How do I pray? – How to pray to God

2. Prayer is learning to co-operate with the Holy Spirit 

 “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.” John 14:26 The Holy Spirit is called alongside to aid, help or support.

How does the Holy Spirit help us pray?   He comes alongside us to aid us, help us and support us in our prayers.

One of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us and encourages us in prayer is by giving us a prayer burden.  The Holy Spirit simply transfers God’s burden to us for us to pray.

The Holy Spirit guides us in our prayers for he helps us pray “according to the will of God.” (1 John 5:14)  He will lead us as we pray, perhaps revealing things about the situation to us, or bringing Scriptures to our minds so we can pray them in the situation. He will certainly help us by empowering our prayers.

3. Prayer is appreciating God for who he is

The Psalmist in the Bible declared: “I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done.”   Psalm 52:9 (NLT)  Praise (to esteem God) is that aspect of prayer which esteems God for his virtues and accomplishments. It is important to note that the model prayer of our Lord – referred to as the Lord’s Prayer begins and ends with praise. It begins with, “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9b) Then this model prayer of our Lord ends with, “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.”  (Matthew 6:13)

Here we see the importance of praise in the most important prayer Jesus ever taught His disciples.

4. Prayer is seeking apology for our failures to obey God and his Word

Our prayer can never be truly effective if we harbour sin in our hearts. The Psalmist said, “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”  Isaiah 59:2 (NLT)

5. Prayer is laying hold of the promises of God

The Bible says in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is not human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do. What he promises, he makes come true.” (NLT)

Example of a promise when people are faced with fear:

“For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ Isaiah 41:13

Here is another great promise when faced with a difficult situation that seems like a mountain you can’t get over: Jesus encourages us to have faith in God for:  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours!” Mark 11:22-24.

It is beneficial when you include God’s Word throughout your prayers.

6. Prayer asking God to meet others needs

We are encouraged in 1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV): “I ask that you pray for all people. Ask God to bless them and give them what they need. 

7. Prayer is giving God your burdens

God longs to answer our sincere cries for help. 1 Peter 1:5 says, “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

Share personal needs – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

8. Prayer is giving God thanks

Thanksgiving recognizes God for specific things he has done. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

9. Prayer is meditating on God goodness

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

What can we meditate on?

• Focus meditation on God himself. “Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
  for my hope is in him.” Psalm 62:5 (NLT)
• Focus meditation on God’s Word. “His delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (Amp.)
•  Focus meditation on the works of God. “”I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”” Psalm 77:12
• Focus meditation on past victories. “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because of his compassions fail not.” Lam. 3:21-23
• Focus meditation on positive thoughts. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Philippians 4:8  

10. Prayer is listening to God

Prayer is receiving spiritual instruction from God – “So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.”  Proverbs 2: 2

Alan Redpath confesses: “Sometimes I wonder if our prayer times are not the greatest barrier to spiritual growth, because they are so often just one-sided.  How long is it since you sat down with great delight in his presence and were conscious that he was flooding your heart and speaking with you.”

Related link: https://breakfreetoday.org/about-prayer/