Meeting With God预览

Teach Us to Pray

I want to talk to you about a kind of prayer that is most pleasing to the Lord. You see, not all of our praying blesses the heart of God. Yet, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I trust that what I share with you here will change the way you pray from now until Jesus comes.

I have no intention of complicating prayer. It has been made too complicated already by well-intentioned teachers who have turned it into formulas, strategies, and theatrics. Some Christians literally put on combat boots and uniforms to dress the part of “prayer warriors.” Others attend prayer meetings where they are given prayer guides—booklets that tell them how to fill up the hours they'll be there. 

I am not condemning any of this, but I would like to show you the kind of praying I believe pleases the Lord most. Actually, the kind of prayer that most pleases God is very simple and easy to understand. It is so simple, in fact, a little child can pray in a way that pleases him.

Let me begin by saying I believe most Christians want to pray. At one time in our walk with the Lord, we all prayed with some consistency. After a while, though, many believers quit. Now they are convicted by their prayerlessness. 

The disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). They would not have asked unless they had wanted to learn. I believe that most who are reading this message would love to be faithful in prayer, but they don't know how. The problem is they simply don't understand the purpose of prayer, and until they grasp this vital purpose, they will never be able to maintain a fulfilled, meaningful life of prayer. 

Let us start out our time with this prayer: “God, put in all of us a heart that is easily wooed to your presence. Help us to pray through all our trials...to listen closely to your Spirit in our secret time of communion with you and to put all our confidence in your revealed Word. In these ways, we can know our prayers are pleasing to you. Amen!”