Prayer is a gift. It’s a gift from God allowing us to talk with Him privately — whenever we want.
God wants us to pray. He knows what we need, but He wants us to ask. He waits for us in prayer. No prayer goes unanswered, but the answers are not always what we ask for. The answers are what we need.
When we pray, it’s personal. An intimate conversation with God. When we pray we have God’s undivided attention. He wants our attention in return.
Jesus instructed, “…when you pray, go away by yourself, all alone, and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father secretly, and your Father, who knows your secrets, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
Turn off your cellphone. Remove yourself from distraction. Clear your mind.
When you pray, focus only on your Father and your relationship with Him.
Pray privately. Pray from your heart. Trust that God is listening and that He understands what you are trying to say.
If you haven’t prayed in awhile, pray the Lord’s Prayer. It’s all right if you forget a few lines.
Prayer gets easier with practice.
Pray often.
But don’t make prayer into a spectacle. When people make a point of praying where everyone can see them for the purpose of appearing pious, God sees their hypocrisy. Jesus cautions us about people who pray only to be noticed by others: “…Truly, that is all the reward they will ever get.” (Matthew 6:5)
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