How to Pray: Speaking From the Heart
I think so many times people shy away from praying or hesitate to pray because they simply don’t know how to pray. Previously we discussed the whys and whens and wheres of praying. I’d like to spend a little time now on the hows. We’ll look at some of the best ways to speak to and approach God. Discussing in a few different posts, I’ll share some ways of “how to pray”. In this post, I’ll focus on how to pray by speaking from the heart.
Afraid of not doing it “right”
I know from personal experience that praying can seem intimidating (especially if you have to pray out loud). I’ve always been a rule-follower, and sometimes I’ve been reluctant to pray for fear of not doing it right. I was afraid that God wouldn’t hear me or answer me if I didn’t know how to pray correctly or follow the right pattern or recipe for prayer. I’ve heard so MANY formulas over the years! Which one is the right one? Which one do I use for which occasion? What if I get it wrong? What if I leave a step out?
Well, I’ve learned that there are really many effective ways you can pray. However, all in all, the most important thing I’ve learned is that God is understanding and meets you where you are. Contrary to popular thinking, He’s NOT a legalistic God who says, “Oh…you didn’t give praise and thanks first before making a request of me. Too bad, so sad. Guess you’re not going to get your prayer answered this time.” God cares more about speaking from the heart than He cares about the specific words or the way that we pray. He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him and be just honest. He wants us to just be ourselves with Him. God already knows what we think and feel anyway.
“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” James 5:16 (AMP)
Want powerful and effective prayers? Don’t be fake.
It’s the earnest and heartfelt prayers that are the powerful and effective ones. For me, it’s such a turn-off when I hear prayers that sound so fake and ingenuine. Prayers like…