{"id":14,"date":"2018-08-07T18:42:19","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T18:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/?p=14"},"modified":"2020-02-19T17:45:48","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T17:45:48","slug":"how-to-pray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/2018\/08\/07\/how-to-pray\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pray, What to Pray, and Getting Results."},"content":{"rendered":"

Prayer\u2014hard to get into, hard to understand, and how do we know if we\u2019re doing it properly?!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Bible is how God speaks to us; prayer is how we speak to God<\/strong>. Prayer is our way of communicating everything with God. It\u2019s a huge part of our relationship with our Heavenly Father and should be a priority every day.<\/p>\n

Bear Grylls, famous adventurer and survival expert, wrote this testimony about prayer in the foreword of Dirty Glory<\/em><\/a>, a book written by Pete Grieg. He comments about the power of prayer in the lives of ordinary people:<\/p>\n

I was about sixteen when I remember praying one of my first real prayers. I didn\u2019t grow up going to church, but I\u2019d always had faith. Then my godfather, who was like a second dad to me, died, and I was devastated. I remember climbing a tree and saying a very simple prayer: \u201cIf you\u2019re there, will you please be beside me. Be my friend.\u201d That was the start of something that has grown to become the backbone of my life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Six years later, when my parachute ripped and I fell thousands of feet to earth, you\u2019d better believe I was crying out to God\u2014you don\u2019t get many atheists in a situation like that! And maybe my prayers were answered, because the surgeon later said I came \u201cwithin a whisker\u201d of total paralysis.<\/p>\n

Eighteen months later, as I stood on top of Everest mesmerized by the incredible curvature of the earth from the top of the world\u2019s highest mountain, it was just natural to feel, \u201cWow, God, you made all this?\u201d I guess that is worship. And what a privilege to climb mountains with the One who made them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

My Christian faith has so often been a quiet backbone to our life as a family and through my work. When I took President Obama into the Alaskan wilderness for an episode of Running Wild<\/em>, it was a special moment to finish the adventure by praying together. Out in the wild you discover pretty quickly that even the most famous, extraordinary people are asking the same questions and looking for the same things in life as all the rest of us. It was another president\u2014Abraham Lincoln\u2014who once confessed, \u201cI have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.\u201d Smart and humble man.<\/p>\n

I probably don\u2019t go to church as much as I should, but I do start every day on my knees, praying by my bed, asking God for strength and wisdom for the day ahead. That is the grounding for my day. Christianity isn\u2019t about religion. It\u2019s about a real relationship with God\u2014[learning how to pray,] being held, being forgiven, finding joy, finding home. And at the heart of that kind of relationship is the conversation we call prayer: asking God for help when life is tough, thanking him for the good things, and trying to listen out for that still, small voice of his guidance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Hands<\/p>\n

Another, highly recommended book, Touchpoints for New Believers<\/em><\/a>, beautifully answers some of the biggest questions about prayer:<\/p>\n

Q. Why is prayer important?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.<\/strong> There\u2019s more to prayer than just getting an answer to a ques\u00adtion or a solution for a problem. God often does more in your heart through the act of prayer than he does in actually answering your prayer. As you persist in conversation with God, you will receive important things such as the power and desire to obey him, the strength to overcome evil with good, the supernatural ability to love and forgive, the character to persevere in your faith, and the courage to be his witness [talk about God] to those who don\u2019t know him. You can pray confidently for wisdom and guidance in all situations, knowing that you are asking for the very things God most longs to give.<\/p>\n

Q. Does God always answer prayer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.<\/strong> God listens carefully to every prayer and answers it. His answer may be yes<\/em>, no<\/em>, or wait<\/em>. Doesn\u2019t any loving parent give all three of these responses to a child at different times? God\u2019s answering yes<\/em> to every request would spoil you and be dangerous to your well-being. Answering no<\/em> to every request would be vindic\u00adtive, stingy, and damaging to your spirit. Answering wait<\/em> to every prayer would be frustrating. God always answers, but his answers are based on what he knows is best for you. When you don\u2019t get the answer you want, don\u2019t interpret it as silence from God but as a signal that he is pointing you in a specific direc\u00adtion. Your spiritual maturity will grow as you seek to under\u00adstand that God\u2019s answer is in your best interest.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Q. Does prayer\u2014whether others are praying for me or I am praying for them\u2014really make a difference? <\/strong><\/p>\n

A. It is easy to become discouraged if you think there is nothing anyone can do for you\u2014or nothing that you can do to help someone you care about. But in fact, the most important thing you can do for others, and that others can do for you, is to pray. In ways beyond human understanding, intercessory prayer is a channel for the love and power of God, as well as creating a deep bond of fellowship between human beings. Thus, [prayer] is a vital source of hope.<\/p>\n

So now we know that prayer is important and why we should do it for ourselves and others. But you probably have a ton of other burning questions. Let\u2019s try to answer some.<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>. Can I pray effectively while doing something else at the same time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.<\/strong> Yes you can, in some<\/em> circumstances. Praying in the shower is fine, or while you\u2019re cleaning the house, walking the dog, or eating. Any moment when you don\u2019t have to use full brain capacity to concentrate on something else is a good moment for prayer. You should, however, prioritize your prayers to God. If you\u2019re just praying because you want to be distracted from something else, that\u2019s probably not going to be the most effective prayer, because you\u2019re not putting God first. Try to carve out specific, dedicated time for prayer.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>. How can I know that God is listening?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.<\/strong> God is always listening, He doesn\u2019t turn off! If you want a way to track your prayers and note God\u2019s answers, try a prayer journal, like this one. >><\/a> This may help you to review and see over time how your prayers have been answered.<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>. Why do I find it so hard to concentrate on praying? I get constantly distracted by other thoughts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.<\/strong> This happens to all of us! Try these techniques to stay on track:<\/p>\n