I often ask myself if I'm praying as well as I should. I feel that prayer is both a simple and complex practice for Christians. A message I heard the other day gave me the inspiration for this post about prayer and its importance and effectiveness in our life.
One way to focus on our prayer should be F.B.I.
Frequent:
We should pray frequently. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply tells us to "Pray continually". Ephesians 6:18 says "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this is mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." We can say a quick one sentence prayers as we head into a meeting, or between tasks. We should keep our minds and hearts focused on Christ at all times. Pray at work before you open and start the day, pray between clients, pray with clients if the opportunity presents itself.
Brief:
We can pray briefly. We are not required to recite long repetitive prayers to God. Matthew 6:7-8 tells us "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Praying to God is not like telling our kids something where we have to repeat it and tell them over and over. He already knows our desires and prayers before we even ask. It's not necessary to carry on a long list of babble, just tell God how great he is, tell him thank you, confess yours mistakes, and ask for what you need in his will.
Intense:
We are to pray with intensity. Luke 22:44 says "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground". Jesus was praying so intensely that his sweat became blood. I've done some pretty tough workouts in my life but I have never had my sweat turn into blood. When we pray, we are talking to God, the creator of the universe. We should be so excited that he's willing to listen to us that we pray with passion.
Prayer is different for everyone, and different for individuals at different times. Sometimes we need to ask God something, other times we just want to praise Him, sometimes submit to Him, and other times we just need to be still and listen to Him. No matter what technique works best for your prayer life, the most important part is that you have one.
One way to focus on our prayer should be F.B.I.
Frequent:
We should pray frequently. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply tells us to "Pray continually". Ephesians 6:18 says "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this is mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." We can say a quick one sentence prayers as we head into a meeting, or between tasks. We should keep our minds and hearts focused on Christ at all times. Pray at work before you open and start the day, pray between clients, pray with clients if the opportunity presents itself.
Brief:
We can pray briefly. We are not required to recite long repetitive prayers to God. Matthew 6:7-8 tells us "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Praying to God is not like telling our kids something where we have to repeat it and tell them over and over. He already knows our desires and prayers before we even ask. It's not necessary to carry on a long list of babble, just tell God how great he is, tell him thank you, confess yours mistakes, and ask for what you need in his will.
Intense:
We are to pray with intensity. Luke 22:44 says "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground". Jesus was praying so intensely that his sweat became blood. I've done some pretty tough workouts in my life but I have never had my sweat turn into blood. When we pray, we are talking to God, the creator of the universe. We should be so excited that he's willing to listen to us that we pray with passion.
Prayer is different for everyone, and different for individuals at different times. Sometimes we need to ask God something, other times we just want to praise Him, sometimes submit to Him, and other times we just need to be still and listen to Him. No matter what technique works best for your prayer life, the most important part is that you have one.
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