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Prayer

Some people may feel awkward when they first start praying.  Many don't know what to say or where to begin. But prayer was never meant to be a complicated thing.  At its core, prayer is a conversation.  It's you talking with God like you would talk with a friend. The important thing to do is simply to begin!

If you are thinking, "I have no idea how to pray; I need someone to help me," you're not alone. Jesus' disciples did too. 

Luke 11 records this moment"

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

You may have heard this prayer repeated word for word many times and in many different ways. Maybe you've even recited it out loud together with a group of people at church. While there's nothing wrong with that, just understand that Jesus was giving his disciples a framework for prayer.  It was a new way to see God, as a Father who loves you and wants to be with you.  If you have never prayed on your own before, this is a good model to use as you begin.

Just understand - God is not interested in you sounding "religious" when you pray.  There is no special formula or saying the right words to get God to listen.  God's just interested in you coming to Him directly and honestly, just as you are, with a sincere heart. Prayer is our opportunity to share our heart with God and hear His Spirit speak to us.

You can talk to God about everything, the good and bad. When you are worried, you can tell Him. When you're happy about something good in your life, you can share that with Him too!  Your Heavenly Father wants to be in your life and prayer is the primary way we do that.

So, why not try it out today?  Use the model Jesus gave or simply tell God what is on your heart.  Share with him your hopes and fears as well as remembering all the ways God has been good to you.  God wants to hear from you today!