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Home » how to pray

I'm no expert but here are some posts on prayer

4 Keys to Prayer

By Paula Wiseman

4 Keys to Prayer title graphic

Prayer is not just a religious ritual or a last resort in desperate times; it is supposed to be a vital, ongoing conversation with our Creator. Through prayer, we connect with God, aligning our hearts with His will and tapping into His infinite wisdom and power. But let’s be honest. We pray most when there is a great need. That’s okay. Scripture records some very intense needs that were met with prayer and we can see some definite keys to prayer to help us in trying times. Consider the following.

Biblical Examples of Prayer in Crisis

Moses at the Red Sea: In Exodus 14, when the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, Moses cried out to God. (This is one of my favorite moments in Scripture!) God responded by parting the sea, providing a miraculous escape. This teaches us that no problem is too great for God when we bring it to Him in prayer.

King Hezekiah’s Illness: In 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah was told by the prophet Isaiah that he would die from his illness. Hezekiah prayed earnestly, and God extended his life by fifteen years. This story reminds us that prayer can change even the most dire circumstances.

Jesus in Gethsemane: In Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus prayed fervently in the Garden of Gethsemane, seeking strength to face the cross. His prayer exemplifies surrender to God’s will, showing us that prayer can fortify us to endure our greatest challenges.

Keys to Prayer for Big Problems

Those examples lead us to some specific keys to prayer.

Pray with Faith: Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. When we pray, we must believe that God is able and willing to intervene. For some, the “willing” part is tougher to grasp than the “able” part. Remember, your Father loves and delights in you. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
(Luke 12:32)

Pray with Specificity: In Philippians 4:6, Paul instructs us to bring our requests to God. Being specific in our prayers helps us clarify our needs and recognize God’s answers. Seeing those specific answers helps our faith grow, too.

Pray with Persistence: Jesus encourages persistent prayer in Luke 18:1-8 with the parable of the persistent widow. Don’t give up praying, even when answers seem delayed. God’s timing is as significant as the answer itself. Will God get annoyed with your constant requests like the unjust judge in the parable? The parable’s point is that if even an unjust judge can be persuaded, how much more will your Father be moved to action?

Pray with Surrender: As Jesus did in Gethsemane, we should pray with a heart willing to accept God’s will, trusting that His plans are for our good (Romans 8:28). Really, isn’t this our ultimate goal in everything–to have the same surrender to the will of God that Christ had.

A practical example

Suppose you’re facing a significant financial crisis. Here’s how you might approach it with our keys to prayer:

Faith: Trust that God is your provider (Philippians 4:19).

Specificity: Pray for wisdom to manage your finances, opportunities for additional income, and provision for your specific needs, like groceries, rent, or gasoline.

Persistence: Commit to praying daily (even multiple times each day) about your situation, not losing heart even when answers aren’t immediate.

Surrender: Trust that God knows your needs and will provide in His perfect timing, even if His provision looks different from what you expect.

Remember, God is not distant or indifferent to our struggles. He invites us to cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). By turning to Him and taking advantage of the keys to prayer, we not only seek solutions to our problems but also deepen our relationship with our loving Father.

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: 1 Peter, 2 Kings, 4 Keys series, Exodus, how to pray, Luke, Matthew, Philippians, Romans

Do Three Things

By Paula

Do Three Things title graphic with a hand holding up 3 fingers

In one short verse, Paul encourages us to do three things.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope.
We know what we’ve been given and forgiven.
We know what awaits us.
We know it’s a sure thing.
Don’t take it for granted or push it to a corner of your attention.

Be patient in tribulation.
The hard times will come. Or they are here.
Affliction, trouble, testing.
Endure, hang on, and watch for the reinforcements.
Watch for the redemption in the midst of the hard stuff.

Be constant in prayer.
Constant means steadfast. Devoted.
It is the very breath of our life.
Don’t get discouraged when the answer doesn’t come instantly.
Hang in there.

Do three things. Three little, not-so-little, things.

How much will change if we do them?

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Apostle Paul, how to pray, Romans

As For Me

By Paula

AS FOR ME title graphic featuring a young man sitting on a bench in intense prayer.

Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. 1 Samuel 12:23

Samuel was called by God during a critical time in Israel’s history.
They had lived for years under judges descending further and further into apostasy.
In spite of recognizing Samuel as a true prophet, they rejected his leadership and God’s and asked for a king.

