"Teach us to Pray"

A friend said the other day, "I don't know how to pray." This was a cry from her heart the same as the cry from the disciples when they said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray ..." Luke 11:1. Maybe, like this friend, you do talk to Jesus, and to your Father in Heaven, but you don't recognise that is prayer. Perhaps your heartcry is to make your prayer time alive and real. I certainly need to increase my prayer life and understand more of what it means to spend time with God. Let's start out together with open hearts to learn from Him. The key is all about a growing relationship between us and the Lord. Just as a child has simple little words to start with and not even sentences, so we can come with our simple prayers - and He delights to hear us! But a child grows and learns, and so can we, and as we learn to pray, we will discover depths of love and trust in our heart for the Lord, who hears and answers!

On the next few posts, I will be sharing some great and exciting truths to be learnt from the pattern Jesus Himself gives us in His prayer, which you can read here in Luke 11, in answer to His disciples request. It is also found in Matthew 6:9-13.

Before we begin here is an outline about what personal prayer is - and what it is not!

What prayer is: 

Talking to God and listening to Him, learning to live in His presence.  He loves us and wants us to spend time with him. He longs for us to bring His Kingdom rule into our circumstances and families and communities. 

What prayer is NOT:

Matt 6:5-8
Prayer is not a parade of fine words to be admired by others! 
It is not for public display. 
It is not a string of requests, or a shopping list of needs.
It is not using repetitive words.
It is not boring!

Prayer consists of: 

Connecting with God

Listening to and loving Him       
Thanking Him
Knowing His forgiveness and cleansing 
ReceivingHis love and promises
Hearing His gentle voice

Praising Him

Asking

Confessing His Word and truth
Worship

Talk  to God as your

                                               Father       Matthew 6:9  

"In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

                                    Friend  John 15:15 

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

                                         Faith-giver   Mark 11:22,24 

 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God." ........

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." 

Jesus tells us plainly that prayer is essentially secret intimate communion with our Father.

Let's ask the Lord to increase our prayer life, to deepen our knowledge of Him and His overflowing grace for us, as we come to Him. 

Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer when He taught His disciples how to pray. This prayer has become a repetitive set of phrases for many, but it is a powerful and exciting way to come into God's presence. The next posts will begin to take us on a journey of discovery. Come and explore with us!