Prayer

Prayer has been on my mind to share, but I've struggled to develop a consistent theme or punchline to the topic.  So I'm going to throw all my thoughts down and see what comes of it.

How do you pray?

For someone who has never believed, this is definitely a challenging subject.  It can feel like prayer is a ritual that you need to get just right for God to hear you.  If you don't feel God's presence or see your prayer answered your mind will go to whether you're "doing it right" or if God is even real.  

In my opinion, there is no "right" way to pray.  However there is one rule, do it with sincerity.  Don't just say words without any thought or meaning behind them.  Pray with conviction that you want to see God work in your life (if you're a non-believer) or for believer, that you know that God will answer your prayers.

So on to some questions I had when I first got into praying:

• Can you pray in your mind (self-dialogue)? YES
• Can you pray out loud? YES
• What do I do with my hands/body?  Whatever is comfortable for you.  Sometimes I will fold my hands in reverence, other times I will sit with my arms wide open welcoming God and his wisdom in.
• How do you start/end a prayer?  How do you ask for something? However you want.  Think about it like you are having a conversation with God.

At the end of the day God is all knowing, so He already knows what you're asking for.  The prayer isn't for Him, its for you to acknowledge to yourself that you are trusting God with whatever you pray on.

One recommendation I have is to not only say your piece, but to pause and listen for God's response.  Wait 60 seconds or better yet wait 5 minutes, and during that time see what comes to your mind.  If you're like me it may be hard to distinguish your own thoughts from God but if you reflect back you may be able to identify things that come from you (they are consistent with your personality) and the things that come from God (things you wouldn't typically say or think of doing).

Is there a benefit to praying out loud?

Like I mentioned previously, God already knows what you are asking for, so it isn't for Him.  However I do believe that praying out loud is beneficial, for me anyway.  It allows me to put my feelings and emotions into what I'm asking God for.  Its a way to emphasis God's power and/or my weakness.  Try it the next time you pray.  Ask God for something with the enthusiasm and power you know he has (think of it like trying to motivate a team).  Or conversely, let God know how completely incapable you are of tackling this problem and how dependent you are on Him to help (consider the emotions of a child whom just hurt themselves going to their parents for comfort).

What things should I ask God for?

Again, for a new believer or someone exploring Christianity this can be a tricky thing.  You may find yourself praying for grandiose things, things that are impossible for you to see God work in (examples: ease the suffering of the poor, safety of our police and military, etc.).

Let me preface this with there is no right or wrong thing to pray for.  But if you're unsure on what to pray for I highly suggest the following:

• Have a short list - its easy to write pages of things to ask for, but you want to be focused on your  specific needs and not getting through everything you wrote down.  I suggest 2-5 items a day.
• Ask for specific things you need - this will allow you the opportunity to see God work in your life.  I suggest picking some short term things (items that will resolve in a few days to a week) and some longer term items (months to years).
• Write down what you ask for and reflect daily on if/how God has answered your prayers - you can't demonstrate progress if you don't measure things.  Through writing and reflecting you will see how God is working for you.  This will strengthen your faith as it will become clear to you how much God does on your behalf.

When do I pray?

Easy answer, whenever you want or need to!  To provide some suggestions, you should set aside some time every day to have a thoughtful prayer with God.  Additionally pray in times of weakness (temptation or when you feel incapable).  I find prayer especially effective in those times of weakness.  In those 15 second prayers where I ask God to take my anxiety or help me through something its always amazing to look back and see how quick and effective that prayer can be.

Conclusion (the Punchline)

Prayer is powerful.  Its your direct connection with God.  So do it!  Do it consistently and with purpose.