One way or another, our new life in Christ began with talking to God. Amazing on so many levels. Our journey with God begins simply: no valiant quests, no expensive sacrifices, no long hours searching our soul, but with a conversation. It really isn’t that much different than how we begin and grow a relationship with a new friend.
The spiritual, religious, and Biblical word for this conversation with God is prayer. Prayer itself is not unique to Christianity. Most of the world’s religions have some kind of prayer. So, there is a common expectation for structure and a combination of words to be acceptable. But Christian prayer isn’t like that.
Sure, because of 2000+ years of history, there are patterns of prayer that have been passed from one generation to the next. Those patterns can be both beautiful and intimidating. But the focus remains on building a relationship with God through conversation. Paul put it this way in the Bible, “But whoever loves God is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:3, NIV)
Just like there are several kinds of conversations with friends, the same is true about talking with God. One day Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus replied, “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:9–13, NIV) While many folks pray this as written, it is also an example of the kinds of conversations we have with God.
In Jesus’ example, there is worship and praise to God. Thankfulness is one kind of prayer. Another kind of prayer is asking for something (also called petition.) We invite God into our situations and problems. The third kind of prayer is praying for one another or intercession. A fourth is confessing our sins and failures to God and receiving His forgiveness. Sometimes our conversations with God contain all of these, sometimes only one. The point isn’t that we cover all the bases, but that we talk with God.
One part of Christian prayer that is unlike all others is listening. We do expect God to answer, to converse in some way. Often that is through the pages of the Bible. Sometimes that is a nudge or whisper in our soul. At times it’s a feeling of peace or compassion or conviction. And there are times when God’s answer is acting in our lives in some way. And like a good father, sometimes God says no.
Christian prayer is not about getting God to do something or touch certain bases to be accepted. Christian prayer is all about relationships. Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5, NLT)
Much more could be said and taught about prayer. These few words above are not intended to be a complete exploration of the topic. They are intended to underline the importance of talking with God as a continuing part of your life in Christ. How you pray and talk to God is up to you. Some use formal language and prayers crafted by others. Others pray in a conversational impromptu heartfelt style. Some set aside fixed times of the day. Others pray as their day unfolds while doing other things. The important thing is doing it.
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