The Bible teaches us that there are different ways to pray. In Matthew 6, Jesus was asked this question and this is His response:
Where
“When you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for fifteen minutes of fame! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
How
The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Why
Jesus told his disciples in John 15:7–8, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
When you pray you enter into a relationship with God, you need not worry what to say as God knows your heart and the Bible says that both Jesus and the Holy Spirit will intercede for you (Romans 8). By reading the Bible and praying, you begin to develop your understanding of who God is.
What
It says in Romans 8:26 & 27
“… the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God”.
If prayer is like a conversation, then just chat! To help we have also included a few helpful links.
Who
In Ephesians 1 verses 3 to 10 it says:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”
In simple terms we pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
When
Whenever you need to call out or want to spend time listening. There is no answer machine, no queue waiting. God always promises to hear us, the challenge is that sometimes we might not like what He is saying, or we may feel He is not answering. Yet, the Bible says that God is Love and that He loves you so much, Matthew 6: 25-34.