Christians all over the world observe personal and public prayers. They experience joy and see prayer as an opportunity to release all their problems and struggles to God. They believe that God wants them to surrender their hearts and lives to Him and receive the peace and solutions that come through prayer.
Prayer means different things to different people. For some, it is a time to hide from the harsh realities of life. For others, it is an opportunity to talk to the Heavenly Father. For believers who want more, prayer is a relationship with God. It is something they think they need every day if they must survive in the Christian faith.
See: What Say in Christian Prayer
What is the Best Meaning of Prayer?
Prayer is the communication between God and men. It is the means by which mortals converse with the immortal God. Prayer is an opportunity to share our minds and thoughts with the All-knowing God. Even though we know that He knows and sees all things, we still pray. This establishes the fact that prayer is communication with God. We communicate with family and friends even though they could guess what’s on our minds. We pray to God because He asks us to pray.
Prayer is a sign of faith in the existence of God. True, if we believe that God is real, everywhere, and can hear us, then it is normal to pray. Praying with this attitude suggests that we are no longer living in speculations. We are sure that God is alive and when we pray, situations will change and something new will happen.
Prayer is a way to show that we need help. There are many things in this life we cannot understand or deal with on our own. Ordinary human comprehension and power are limited. We need extraordinary wisdom and strength to achieve some things. Some sicknesses and diseases of the body and mind have no scientific explanations. Only through prayer can we begin to understand and deal with these things.
Prayer is a way to gain God’s presence. Like Moses in the Bible, we can spend time in prayer every day. As we make it a cheerful habit, we begin to notice changes in our lives. People around us may also notice it and admire our relationship with God. Only those who understand that prayer is more than making personal requests wil experience such a glorious outcome.
Simple Rules of Prayer
To experience the power of true Christian prayer, you must do the following:
Make Prayer a Daily Habit
Plan to pray everyday. You cannot pray until you’re willing and ready to pray. Unplanned prayer is not bad, but it is not the best. Some people pray only when they experience troubles. That’s not a good idea and practice. Prayer is not just an activity that releases tension and makes us relaxed. It is communication with a Living Being. We cannot despise Him during good days and expect to get solutions when caught up in bad times.
Avoid Distractions
God can hear us even in the noisiest place. However, distractions affect us negativity. They take our minds off our line of thought and make us forget why we pray. Since we are in communication with an Intelligent Being, it is wrong to allow such interferences. God may understand why we are distracted, but we may be unable to gain much from prayer. Keep away your mobile devices and favorite gadgets if possible. Go to a place that is quiet and comfortable for prayer. Each time you pray, you are face to face with an opportunity that can change your life forever. So let no distractions come between you and God.
Use God’s Word and Promises
You cannot move God much if you use your own ideas. God respects His Word and promises more than His name (Psalm 138:2). That’s why people who ignore the teachings of the Bible will have little or no answers to prayer. Read and study God’s Word and then use what you remember in prayer. Mention to God the things He promises in the Bible. Find those promises that are related to your requests and base your prayer on them.
Have Faith in God
You pray because you believe that God exists. You also believe in prayer because you are sure that God answers prayer (Jeremiah 33:3). Your faith in God should be as strong as your faith in your ability to breathe. The Bible says “But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV).
Be Forgiving and Honest
You don’t move God by citing powerful promises from the Bible alone. Your choice of words and scriptures must come from a sincere and honest heart. Make sure you don’t ask God to do what He expects you to do yourself. For instance, it is our responsibility to forgive ourselves and others first before we can ask God to forgive us. Praying with a forgiving mind makes your prayer effective (Matthew 6:15). Also remember to mean what you say and say what you mean in prayer.
Stay Obedient and Humble
Your ability to pray does not automatically make you God’s favorite or superhuman. You are still a mortal who needs the mercy, grace and wisdom of God to make right choices. The moment you think and act as though prayer makes you infallible or undefeated, you lose the protection of God. Always stay obedient and humble no matter how much you pray every day (James 4:6).
Conclusion
Prayer is a practice all believers must try to keep. It has many blessings if done regularly. Prayer brings us closer to God, opens our eyes to spiritual things and bestows on us God’s powerful presence. However, we must do everything in our power to secure the best place to pray. Just one prayer can change our lives forever, so we must take time to do it well.
Read: 10 Powerful Benefits of Prayer
How to Pray According to the Will of God