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Talking To God |
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What is Prayer?Prayer is our half of a conversation with God. Like a normal conversation, there are no specific words to say. Still, Jesus revealed that there are certain areas that we should cover in a prayer. We discuss this on our Relationships page. If you have not yet read that page, you can do so by clicking this sentence. Jesus model prayer in Matthew chapter 6, verses 9-13 (Matthew 6:9-13) contains four parts: Praise of GodRequests Made of God Asking for Forgiveness Requests to Keep Us from Temptation We are offering this page as an expanded guideline for those of us who would like a fuller explanation. We Get HelpBefore getting started, it is important to remember that the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray. This makes our sincere and respectful prayers sound just right to God (see Romans 8:26, 27). Putting it on PaperWe use a written prayer list to keep focused. We also keep a piece of blank paper nearby. We do this in case we remember something unrelated to our prayer, so we can write the idea down and keep from worrying that we will forget it. This keeps us from being distracted from our prayers for more than a few seconds. Also, we all have days where their lives are so stressful that it is hard to concentrate. All we can think of is, God, please help! Remember, besides ourselves, we need to focus on God. For such times, having a physical prayer list will help us get started. The following prayer list is only a guideline, showing how a prayer following Jesus model prayer might appear when written out in some detail. The words in quotation marks show some sample phrases. These are not special words. Do not feel that you have to use them. Instead, speak the way you do normally. Also, you do not need to use the whole list. Of course, you will want to personalize this prayer list by using specific peoples names or referring to yourself when appropriate. The Prayer ListPraise of GodThank you for adopting us through Jesus Christ, letting us have redemption through his blood, and the forgiveness of our sins (see Ephesians 1:5,7). Help us rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus (see 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Requests Made of God
Asking for ForgivenessForgive us and remove the burden of our mistakes. Help us forgive people when they sin against us (see Matthew 6:14, 15). Requests to Keep Us from TemptationThank you for protecting us from Satan. Bind (tie up) the strong man (Satan) so that we can live as Christians, accomplishing what we need to without hindrance (see Matthew 12:29). Put a hedge of protection around us and our household and everything we have (see Job 1:10). Your Prayer List Will ChangeOver time, your prayer list will change to reflect your relationship with God. That is expected. A prayer list is only an aid to help you communicate effectively to God each day. |
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Copyright © 2000 by Clarifying Christianity (SM). Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All information contained in Clarifying Christianity is a resource for questions dealing with Christian issues. It is not to be taken as Christian counseling. Seek a qualified Christian counselor for help with all such issues. If you choose to work with a Christian counselor, it is your responsibility to ask pertinent questions before you begin, to assure yourself of their qualities and abilities. 5617 |