Let Us Pray

I recently participated in an amazing 5-day prayer teleconference and heard a surprising statistic. Did you know that the average Christian prays less than 10 minutes a day? That’s right—of the 1,440 minutes we have in each day, the average Christian sets aside less than 10 of those minutes for talking to God in prayer. In light of this statistic, would you consider yourself an average, below average, or above average Christian? Read on!

How do we pray?
In Matthew 6:5–15, Jesus tells us how to pray. He begins by warning us not to be pretentious or superfluous with our prayers. Then, Jesus goes on to give us the familiar prayer opening of, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” which many of us know as the Lord’s Prayer. Many religious experts call this the “Model Prayer,” and consider it an outline for structured prayer. Yet we know that any simple, but humble prayer is also pleasing to God.

When and where should we pray?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us, “pray continually.” Now, that doesn’t mean that we have to be on our knees at all times or at specific intervals throughout the day. Prayer can take place at any time and any where. We can pray during the day or night. We can pray on our knees or while walking, driving, or working.

What should we pray for?
In Ephesians 6:18, after telling us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Our prayers should not only be for ourselves and our needs, but we should also remember our brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers.

Expanding your prayer life
• Set aside a specific time each day for prayer, such as when you wake up in the morning or just before bed at night.
• Pray with your family. When children see their parents praying, they begin to develop good prayer habits of their own.
• Find out from your pastor or church secretary if your church holds prayer sessions during the week. Corporate prayer is a wonderful and powerful experience.
• If you have a special prayer request and would like someone to join you in praying for your need, send an email to Rev. Heather Greene (host of the 5-day prayer teleconference) at prayerrewards@yahoo.com.

Don’t forget…seven days without prayer makes one weak!