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Bible studies |
| Dear God, Help us to pray in your spirit. Help us where we lack. Help us to have the right motives and attitudes when we pray. Reveal to us what needs changing, and help us to do it. Help us to find and use the methods of prayer that works for us and to use them in our communication with you. Help us to learn to hear your voice and respond immediately to it. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit to help and guide us. Thank you for intercessions made for us. In Christ’s name we ask it, Amen Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Ways To Pray There are several different ways to pray. I want to discuss today some various prayer methods that we can all utilize in our daily prayer life. It is good to know of a variety of ways you can pray. Prayer is such an important part of a Christian’s life. In my personal prayer life, I keep a journal. I am learning and trying different methods as well. If you pray the same list repeatedly, you may grow a bit bored with your prayers. This is what happened to me. So I am reorganizing my journal, and I am going to try some of the stuff we talk about today. We communicate with family and friends in more than one way. Why don't we communicate with God in different ways too? He wants that intimate relationship with us also. We communicate with emails, texts, letters, phone calls, instant messages, social media posts, face-to-face conversations, non-verbally, and sharing experiences. Just as we communicate in different ways with others, we need to seek to communicate in different ways with God to build a truly deep and meaningful relationship with Him too. Prayer is such a broad subject. There are so many things we can study about prayer. I want to touch bases of a few different aspects of prayer. I hope to keep it brief but informative. Attitude of Prayer There are different postures of prayer. To name a few, there is standing, kneeling, bowing, laying with face towards the ground, and with hands stretched towards heaven. However, I want to focus on attitudes. First of all, it is important that we have the right attitude in our heart when we pray. We need to constantly be aware of the attitudes of our heart, but especially when we pray. We are talking to the God of the Universe, the creator of Heaven and Earth. We need to reverence and respect him as such. Worship We need to pray with an attitude of worship. He is God. There are no other Gods greater than him. He is the creator of everything. Worship him for who he is. Genesis 24:26 ▼ Expectation We need to pray with an attitude of expectation. We expect that God will answer the prayers we pray. We expect to receive what we ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:21-22 ▼ Submission We must pray with an attitude of submission to God's will. In order to pray expectantly, we must pray according to God's will. We know that when we submit our will to God's will, he will give us what we ask him for. Matthew 26:39 ▼ Humility We must pray with an attitude of humility. We must remain humble before God. We are nothing without him. Psalm 95:6-11 ▼ Allegiance We must pray with 100% allegiance toward God. We must be committed to him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We must serve him with everything in us. Isaiah 43:22-23 ▼ Forgiveness We must have the attitude of complete forgiveness when we pray. How can we expect God to forgive us of our sins when we can not or will not forgive a fellow human being whom Jesus died to save? We can not harbor unforgiveness in our hearts and be in the right relationship with God at the same time. Mark 11:25-26 ▼ Thanksgiving and Praise We need to have an attitude of thanksgiving and praise when we enter into prayer. We need to be thankful for everything God has done for us and we need to remember to always praise him. Psalm 100:4 ▼ Patience We must pray with patience, waiting upon God and his timing. If we get in too big of a hurry, it could cause us to sin. It can cause us to miss our blessings. It can cause us to be discouraged. God is an on time God. Just simply trust him. He knows exactly what he is doing. Isaiah 40:31 ▼ Love We must pray with an attitude of love for God and for others. God is love. It is his very nature. 