Finding Time to Pray

People use all kind of excuses in order to not pray. Some of the most common excuses are:

• I don’t know how to pray.
• How do I know God is really listening?
• I feel self-conscious when praying.
• I just don’t have the time to pray!

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

Prayer plays a vital role in our relationship with the Heavenly Father. When we make excuses not to pray we are telling God He is not important to us.

One of the easiest excuses to fix is “I don’t have the time”. Prayers do not have to be long or time consuming. Keep in mind that prayer is not just a time to ask God for something, but also a time to praise and thank God for the things He has done in our lives. A prayer can be something as quick and simple as, “Thank you God for allowing me to miss that traffic accident on the highway”.

You don’t have to speak out loud to pray either. Remember God knows everything in our minds. Nothing is hidden from Him. It is easy to say a quick prayer while getting ready for the day, before meals, while driving, or even at the grocery store.

While the quick and simple prayers are great you still need to make sure to spend some quality time with the Lord in your prayer closet. A number of people do this before they go to bed or first thing in the morning. Set aside 10 minutes and do nothing but pour your heart out to God. Praise Him, thank Him, ask Him. If you have a prayer journal this is the time you want to bring it out.

Taking just 10 minutes out of your day to pray can make an astronomical difference in your life and in your relationship with God. By continually praying you will see your personal relationship with the Heavenly Father start to grow. Prayer can help take worries away, reduce stress, and give you peace. Having a regular prayer life with the Lord will change your life.

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How to Pray

People, especially new believers, often wonder if there is a wrong or right way to pray. While there is no wrong way to pray, the Bible does give us an outline we can follow to help in our prayer time found in Matthew 6:7-13 (King James Version).

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 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 is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Part of the above passage of scripture is also known as The Lord’s Prayer and most believers are familiar with it. It is the model prayer that the Lord gave and is also found in the book of Luke. The Lord’s Prayer actually starts at verse 9 in the book of Matthew, Chapter 9.

First Things first Address the Father:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name,” Matthew 6:9

We should start our prayers by addressing God as our Father because He is our spiritual Father. He has given us life. It also gives God the glory and respect He deserves. The word hallowed actually means, “reverenced as holy,” and by addressing God as our Father we are acknowledging His holiness.

Acknowledge That His Will Is Your Desire

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven,” Matthew 6:10

His kingdom and His will is the most important, not our wants or will. We often get sidetracked in our prayer life with asking the Lord for things that we want. The Bible encourages us to ask for everything we might want in James 4:2, “yet ye have not, because ye ask not,” but we have to realize that what we want may not be God’s will. Try praying for God’s will to be done and ask for God to reveal His will to you.

Pray for Daily Provisions

“Give us this day our daily bread,” Matthew 6:11

We should pray for food, water, shelter, clothing, etc. You must remember that God provides everything for us – every little thing! God provides the shoes on our feet and the food we eat. Not only should we pray for our daily provisions but we should also thank Him for providing them to us.

Forgiveness

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” Matthew 6:12

We are suppose to ask God for forgiveness of our sins, but that we should also offer forgiveness to those who have done us wrong.

Pray for Strength and Power that Only God Can Give You

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13

We need to ask God to not lead into temptation and also to help us resist and conquer temptation. God promises us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 to never give us a temptation we cannot resist and conquer. Finally we should end our prayers praising God, acknowledging that He alone is the King and holds all power and glory.

It is important to recognize that the Lord’s Prayer is not something we are suppose to repeat verse by verse. Of course, reciting scripture is always a good thing, but the Lord’s Prayer is meant as an outline of how we could construct our prayers. The important thing is to just to talk to God. Remember there is no wrong or right way to pray.

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