Prayer Tools (1/2)

Sometimes prayer feels like a foreign language to me. But that doesn't mean I can't learn it. And just like there are plenty of language tools, there are plenty of ways to learn the language of prayer.

On Sunday I led a prayer confessing sin, remembering Jesus' sacrifice that led to our forgiveness, and asking God to embolden us to walk in faith and share the news of Jesus Christ with the world. I put it between "What A Beautiful Name," which outlines Jesus' ministry and passion; and "You Make Me Brave," which thanks God for the boldness his Spirit gives. I wrote the prayer out ahead of time, primarily because when I'm leading a group of people to pray, I want to think carefully about what I say ahead of time, because I realize that my prayer is also teaching others how to pray.

That's how I learned to pray, too: from others. Of course, I grew up in a context with only pre-written prayers. They were ornate and beautifully written, and I learned a lot of theology from them. They gave me, I think, a healthy reverence for God, and a sense of awe that through Jesus I can approach the throne. Unfortunately, I think they also gave me an idea that there are special words or language used in prayer. In truth, the words matter less than the heart behind the prayer. But I'm still learning this truth.

Apparently I have this in common with the Jesus' disciples, because prayer was an issue for them, too. During one of his times of teaching, Jesus gave the disciples a model for prayer that we usually call "The Lord's Prayer" or "The Disciples' Prayer" (see Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:2-4).

Over the next couple weeks I'll share some tools I've heard that have helped me to pray. Let me start with the concepts I see in the Lord's Prayer. If we want to use the Lord's Prayer as a model, we might try the following in our prayer:

Praise God (v. 9) - Tell the Father He's awesome. Tell Him you loved the sunset He created last night. Tell Him He's everything you need, that He's better than anything you've encountered. Thank Him for the good things you've seen Him give you lately. Read a Psalm of praise (try Psalms 146 thru 150). Think and speak on God's love, goodness, might, peace, etc.

Submit to God (v. 10) - Acknowledge you want Him to lead. Invite God to bring his kingdom into the aspects of your life that need reformation.

Ask God (part 1) (v. 11) - Ask God to meet your needs. God is not a genie, of course, but He wants to give us good things and for us to see how He provides for our needs. So if something's on your heart, if you need something from God, tell him.

Ask God (part 2) (v. 12-13) - Ask God to protect you from temptation and the schemes of the devil. Confess your sins. Remember that Jesus has forgiven, and so try to forgive others. If you need help forgiving, ask God for that, too.

Next week I'll talk about an acronym that I've found helpful in praying. Also: make plans to attend our viewing of War Room next Friday night, March 31. It'll be worth your time, I guarantee, as it's all about the impact and importance of prayer.