1 John 4:7-8 ▼ Questions to ask ourselves about our attitude: Is what you are praying in alignment with God's will /plan? Are you praying with full sincerity? Are you praying for selfish gain? Do you believe God is definitely going to answer your prayer? Do you have a preconceived idea how God will answer or do you expect that he may answer in an unexpected way? Are you listening and expecting an answer? Do you show gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness for what God is doing in your life? Times of Prayer This is where we can ask questions about times to pray. When should we pray? What is the best time of day to pray? How often should we pray? Psalm 5:3 ▼ . Psalm 55:16-17 ▼ Daniel 6:10 ▼ Acts 3:1 ▼ Acts 10:30 ▼ Luke 1:9-10 ▼ 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ▼ These verses bring new meaning to this old hymn, Sweet Hour of Prayer. https://youtu.be/-feujfKXA_Q As we can see from these verses above, we should never stop praying, and it is good to have set times for prayer every day. Daniel prayed three times a day. Others pray in the morning, and at the 9th hour. Some people pray at night around bedtime. Others pray when they first get up. Some people pray before every meal. We should have a lifestyle of constant communication with God. If you notice someone or something needs to be prayed for, immediately say a prayer. Don't put it off. You might forget about it. It is good to get into the habit of immediately praying the moment God brings something to your attention. Scheduling Prayer This will allow you to work your schedule around prayer. You could schedule prayer times for, when you wake up, use the restroom, shower, eat your meals and snacks, when you are driving. You could make set times for prayer. (example: 6 am, noon, 6 pm, and 9 pm) You could have set prayers ready to pray at these times to make it easier, or just pray whatever is on your heart. Methods of Prayer Acronyms One method that can be used is acronyms. I have listed the ones I know of below. Acts A-Adoration/worshipping and adoring God for who he is C-Confession/confessing sins T-Thanksgiving/giving thanks to God S-Supplication/making your requests known to God Pray P-Praise/Praising God for who he is R-Repent/Humbly acknowledging your sin before God A-Ask/Asking God to provide for your needs and to needs of others. Y-Yield/An act of submission to his will in your life Hearts H-Hearts/Pray that hearts will be softened to receive God's word. Ezekiel 36:26 ▼ E-Eyes and Ears/Pray that our spiritual eyes and ears will be open to receive God's truths and apply them. Acts 26:18 ▼ A-Attitudes/Pray that our attitudes will be adjusted and we will see sins as God sees it. James 2:10 ▼ R-Release/Pray that lives will be released from strongholds, foot holds, and snares of the enemy. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ▼ 2 Timothy 25-26 ▼ T-Transformation/Pray for lives to be transformed to live as true disciples of Christ. 1 John 2:3-6 ▼ John 8:31-32 ▼ S-Stand/Pray that we would stand firmly united as one body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:10 ▼ Prayer (Good to use in praying for others) P-Peace/Pray for peace in the lives of others. Pray that God will calm their heart and quiet their fears. Ask him to comfort them and carry them through any trials they may be facing. (Psalm 56:3, Philippians 4:7, Matthew 11:28, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Exodus 33:14, Psalm 68:19-20) R-Relationships/Pray that God draw others to himself. Pray that relationships with family and friends would be strengthened. Pray that any and all offenses would be forgiven, and that love and positive affermations would be spoken. (John 6:44, Exodus 20:12, 1 John 4:20, Proverbs 17:17, John 15:12, Ephesians 4:15) A-Assurance/Ask God to assure them of his great love and faithfulness. (Psalm 117:2, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 103:19, Romans 8:28, Phillipians 1:6) Y-Yielding/Pray for others to yield themselves to God completely. (Joshua 24:23, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 10:9, Hebrews 4:16, Philippians 4:6, Luke 22:42) E-Endurance/Pray that God will uphold others. Pray for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual endurance. Pray for protection against weariness and despair. (Isaiah 41:10, James 1:2-3, James 4:6, Isaiah 40:31, 2 Corinthians 4:8, Psalm 55:2, Isaiah 49:13) R-Restoration/Pray that God would restore health.Pray that he will heal and restore body, mind, and soul. Pray for God to prolong their life and would receive all the glory for doing so. (James 5:15-16, Matthew 8:17, Luke 4:40, 1 Timothy 1:7, 1 Samuel 12:24) Praying Scripture A great way to pray, especially if you don't know what to pray or say, is to pray Scripture. This will also help us to make Scripture personal and learn to apply it to ourselves and our lives. We can personalize Scripture and apply it to our current situation. We can appeal to God's nature as Moses did when he din when interceding for the Israelites in the Wilderness. Praying Scripture is also another good way to get more familiar with what the Bible says. You can look up and pray Scriptures dealing with what you are specifically experiencing at the time. We can pray the prayers found in the Bible. Praying Psalms is good for prayer and praise. Some people pray through the Gospels. They can be used for devotion and prayer. Corporate Prayer Corporate prayer is when you participate with others in a group. This is a common practice when praying as a congregation in a church