Living in prayer

How are we supposed to pray? What are we supposed to say or do? Does it need to be formal, at a certain time or on a certain day? There are so many questions about prayer and what we do and how we do it. I don't have the answers but I have my experience and my insight. All I can do is share it, with the hopes that someone profits from it. That they may gain a better understanding or outlook as to how they approach prayer in their own lives.

1 Thess 5:17 says "pray without ceasing", Mark 11:24 says "therefor I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they shall be granted to you". Luke 11 talks of Jesus telling His disciples when they pray they should speak the words of the Lord's pray, Our Father who art in heaven..... Phil 4:6 says "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"

The word pray or prayer is noted 27 times in my bible, the New American Standard edition. On one hand I think that 27 times is a lot, on the other I think, this is the Bible, I would think it would tell me a thousand things about prayer! I'm glad it is 27 times, that is plenty for me.

To me prayer is an evolutionary process, it is too complex to understand completely when first trying to make it part of your life and routine. As time goes by and you continue to try different approaches, like anything else, you find what works for you.

I believe there are two things that are important; one would be quiet, meditative prayer.

For me this includes reverence and humility. An extreme and total respect for the very act I am engaging in and humbling myself before the Lord to let Him know that I believe that He commands respect! When I say this I mean the actual act of getting down on my knees and asking for His guidance and wisdom and discernment. Formally professing my inability to comprehend His greatness and plan for my life. At the same time asking for the willingness to let Him lead me in the right direction. Asking for His wisdom in knowing when to make the proper choices and to exercise His will and not my own. This is something I do to start my day. I get out of bed, then I make my bed. To me this is just as much a part of it, because I feel (now) as though I should make this area, where I am about to dedicate my day to Christ, formal and acceptable. After which I get on my knees and I drape a prayer shawl over my head and proceed with my daily petitions. Just to qualify; it has taken me a great many years to get to this routine, the most important part, I believe is the act of getting on your knees, the other stuff can come later, if you even want it too.

The second thing I think is important is the constant dedication

"Pray without ceasing" says 1 Thessalonians. Having an almost constant dialogue with God throughout your day. Including Him in your decisions and how you try to figure things out. The constant contact helps you in trying to discern Gods will for you through out your day. Making God your conscience, which is essentially what He is. God dwells within each and everyone of us, so why not tap into that through out the day? I constantly talk out load to myself, but it helps me to hear what God wants me to do! It's funny when you hear your daily situations spoken out loud. Often times they end up seeming minute as far as problems, or humorous as far as what we stress out about. For me this constant back and forth makes life easier to handle in this insanely un-Godly world!

Here's a side bar that I have the hardest of times with but I do believe that I am coming around; Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you" I'll be totally honest and tell you I have the hardest time with this. I do believe deep in my heart that God wants all good things for us who love Him. But when you have to constantly battle with the negativeness of this world and the bad that is in it, believing that you will get what you want is hard. In the mean time I say this simple prayer. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief! And you know I didn't start saying that prayer until recently, but if I knew it when I first came to the Lord in 1994 it would have been the only prayer I said.

All I know is what works for me. I know that it is work, constant, but so very rewarding work. I know that our prayers do not go unheard and that there is a ton of power in the act, process and belief in prayer. So if anything or nothing do what 1 Thessalonians says and "pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"