Praying to God

Do you pray?  How often do you pray?  I know that this is a rather personal question, and we would probably not want to answer it in front of the church.  I know that praying to our Father is not my strong point.  This is a sad statement for me to make and I am ashamed to admit it.  However, after talking to a bunch on men I am finding that a lot of men (and women) are prayer challenged.  This does not excuse me for my failure; it is just an interesting fact.  Oh, I do pray.  Actually I pray a lot of little prayers all through the day.  But I do not consistently spend very much time alone with God in prayer.  This is a failure that has been on my mind for a while and I need to be held accountable to it.  Now that I am leading a small group, prayer is something that my wife and I intend to focus on during our mutual ministry time.  So, lets ask ourselves some questions.

1. How many times a day do I pray?
2. About how long are my average prayers?
3. What thing prompts me most to pray?

If we are to understand true prayer, that is, praying God's way, then we must see how people prayed in Scripture. What are the requirements for praying God's way? Is there a certain formula or certain arrangement of words we must repeat? Must we follow a carefully prescribed ritual?


Prayer is not about formulas and rituals, but about faith and relationship, a relationship with God the Father.  In that relationship, are we calling on Him daily, walking and talking with Him, listening and learning from Him. Are we depending on Him moment by moment? That is what He created us for in the beginning, and that is what He recreated us for in Christ.


There are several accounts in the Bible of people who pray.  David was a man of prayer as was Jeremiah, Isaiah, Miriam, Daniel, and Jesus.  There are many other biblical people who pray including the wonderful prayer of Solomon in dedicating the temple.


But lets look at Daniel.  Here was a man who was taken into captivity as a young man and spent the remainder of his life in a foreign land.  Furthermore, during his time in captivity he went through many trials but he NEVER forgot to talk to God.  You see him praying in Daniel 2:16-23; 6:10; 11; 13; 9:2-4; 17; 20; 21; 23.  Lets look specifically at Daniel 6:10.  Read the first 9 verses of Daniel in order to understand the context and notice what his response is in verse 10.  Even the prospect of death did not keep Daniel from his daily prayers.  And of course, you know the rest of the story.


Prayer is not a time in which we come to receive something from God.  Prayer is an encounter with a Holy God.  It is coming into His presence, entering into fellowship with Him.  It is the means by which we get to know Him.  Out of the personal, intimate knowledge of God the victory of Jesus flow through us and into the world around.  -- The prayer factor (Chicago:  Moody Press, 1988)


Daniel's prayer life affected the world around him, and prayer is still having an impact in the world today.  There are many reasons to pray:  obedience, communion, intercession, praise, thanksgiving, and petitions.  Through prayer we touch and shape our life and the world around us.


Daniel shook kingdoms for God on his knees.  By God's grace we can shake our world for Christ on our knees as well.  


Ephesians 6:10, 12, & 18.


 "The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."