(Adapted from www.wisdomhunters.com)
Prayer is the Lord’s loving reminder that He is God and we are not. Writing to Ephesian believers, Paul instructs them to pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers (6:18). Below is a modest attempt to describe a few ways to pray:
1. CONTEMPLATE
When we contemplate in prayer, we ruminate or mull over God’s Word in our heart and mind. While meditating on Scripture, we ask, What is the context? How did this apply to readers in Bible times? How does this instruct me today? As we prayerfully process the Word, we draw closer to Jesus, the living Word. As we fix our attention on God, we’ll be changed from the inside out. (Romans 12:2)
2. CONFESS AND REPENT
Just like a car picks up road dirt and grime, our souls are dirtied daily by doing life. Life is messy and sinful. We require continual cleansing from our Savior, Jesus. Prayer is our safe environment for mercy and forgiveness. God the Father is holy and cannot look on sin, but He does accept our faith in His sinless Son, who paid the price for our sins on the cross. If we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—He won’t let us down; He’ll be true to Himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. (1 John 1:9)
3. REJOICE
Prayer. Is. Joyful. We celebrate our good, good Father. We praise Him for who He is: all-powerful, all-knowing, always present, Creator of everything. We praise Him for His love, kindness, and sheer beauty. We enter into God’s presence with thanksgiving as we recall His blessings: Christ’s salvation, the Holy Spirit’s comfort, our family’s love and care, and our friends’ prayerful support. Prayer is our pipeline to express joyful gratitude to Jesus, our risen Savior and Lord. Joy quiets the screechy voices of self-centeredness.
4. CRY OUT
Pain and suffering aggressively call for prayer. In our darkness, we ask other children of the light to agree with us in prayer. Though at times we hurt deeply or may feel alone, through prayer and by grace, we do not abandon our faith in Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Rather, we can go deeper in our relationship with Jesus, who knew pain firsthand (Isaiah 53:3). As we cry out to God, Christ becomes our confidant in our suffering, sustaining us in our pain.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, grow me into the person of prayer you want me to be.
