Praying Hands - Are You Using Yours Correctly?

Do you find prayer intimidating? Have you ever said,"I don't know how to pray"? If so, you may besurprised to learn that there is no "right" or "wrong"method of prayer. Nor is prayer reserved for a handfulof religious professionals.

Prayer is the act of offering reverent petition to Godand an expression of the commitment and trust we havein God by faith.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter intothy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray tothy Father which is in secret; and thy Father whichseeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

When we come before God in prayer and give Him fullcontrol of a situation, we are acknowledging Hisability to bring about a change in that area of our orsomeone elses life.

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall askin prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

As a result, God begins to work on the problem withHis all mighty, all knowing, everlasting power.

Over the years prayer has not received the recognitionthat it deserves.

Many people feel since God already knows about ourneeds, there isn't any need to tell God about them.

This could turn out to be a very costly mistake!

While it's true God knows about and is involved inevery area of our life, its also true He wants us tospecifically commit each of our concerns to Him sothat we will learn to depend on Him and His counsel.

Perhaps you sometimes feel you have no one to turn towith your stress and struggles.

It is not just a matter of having someone tounderstand, but of finding someone you can trust.

But you can find reassurance in the fact that Godremains in control and takes care of His faithfulchildren.

Prayer is one of the greatest contributions we canmake to improve our lives as well as the lives ofothers.

Just pray, offering whatever you're thinking andfeeling to the Lord. Whatever you bring, it's a start.

As you pray more regularly or more often, the usualexperience is that you start being more truthful inprayer, you start turning away from what you didwrong, your attitude becomes more confident, you starttaking the time to listen, you start looking for thesigns of divine response in your daily life, you starthungering to read the Scriptures, you start wanting topray with others, and you think less and less aboutyourself.

You will soon find preparations and practices that mayhelp you be more open to God in prayer as you startletting the Holy Spirit change you.

When we come in prayer we come as we are Sometimesscared, Sometimes needy, Sometimes empty, Sometimesbored, Sometimes furious, but we come.

We come trusting that through prayer God can changeus, and can change the things that happen in our life.

We come trusting that God is with us and builds us up,that the Holy Spirit prays with us and for us.

We trust that the Lord will lead us to lose our anger,lead us to repentance, lead us to being open to theSpirit's voice, and lead us to love of God and of eachother.

If you feel like a victim, you can pray to God,instead of irresponsibly allowing the circumstances oflife to overwhelm you. You can begin to take charge ofyour life by asking God for the power to make changes.

Or maybe you live with unchangeable circumstances thateffect your life in a major way.

From finding a spouse, to finding a job, from buildinga business, to building a life, People frequently prayfor God to bless their efforts with success and in asuccess driven society, people of faith often strugglewith the place and pursuit of success.

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer andsupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereuntowith all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

God is more than ready to hear our complaints,appeals, desires and frustrations. Nothing is too bigor too small for the Lord not to take intoconsideration.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God.

In closing I'll leave you with Jesus' instructions onprayer to His disciples.

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye:Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it isin heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Andforgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Andlead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and theglory, for ever. Amen.

David Hopkins is a "Christian Article Writer" whospecializes in helping people remember to glorify Godin everything that they do, so they don't miss out onany of His wonderful blessings.

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