by Seashale also.

 

[PaladinValer]

Find the Book of Common Prayer and learn how the master of English liturgy, Thomas Cranmer, wrote prayer.

While this may be a very typical Anglican answer, it is, however, without a doubt, also the best answer in terms of general linguistics, since all worship and prayer originally in English can be traced to him. His prayers are considered masterpieces.

Study the structure of the prayers and then you can modify with your own words. Eventually, praying becomes fun, easy, and people will wonder with your gift of words.

 

[ezeric]

as you pray at all times, with all kinds of prayers and requests, in the Spirit, vigilantly and persistently, for all God’s people. Ephesians 6

I think when it says 'with all kinds of prayers' …there are 'all kinds'.
And all kinds of requests - must mean 'every possible type of request'.
In the SPIRIT -would mean not flesh or carnal 'me first' prayers. Prayers that would give me glory and not the LORD JESUS.
Vigilantly and Persistently - would mean to me, with passion and determination…never giving up, because when the evil day comes, you have HIM and YOU will be left standing at the end of it all!

I have prayed and gotten excited and demanding…and got results.
I have prayed with simple trust believing its mine …and got results.
I have lay my hands on some sick folks - and got results.
I have had mere 'wishes' (simply inward desires) -and GOD still answered.

Dont' make it a formula.
Make it your life.

You will see miracles!

-eric

 

[Krillin]

Find the Book of Common Prayer and learn how the master of English liturgy, Thomas Cranmer, wrote prayer.

While this may be a very typical Anglican answer, it is, however, without a doubt, also the best answer in terms of general linguistics, since all worship and prayer originally in English can be traced to him. His prayers are considered masterpieces.

Study the structure of the prayers and then you can modify with your own words. Eventually, praying becomes fun, easy, and people will wonder with your gift of words.

I'll very likely look in to this.

 

[Bushman Kalahari]

Pray for the people who still doesnt believe in Jesus Christ Gospel.

HalleluYah