Prayer: It's Easier Than You Think!

The World Day of Prayer came and went with hardly a notice by most of us. This day, started by women's prayer groups of various denominations, is designed to call all nations back to prayer, even if it is just for one day. Flyers are printed up and passed out, signs are posted, pulpits announce it, and the intended result is that those of us in the know will pause, for whatever brief period, to acknowledge our maker and give thanks, or ask for something.

If, on the other hand, you missed church that day, or you're not particularly religious, it probably passed you by. It causes me to think about those who probably wouldn't mind offering up a prayer now and then if they weren't so convinced that they had to use the right combination of "Thee's" and "Thou's", or that only church people know how, or that--well, you name it.

Prayer was never intended to be a secret language, known by only a holy few, or allowed to be uttered by the select. It's just one person expressing their feelings to their God. It doesn't take a doctor's degree in religion to do it either. In fact, there was a day when the disciples of Jesus asked him how to pray, because he seemed to do a lot of praying and something always happened when he did. So he first told them not to stand on the street corner and do it just to attract attention. He said to pray privately--in fact, the older versions of the Bible quote him as telling them to enter their "closet." Your closet is probably like mine--too full to crawl into and pray! Nevertheless, he said to pray privately, and not use "vain repetitions," (don't say the same thing over and over--just talk from your heart.)

Then he did them the greatest favor of all--he gave them the model for prayer. We now call it the Lord's Prayer and even though Jesus said we should not say the same things over and over, we still do for some reason. To keep that from happening, the best thing we can do is to do as he said and use his words as a model, not as a formal prayer to be recited word for word. In short, he suggested 1) acknowledge your God , 2) ask that you might do right (according to God's will), 3) ask that your needs will be met, 4) ask God to treat you the way you treat others (whew!), and 5) ask to be guided into good things and away from bad things.

Take a look at The Power of Simple Prayer by Joyce Meyer available on Amazon.com, or for a workbook just for The Lord's Prayer, After This Manner-Pray, an e-book available from Payloadz.com or TheRealPrayer.com. Both are about the simplicity of talking to God. Check out the blog therealprayer.wordpress.com as well. Make prayer a daily practice and see for yourself if it makes a difference.