Prayer is the Christian's lifeblood. It's very important in our lives as we follow Christ. In fact, so important that without it we can't follow Him.
Yet, many Christians need to know a few more things about prayer.
In this article we will talk about a few things Christians need to know about prayer. These things will ultimately change the way we think about praying, and actually influence how we pray.
A few things to know about prayer
1) It's not a magic formula
Many Christians think that if they keep on praying the same prayers over and over, God will simply give in to their requests and say "yes" to whatever they are praying for. Wrong.
Because of this kind of thinking, many Christians treat prayer as some sort of magic formula or magic button that, when prayed or pressed repeatedly, something good happens. No, it doesn't work that way.
In Matthew 6:9-13, the Lord Jesus gave us a pattern "how to pray," not "what." Many people seem to think that when they keep praying this prayer, they'll get what they want.
God sees what's inside our hearts. No matter how much we try to formulate a super-spiritual-sounding prayer, He sees the real intention of our hearts. Prayer's not a magic formula.
2) Prayer is not for show
God made prayer so easy to do, we can actually pray anytime and at any place, just making sure not to pray so that we'd be seen. The best place to pray is where no one can see and hear us. The best time to pray is when no one is listening to us or watching us.
Prayer is our way of personally communicating with God, and it's better we keep it that way - not treat it as a way to showcase our "religious-ness" to people.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:5-7,
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words."
3) God already knows what we will pray for before we pray
Jesus said in Matthew 6:8 that "your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." This should actually encourage us to pray all the more.
Many of us are ashamed to ask God for something. Perhaps, we might even feel ashamed to admit our sins and mistakes. Because God knows what we will pray for before we even pray, we should actually find the strength to simply tell Him what we really want to tell Him.
He knows it already anyway, so why keep it a secret?
