I’ve heard many people say that they don’t know how to pray “out loud.” It’s made me wonder if they know how to pray at all. Prayer based in faith is one of the most powerful tools we are given. With prayer comes forgiveness, healing, growth, wisdom and peace. Most of the folks I’ve met would like at least one of these, if not all. I want them.
We need to learn what prayer is, when to pray, how to pray and why we pray. Prayer is honest, heartfelt communication with God. It is seeking Him. Prayer can be praise for His creation, for His blessings, for His being. It can be a request for something that we or another need. Prayer can be private or corporate. We should pray when we’re celebrating and when we’re mourning. We should pray when we get up and go to bed. We should pray throughout our day as we consider all that is around us.
What prayer cannot be is empty words. Jesus taught about prayer in Matthew 6. He stated plainly that shouting on the street corners and meaningless repetition were not the way to reach God. Prayer that is without faith, without love of the Lord will not be heard, will not be answered. Mark 11:22 tells us plainly what Jesus said. “Have faith in God.” In verse 24, He continues: “For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”
For further learning and clarification on the meaning and purpose of prayer, I encourage you to join us Sunday morning as Pastor Ann continues her sermon series on the Kingdom Keys. If you can’t make it into the sanctuary, please consider the Facebook live-stream.