Samuel knew the request was rooted in rebellion in the hearts of the people.
He knew it would end in tragedy.
But he knew God’s sovereign plan was not in jeopardy.
He affirmed his commitment to pray and to uphold God’s principles.

As for me, he said, far be it from me that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you.

We have been called out by God during a critical time in history.
We have seen our culture, our world descending further and further into apostasy.
We have seen society reject God leadership and embrace a host of other philosophies.

We know the rejection is rooted in rebellion in the hearts of the people.
We also know that rebellion inevitably ends in tragedy.
In spite of it all, God’s sovereign plan is not in jeopardy.

Let us affirm our commitment to pray and to uphold God’s principles. As for me. As for you.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: 1 Samuel, how to pray

Like Incense

By Paula

Like Incense title graphic showing grey-white smoke on a black background

Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

Incense was a vital component of worship in Israel, but one that we don’t often incorporate in Protestant services. However, knowing that incense symbolizes the intercession and prayers of God’s people, and knowing that so many facets of tabernacle worship were also object lessons, we can learn some important things about our worship and prayer.

The background on incense

In Exodus 30-34-38 God instructs Moses on the makeup and usage of the incense for Israel’s worship. He said to use stacte, onycha, and galbanum, and mix with pure frankincense in equal amounts. Frankincense you’ve probably heard of. Of the others, galbanum is the only one that scholars have positively identified. (However, if you Google them, “essential oils” is one of the autocomplete suggestions for each.) The bottom line is, it smelled terrific, distinctively terrific. But before any of the spices could be used there was some prep work. Each of the ingredients had to be crushed and ground to a fine powder. During the tabernacle and temple ceremonies, it was burned by fire on an altar. One final note: Israel was not allowed to copy the recipe and whip up a batch of the incense for their own personal use.

So let’s take some principles from all that.

Ground – Our sincerest worship often comes from our authentic brokenness and need.

Mixture – Worship and prayer is a mixture, not based on a meticulous, legalistic formula, but definitely a combination of God-honoring things like adoration, thanksgiving, confession, petition, and lament.

Fire – Fire is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, so prayer and worship that are not Spirit-infused are empty.

Distinctive – If we treat worship and prayer as common and ordinary, we dishonor God.

Sweet – The aroma lingered in the space, on the worshiper after it was over. If we don’t carry the impact of our time with God out beyond the designated time and place, it has been empty. I think it’s a fair extrapolation to say that if we bring hypocrisy and sin into our worship, it’s a lot more skunky than sweet.

How would our prayer life and our worship life change if we, like David, came before Him with authenticity, directed by the Holy Spirit, if worship and prayer were a sacred blending of our heart’s cries, and if those moments were lingering and longed for?

Lord, let my prayers be set before You like incense.

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: David, how to pray, Psalms, worship

Acceptable

By Paula

Acceptable title graphic

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

I have always viewed this verse as a prayer, something I wanted God to do for me.
Transform my words, and the thoughts that gave rise to them, so that they are acceptable to You.

It’s an honorable, worthy prayer, born of a desire to please God.

It’s not exactly worded like a prayer though.
These are the words that accompany an offering left on an altar.

See, that changes things.
My words are not held up as something for God to fix.
They are an act of worship.
My thoughts are not something I want Him to sanctify.
They are offered to Him as a sacrifice.

Would the last ten conversations I had make much of an offering?
Even if I only counted the substantive ones?
Would the things my mind and emotions landed on yesterday bring delight to the one I claim as LORD?
Were they His kind of thoughts?

May these gifts I give You be acceptable.
May the things I say,
May the things that linger in my heart and mind,
Be gifts worth giving You,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: how to pray, Psalms, worship

Psalm 62:8

By Paula

Psalm 62:8 title graphic

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Good times, bad, happy, sorrowful, bewildered or amazed times.
When we’re young and old and in-between.
When we’re alone and trying to find where we fit in. When connected and interconnected.
Whether we’re searching or discovering.

Pour out your heart before Him;
Your concerns, worries, hopes, fears, dreams, questions.
Pour it out.
Don’t just let it trickle or sprinkle.
Don’t hold back.

God is a refuge for us.
It is totally safe in His presence.
All those things you just poured out won’t get you ridiculed or rejected.
In His presence we are sheltered and protected.
He comforts and guards us.

Amen.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: how to pray, Psalms

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