Prayer is the sacred bridge between the Creator and His creation; it is a dialogue between God and human beings. Through prayer, we open our hearts to God and express our deepest feelings and thoughts to Him. We share with Him our joys, our doubts, our gratitude, and also our wounds.
I remember that, as a child, I used to wonder, “If God knows everything, then He also knows my life and my thoughts. Why, then, do I need to talk to Him?” It is true that God knows everything about us, but as our Father, He also wants to hear from us and have a close relationship with us. Therefore, prayer is one of the ways we cultivate our relationship with God, praise Him, and glorify Him.
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV)
Jesus Taught Us How to Pray
In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus teaches us the right attitude to have when praying:
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Matthew 6:5-8 (KJV)
We should not pray to draw attention to ourselves or impress other people, but to please God. Jesus teaches us that prayer is not about pretending to be spiritual or using lots of beautiful, poetic words to impress others or thinking that doing so will make God listen to us. Jesus warns against vain repetitions and empty words that do not come from sincere prayer. Like a bunch of gibberish, I would say. Our Father already knows our needs, even before we bring them to Him.
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
James 4:8 (KJV)
Praying with Gratitude
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6 (KJV)
We should thank God for everything. Personally, I have the habit of praying before meals, although, if I’m being sincere, sometimes I forget. I know some people might consider this practice repetitive, but I do it because I want to thank God and also because it is a way of including Him in my everyday life, of remembering Him in the middle of my daily activities.
I think that is important because sometimes we go through our days so busy that we forget to stop for a moment, think about God, and thank Him for what we have. Jesus warned us against vain repetitions, but that does not mean we should avoid expressing our gratitude every day. What matters is that our prayers are sincere and not simply words we repeat without thinking.
Actually, a few days ago, I dropped a glass that I absolutely loved, and it broke. To my surprise, instead of being upset about losing it, I was super happy, and the first thing I said was, “Thank You, God, because I didn’t get hurt. I’m okay.”
That made me think about how practicing gratitude can transform our hearts. When we become accustomed to recognizing God’s blessings, even in the smallest things, the way we react to difficulties can also change. Sometimes that change happens so naturally that even we ourselves can be surprised.
Praying with Faith
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
Matthew 21:22 (KJV)
God answers our prayers according to His perfect and sovereign will, not always as we expect. Prayer is not meant to change God, but to transform us.
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”
1 John 5:14 (KJV)
Prayer is not a tool to control God, but a way to align our hearts with His will. We can compare prayer to a glass of water in the middle of the desert. Just as water refreshes and strengthens a thirsty person, prayer can renew our strength when we are tired, comfort us when we are suffering, and give us hope when we feel we cannot go on anymore.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
We know that God will not always grant us what we ask for because His answers are subject to His will, and I think sometimes we can get caught up in that thought. If you are like me, someone who thinks a lot and questions everything, perhaps you have found yourself thinking, “Why should I ask God for something if I probably won’t receive it because it isn’t His will?” We can even begin to fear God’s will.
However, we should not be afraid of His will because we can trust His wisdom, His goodness, and His timing. Even when things do not happen as we expect, that does not mean God has stopped listening to us or loving us.
Also, when we pray and express our desires to Him, God strengthens us and helps us through the difficulties we are facing. Although we may not always receive what we ask for, we can find comfort, hope, and strength to keep going in His presence.
Furthermore, even if some of our requests are never fulfilled in this life, we have the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should not sink into thoughts about whether something is or is not God’s will, but approach Him with confidence and hope. We can live trusting in the promise that one day all this suffering will end and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4).
Praying with Perseverance
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)
We should persevere in prayer, although sometimes we can misunderstand what it means to pray without ceasing. Praying does not mean that we have to spend all our time shut away in a room talking to God. We can also pray while doing an activity, walking, or even silently in our minds while sitting on the bus. That is also prayer because we are talking to God.
Something I personally try to practice is talking to God more often when my mind is not occupied with other things. I want to include Him more and more in my everyday life, and I think that is something we can all try to do each day.
Our love for God should be our motivation for seeking Him, although we can also recognize the blessing of remaining in fellowship with our Creator.
We should not pray only when we feel weak, confused, or sad. We can also pray when we are joyful, when we are grateful, and when we see God’s faithfulness reflected in our days.
I don’t know if anyone else experiences the same thing as me, but sometimes I do the opposite of what many people tend to do: I pray a lot when I’m happy and less when I’m sad. However, we should not stop drawing near to God during those difficult moments either.
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”
James 5:13 (KJV)
Prayer should not be our last option, but our first resource. Every day and every moment can become an opportunity to meet with God.
Praying with Sincerity
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
When we pray, we should do so wholeheartedly, as if we were placing our hearts and thoughts in His hands. He knows everything, so hiding things or lying, as we sometimes do with other people to please them or project a certain image, does not work with God.
He even knows those parts of ourselves that we do not yet know: things we have not even noticed, actions we perform unconsciously, feelings and attitudes that we ourselves do not understand or even know how to name.
There is no point in approaching Him while pretending to be someone we are not. When we come before God, we should take off our masks and leave everything there in His presence.
In Psalm 139:23-24, David asks God to search his heart, know his thoughts, and lead him in the everlasting way. This reminds us that we can also ask God to help us recognize those things about ourselves that we do not yet understand.
Praying with Confidence and Reverence
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
I remember that, as a child, I used to pray naturally and talk to God. However, as I grew older, I heard some people say, “Talk to God as if He were your friend,” while others would say, “You must speak to God with reverence.”
I remember that many times I tried to be overly careful with my words, and sometimes I would even say, “Oh, forgive me, God, for saying that to You.”
Over time, I came to understand that both things can go hand in hand. It is true that we should approach God with reverence, but that does not mean we have to hide what we feel or carefully measure every word out of fear of saying something wrong.
God wants us to tell Him everything we carry in our hearts, even those dark parts that we sometimes struggle to recognize or express. And you know what? God can work in those areas and transform us. In fact, He is the One who knows us best and who can teach us, correct us, and help us change.
Reverence does not mean that we have to pretend before God, just as confidence does not mean that we should treat Him without respect. We can approach Him recognizing His holiness while also knowing that He is our Father.
The Privilege of Talking to God
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)
Prayer is a gift. A privilege we have through Christ, our mediator. Anywhere, at any moment, you can lift your voice or simply direct your thoughts to Him, and Almighty God can hear you. He is not far from those who seek Him.
So, what are you waiting for to start praying more?
Image credit: Photo by [Patrick Fore] on Unsplash
Originally published on my former blog, Perennidad (October 6, 2020). Revised and adapted for publication on Perennial Word.
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