service. This would also be utilized in a prayer meeting. Prayer Journaling There are several ways to prayer journal. Some people keep a journal with lists of prayer requests and answers. Some people write out prayers. Others may write letters to God. Daily prayer prompts can also be used to write prayers. Dear God letters are a great way to poor out your heart to God in writing. A prayer in written form is also called a petition. Here are a couple of YouTube videos to help you set up a prayer journal. There are many more videos on YouTube if you would like more information. https://youtu.be/-D9S6Yq6zBY https://youtu.be/ElRJCoBvQNo Five Finger Prayer This is a good method to use with children in teaching them to pray. 1. Thumb-It is closest to your heart. Pray for those closest to you, like your family and friends. 2. Pointer Finger-It is used to give directions. Pray for teachers, coaches, therapists, doctors, and first responders. We often rely on these to give us instructions. 3. Middle Finger-It is the tallest finger. Pray for leaders in government, business, and the church. This would include pastors, second, government officials, and bosses. 4. Ring Finger-This is the weakest finger. Pray for those who are sick, poor, and are in need? Pray for the homeless. 5. Pinkie Finger-It is the smallest finger. Pray for yourself and your own needs. When you are done with that, raise your palms towards Heaven in praise! Music You can use music to pray also. Sing a song as a prayer to God. Look up song lyrics, and pray the lyrics as you read them. Listen to music as you pray to help you focus on prayer and set the mood. Art Some people use art to pray and study the Bible. You can draw, color, or paint pictures as you concentrate on what you are praying for. You can also use doodles and icons. Writing poetry can also be a way to pray with art. Prayer Walks Prayer walks are a good way to exercise while you pray. You could walk around your neighborhood, praying for your neighbors and the neighborhood in general as you go. You could walk around your church building or school building and pray for various classrooms, ministries, age groups, etc... You can walk from room to room in your house praying for your family and the activities that take place in each room. You can also do virtual prayer walks. You can pray through your list of contacts in your phone. You could pray over your Facebook friends list, or pray over your email contacts. You could pray for businesses in a google search or use the pages of a telephone directory. Intercessory Prayer Intercessory prayer is when you pray on behalf of others. The prayer walks mentioned above is good for this too. It is confessing their sin and praying for their needs. It is a prayer that focuses on others instead of yourself. Prayers of Others Has someone written out a prayer? Have you ever prayed the Lord's Prayer? Perhaps you have a book of prayers. There are around 600 or more prayers prayed by other people in the Bible. We can pray using the words other people have used to pray. We can even write down our own prayers and use them over again or share them with others so they can pray our prayer. Silent Prayer This is a form of prayer that focuses on just being quiet and listening to God's voice. You are waiting and listening for him to speak to you. Psalm 46:10 ▼ Visual Prayer Prompts These are items you see throughout the day. You may pray when you see an emergency vehicle. You could pray for businesses as you pass by them. You could pray as you see people walking down the sidewalk. Pray for animals you see close to the road. Pray for other people in cars around you or other people eating at a restaurant while you are there and the employees. Pray for churches, communities, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc... Examen Prayer This is a method of prayer I have not tried, but I plan on trying it in the near future. The examen prayer is a method of prayer that you would use at the end of the day, week, month, or year. It is used to examine how we did in that amount of time at the end of it. This prayer will also help you to learn to interact with God's voice and learn to recognize it. 1. Recognize your blessings. 2. Request the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what needs to be seen. 3. Replay that time frame (day, week, month, or year) in your mind. 4. Repent for where you fell short. 5. Resolve to do better in the future. 6. Rejoice in your success and thank God for them. Questions to ask yourself: Where did I best reflect Christ? Did I bring joy to someone? When did I feel the most joy? What moment(s) would I most like to change? When did I reflect Christ the least? What made it so difficult? When did I reflect Christ the most? Where do I need Jesus’ help and guidance? How can I do better from now on? Resources ▼ Jesus is my permanent anchor!  |
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