Prayer. What is it? Yes, we know that it’s conversation with our Lord. But what is it, really? Does it need words? Can it have emotions? How should we do it, and what should we expect from it?
Prayer. What is it? Yes, we know that it’s a conversation with our Lord. But what is it, really? Does it need words? Can it have emotions? How should we do it, and what should we expect from it?
Have you ever wondered what makes the right kind of prayer? Is there only one right way? As I thought about this, I couldn’t help but think, “How I’d love to sit down and talk to the Lord about it.” And then I thought prayer is doing just that.
So I said: Lord tell me what you think about prayer. How should I do it, and what you expect from it. And he reminded me that’s that he did with The Lord’s Prayer. Saying “therefore, this is how you should pray…
Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13 CSB
So as I sat talking with the Lord it seemed he said, “There’s no right way to pray. What I want is for prayer to come from obedient children who want to honor my Father. Who pray with grateful, forgiving hearts that overflow with mercy and grace. And who seek to serve me with purity of heart and action.
He seemed to say he doesn’t really care whether we pray in silence or loudly. On our knees or standing. The use of many words or the use of few. It’s the pure and humble heart that he sees and hears.
And to which our loving heavenly Father responds, “I know your needs. I hear your cry. And I already started answering even before you prayed.”
Image by Milada Vigerova.
Signora Sheila 
These words especially spoke to me: We’re to “pray with grateful, forgiving hearts which overflow with mercy and grace.” I’m thinking that prayers laced with those qualities of gratitude, forgiveness, mercy, and grace are the ones that will delight our Father, and he will delight to answer. We’d do well to keep those words in mind as we enter into prayer! Thank you, Sheila!
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Thank you Nancy! Sorry to be so long in responding to your comment; I was down with a bad sinus infection. But yes, you’re right. If we could only manage to always keep our heart like that it would surely delight our Father. Closer to Jesus we must draw, that is the only way…
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He longs to hear from us more than we ever want to talk to Him. He listens–always. Thanks for the reminder, my friend, Prayer is the only true way to dump the hard of our hearts and allow Him to take the burden from us.
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You’re so right, Dayle. Which is why I wonder why I personally so often nedglect prayer or don’t give it the place of priority it deserves. How great his grace is!!
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I love the image of praying with open hands which translates for me into open hearts. My heart resonates with your comment about wordless prayer because it reminds me of the verse that says “we don’t know what to pray for as we should, so the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that we cannot even hear or speak.” Thank you for this post.
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