How Should We Pray?


Hello Chosen! Thanks for joining me again.

We have spoken about the importance of prayer before in a Christian’s life, but how should we pray? I believe something so important should be done in a way that pleases God and affords us the maximum benefits. I’m not saying prayers should be monotonous but approaching prayer with structure, does help. How often do we go to pray, and we don’t know what to say? Or we hear someone else praying and we wonder how did they think of all those things to say? Well, that used to happen to me a lot and still does happen at times.


What we’ll discuss won’t be a rigid formula for prayer but simply a guide. After all, prayer is a conversation with God; but the most important conversation we can ever have. The information I’ll share is not new information as with anything discussed on this blog but just a topic I find worthwhile to bring to our forethoughts.

(Source: ibelieve.com)


 In Luke 11, one of Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray and his response was what many of us know as the ‘Our Father Prayer’ or 'The Lord's Prayer'. This may be found in Luke 11: 2-4 (http://bit.ly/Luke11-2-4) and Matthew 6:9-13 (http://bit.ly/Matthew6-9-13). Not only is this a prayer in and of itself but it shows us how to pray. If you examine that prayer carefully, you will find where it:

1.       Gives praise to God
2.       Asks for forgiveness
3.       Applies The Word
4.       Contains intercession
5.       Has petition
6.       Closes with Praise.


I have found an acronym that is a useful guide for the order of prayer, A.C.T.S.:

A – Adoration: Begin your prayer by lavishly praising God. Praise should be done right throughout your prayer and at the end of it but it’s very important to start your prayer with praise as well.

C – Confession: We need to repent as often as we pray and can remember to. We have known and unknown sins pretty much right throughout our existence, so we need confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness.

T – Thanksgiving: There is always something to be thankful for. The very fact that we can come to God in prayer is a reason to be thankful.

S – Supplication: We then earnestly make our requests known to God.


Friends, God doesn’t need our praises, he knows what we have done whether we confess them or not, he knows our heart and he knows our needs before we even ask. However, God likes when we come to him with these things, so surely, we should aim to please him.


Additionally Chosen, prayer should not be selfish. It is important that we pray for others as well. Please do take time out to pray for the following groups of people:

1.       Those in authority over you e.g. your pastor, Prime Minister, your boss, world leaders
2.       Those who teach – teachers at school, Sunday school teachers, etc.
3.       Those who are unsaved (intercession)
4.       Those who are weak – in trouble, suffering
5.       Those closest to you e.g. family and friends
6.       Yourself.


I pray you have been blessed and now have a clearer approach to prayer.


God be praised.


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MeMe is a young Christian of the Pentecostal Apostolic denomination and is based in Kingston, Jamaica. Thoughts of a Chosen Generation will speak to young to middle age Christians, and aspiring Christians where they will get guidance for Christian living for the benefit of their spiritual and personal development. To learn more about Christianity, you may make contact using the below handle, leave a comment requesting that you be contacted or send a message using the contact form found under resources.                             
                                                               
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