S. D. Gordon said, "The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray." So how do we pray? First, I think it's good to remember that there is no wrong way to pray. Prayer is just talking to God like you would talk to a friend.
God can hear you no matter where you are. The Bible says, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:8-10)
Even though there is no wrong way to pray and no wrong place to pray, there still might be some things of which you are unsure. Here are a few tips and resources to get you started:
1. The Lord's Prayer
One of the best examples of a prayer is in the Bible when Jesus' disciples asked Him how to pray. He answered them with this prayer:
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13)
This a good prayer with which to start if you are not sure what else to say. It really includes everything: praise, thanksgiving, and repentance; and shows us the way to prayer. You can use this prayer to begin your prayer time and learn from it as a good example of what to include.
2. Prayer Books
There are a lot of books out there that have beautiful prayers written in them that you can pray. There are even apps nowadays that have prayers and examples of prayers to get you started. The prayers in these books are usually categorized by topic so that you can choose which prayers you want to pray that day. It's also a good starting place as you can recite one of the prayers from the book and then continue with your own prayers.
3. "Power of a Praying..." books
There are other books that can help lead you through prayer. Author, Stormie Omartian has a series of books called, "Power of a Praying..." that offers formats depending on your role. Whether you are a wife, friend, husband, sister, or brother, it provides you with ways to pray as one of those people.
4. Use a prayer journal
Another favorite way to pray is through a prayer journal. Buy a special journal and use it to write your prayers to God in its beautiful pages. You can write it like a letter to a friend or as a diary entry. It's easy to let the words flow when you are writing a beautiful prayer to God.
5. Make time to pray
Once you have some of these resources to help you, set a time each day that you can pray. We already know there is no wrong or right place, so pray anywhere in your home, or even in the car. It doesn't have to be at the same time every day, but many people like to pray in the mornings so that they start their day talking to God. You can designate a time every day to have peaceful prayer with God, or you can talk to Him as you go about your daily work schedule and chores.
6. Talk to God like you are talking to a friend
Remember, talk to God like you are talking to a friend or family member. You can tell Him about your day, thank Him for the blessings in your life, ask Him for help in any areas that you may be struggling, or pray for another friend or family member. He doesn't care how you pray, just that you talk to Him. He wants to hear from you.
