Prayer - Getting Started
In this series, I will be discussing the basics of Christian life and practice. Specifically, I will discuss what prayer is and present one of the best ways to learn how to pray. If you are new the Christian life, or you just want to develop a better habit of prayer, this session of Getting Started will guide you through one of the best ways to learn how to pray - a way that will help you better enjoy a full spiritual life with Christ.
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This is series is brought to you by "Militant Thankfulness: An Essential Practice to Experiencing a Full Spiritual Life."
What is prayer?
Prayer has been defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship." According to Matthew 6:9-13, prayer is the art and discipline of connecting with God relationally. Prayer is a "means of grace" by which we can offer thanksgiving and praise, request help, and confess our needs to God (Richard Foster).
As can be seen from "the Lord's prayer" in Matthew 6, prayer is how we approach God. In brief, Prayer is the giving of praise and petition to the Lord (vs. 9, 11-13), and it is a way by which God gives us insight into His will and guidance for our participation in His kingdom enterprise (vs. 10; cf. Heb. 4:16). It is a two-way street.
Why is prayer important to the Christian life?
As you can tell, this is why prayer is so essential to the Christian life. This is one way we actively engage in a relationship with our Lord. Prayer is not only one of the ways we connect with God, but it is also one of the ways we position ourselves to receive from him. Everyone knows that a relationship (by definition) requires participation from both parties involved. It cannot be considered a relationship if the effort is only one-sided. This means if we leave all the effort in God's court, and we do nothing, we rob ourselves of the joy of a real relationship with God.
"Prayer is the link that connects us with God" (A. B. Simpson).
"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing" (Martin Luther).
"Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of Him that we are capable of in this life" (William Law).
"Prayer is one of the ways we access that which God has already made available to us. It allows us to better experience the joy that our deceitfully wicked hearts attempt to hide from us" (Dusty Dahlin).
(Prayer: Does it make any Difference? - Recommended by Dusty)
"Getting Started"
Now that we have seen the incredible importance of prayer, I want to suggest one way you can learn how to pray today. Not only will this help you learn how to pray, but it will also help you develop a better prayer life and habit of prayer. This technique is called "praying Scripture."
This practice is exactly what it sounds like. This is where you open the Bible, and you use the inspired prayers of Scripture to inspire your own prayers to God. The objective is to use God's word as the foundation for your prayer and to allow the Bible to inspire you to pray. I highly recommend you utilize the Psalms for this practice. Being that the Psalms are the divinely inspired prayers of godly people, it is a great place to start. It is quite simple. This is what I would recommend if you are just beginning your Christian walk or if you would like to better develop a more meaningful prayer life.
Let me give you an example. For this example, I will show you how to pray through Scripture with Psalm 139. (Although I am providing an example of how to do this with Psalm 139, you can engage this practice with any passage of the Bible).
1) Prayerfully begin reading the Psalm back to God.
"O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways" (ESV, Psalm 139:1-3).
(ESV Study Bible - Recommended by Dusty)
2) When you get to a point that inspires you, you allow that inspiration to drive your own prayer time with the Lord. Perhaps, it will go something like this:
“Lord, you are SO glorious. It is incredible how NOTHING escapes your sight. I want to thank you for searching me and knowing me. I cannot be more grateful for this. This demonstrates to me how truly personal and close you are to me. Your Word says that you know every part of me. Every part of my life and actions are always before you. In the same way as you know me, please, Lord, help me to know you better.”
3) Keep reading through whatever Psalm you have selected, and repeat this process as often as you are inspired.
"Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me" (vs. 4-5).
Perhaps the above verses would inspire to pray as follows:
“Lord, not only do you know me, but you are always present with me. You are ALWAYS with me - a treasure and a privilege I do not deserve. A truth for which I am eternally grateful! Today, Jesus, please help me be more sensitive to your presence in my life. Help me to more fully recognize how it is you "hem me in, behind and before." I want nothing more than to sense your "hand upon me."
And that is it! Praying through Scripture like this is one of the most powerful and simple ways to learn how to pray, and to develop a better habit of prayer. WARNING! It is IMPORTANT to remember the objective is not systematizing prayer into some formula; the goal is to use the Bible to inspire your own heart-felt, and sincere, times of prayer with the Lord! Remember, I believe the Bible should not just be known - it should be experienced. It is one thing to know that God's word prescribes prayer as a spiritual discipline for the Christian life, but it is another put it into practice so you can actively engage God in relationship.
