![]() Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ![]() “‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. The passage reveals how important a sense of humility, simplicity and trust is when we approach God. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus gives His disciples some guidelines for prayer. So, as long as we give Him the glory, we can be assured that the Lord will hear our individual voices. Each of us carries burdens and praises that are unique to our lives. Everyone is designed by God with our own personality and style of communication. ![]() When one is flourishing spiritually, prayer is different from when one is oppressed by the extent of one's struggles."Īn important and encouraging thing I’ve learned about prayer is that it’s okay to be myself. A person prays in a certain manner when cheerful and in another when weighed down by sadness or a sense of hopelessness. There are as many forms of prayer as there are states of soul. "I believe that it is impossible to grasp all the different forms of prayer without great purity of heart and soul. The Christian monk John Cassian had this to say about prayer: Actually, if our hearts are in the right place, then our words will naturally be full of respect and awe. The truth is, God is more concerned with our heart attitude than the exact words we say. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Arrangements Photography It stirs up our desire to give God thanks and praise. And regular prayer also affects both our attitudes and values: He invites us to ask for His help, to seek His wisdom, and to learn more about His will for us. Prayer is one of the most intimate and powerful ways that we can connect with our Lord God. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” ( Philippians 4:6). That description includes several elements of prayer, and reminds us of the variety of ways that we can reach out to Him and still be worshipful. One of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definitions of the word “pray” is, “to address God (or a god) with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.” And we acknowledge that there is only One being that is worthy of all those things. For instance, it has led me to moments of silent meditation, quiet listening for His leading, or even singing out what was on my heart at that moment. I’ve often heard prayer defined as “talking to God.” And that is true - but I’ve found that prayer time can consist of much more.
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