Quick Notes About Prayer

Prayer is like food. Here is how, 

1. It's more important to eat than it is how you eat. If a person is not praying at all, they need to start praying rather than puttering around waiting to figure out exactly which method is correct. 

2. How you eat will determine how healthy you are, whether you eat or don't eat will determine whether you live or die. A life without prayer will produce a person trying to function without their main tool that helps them live. Can a person live without prayer? Yes. Can a Christian glorify God and become what God created them to be without prayer? No. 

3. Eating is meant to be done differently depending on the circumstances. Prayer has many different forms and types.Sometimes it's hard to know what sort of prayer is proper or appropriate. "Do I kneel?" "Do I say Lord or Father?" "Do I ask God for things or tell Him to do what He thinks is best?" "Does God get bored when I ask Him for the same thing over and over again?" "What if someone asks me to pray for something totally stupid?" Questions like these are easier to answer the more we pray. 

4. Eating is just one ingredient in a mixture meant to create a healthy body. Prayer, study of truth (god's word, philosophy, theology, Church History, Catechism ect.., and the process of applying Christian principles are similar to food, drink and exercise. Without a balance of the three it is easy to become weak and sickly. 

5. Often the fastest most efficient way of knowing something is good, is tasting it. Prayer, I think is 10 % theory 90 % practice. You only need a few basic principles in order to start praying. Reading all the books about prayer doesn't guarantee being good at it. The people who are good at prayer are generally the one's who do it the most. 
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Two more thoughts on prayer. 

1. The only requirement necessary for praying is honesty. Don't lie to God it's just a waste of your time and His. Honestly seeking God regardless of posture or vocabulary a good thing and will produce godliness within a person. 

2. Reverence comes second after honesty. I understand sometimes a person just has to vent and bubble over for a little bit emotionally with God. But when we've cooled off a little, talking to God sensibly and quietly will help us hear when He responds. If all were doing is telling God things and asking Him for stuff, we'll rarely if ever have a conversation with Him. I do mean an actual two way conversation where you say something and God responds. It can happen. 




So now we do this simple like the AT&T commercial. 

I. Which is better, prayer or not prayer? 
Answer: Prayer
II. What makes a conversation go better, deception or honesty? 
Answer: honesty
III. What makes for a good relationship, talking to a person regularly or just asking them for help when you need them? 
Answer: talking to God regularly. 


It's not complicated, if God made us to be in relationship with Him, He's given us everything we need to have that relationship. Let's get down on our knees and use the tools he's given us to become what He created us to be. If you don't agree with this post, pray about it and comment with what you don't like.