When I was a much younger Christian my prayers were all about asking God for this, that, and the other thing. I learned to make prayer lists and keep track of the answers I received. And I spent a lot of time reflecting on and analyzing my life to see if there was any unconfessed sin that might be preventing God from answering my prayers.
Today, I think differently about prayer. Notice that I didn't say I PRAY altogether differently. I still go to my heavenly Father when I need this, that, or the other thing. After all, He's my Abba Father and I'm His child and I believe He wants me to come to Him when I have needs. I still keep track of what I pray for people, events, ministry, my family, and our world. I still keep up with prayers that are answered and prayers that are not. And I definitely still pay attention to things in my life that need to be confessed. (I'm not so ignorant as to think I can be careless about sin and not have it affect my relationship with God.)
But as I have pursued my own journey in life, I have begun to think more simply about prayer. Now I try to listen at least as much as I speak. If I spend half-an-hour in prayer, I spend a good portion of that time in meditative prayer, or listening prayer, trying to be still before the Lord. As a younger Christian I often wore myself out verbally communicating my petitions (and grievances).
My growing understanding of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray (see Luke 11:1-4) has helped to mature me in my own prayer life. What I have found is that as I align my prayers with the principles Jesus set forth in His model prayer, my words are more focused and, hopefully, more in line with God's will.
Let me encourage you to read Luke 11:1-4 and learn from the Master how to pray.
Prayer is not a means of getting what we want from God but getting what God wants to be done here on earth.Labels: PRAY
