Welcome to Weekly Topic Saturdays!
Hello all, I pray that your week was filled with joy and love. Welcome back to those who have been with me here at A Golden Dream. For my first-timers, a great big hello there, if you haven't already please check out my previous posts when you get a chance.
Please don't hesitate to join the conversation, there are no right or wrong answers or questions. I'm not proclaiming to know everything, I am simply just discussing and picking topics on things that I personally have gone through and that I know would help someone.
Are you connected to God through prayer? Are you connected to your source to know His voice or do you have a distant connection with Him but don't know how to reconnect?
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24
I've mentioned this before in my previous post, prayer was really hard for me to do, let alone understand how to do it right. Practically all my life I was told we must pray. We must do this, we must do that, but because I didn't truly know why we did it I became lost half the time. I would look and listen to others pray and say, "see, I wanna pray like that! I want that type of connection with God, so he can tell me the right words to say!”
We have to be careful when we lack something in our life and then compare ourselves to others; trust me, It's a recipe for disaster. Because, at that moment, I let my jealousy stunt my growth, I didn't make the proper change in my life to improve my prayer life, which resulted in years of not praying and connecting to God at all.
Within these last two years, I knew prayer would be something that I had to work on! There's no other way around not praying. I asked my First Lady and ministers about this very topic. Essentially, they all said it's like talking to your best friend, you are literally telling God all about it in the form of a prayer. Telling him what you need and giving him praise and acknowledgment. I don't know what clicked but a light bulb went off in my head.
For years I've been under the impression that I had to know scripture by memory or become this “ideal person” in order to have a formal conversation with Him. I was almost intimidated or unworthy in a sense, to talk to someone like me that makes mistakes. This wrong perception that I had, to be perfect or come correct before God through prayer hindered my relationship with Him. This is not how he wants us to feel or think of Him. Remember God said in the Bible to come to him as we are. Let's break it down even further, Shall we!
The Purpose of Prayer
One thing I loved about the disciples, they asked a lot of questions, one, in particular, was about prayer. In the Gospel, there are numerous scriptures speaking of Jesus slipping away to pray.
Matthew 14:23
Mark 6:46
Luke 6:12
Mark 1:35
Luke 5:16
Luke 9:18
Matthew 26:36
Matthew 26:42
Matthew 26:44
That modeled example alone was so frequent that I too would ask Jesus about prayer as well.
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.
Luke 11:1
We pray to:
To be under submission
To abandon your desires and submit to God's will (I think) is the highest level of submission. To say I am not my own and fully give myself to Him is true submission. James 4:7 says to Submit yourselves therefore to God.
To connect to God through developing a relationship with Him
Just like you would with your friends, developing a relationship is the same way. You have to be a good friend, that means spending time with Him, getting to know Him through prayer and reading your bible, being a good listener, giving Him praise and gratitude. These are the same qualities that are needed for any relationship, so start with that when connecting with God.
When we pray, we develop a dependency on God for his grace and mercy. We establish our faith muscle and as our relationship grows so does our hope.
To tell God what we need
One thing I love about God, he knows what we need before we even ask it (Matthew 6:8) God is not a genie he doesn't grant all of your wants and desires. If all you want are lots of material things like cars, diamonds, loads of money, and houses, then you have lost sight of what is most important. What is a man who gains the whole world but loses his soul Matthew 16: 26. It’s fine to have or want nice things but don't let your possession possess you into losing sight of what's really important. Think of things that are long-lasting, things that will benefit your purpose, and what God is truly telling you or asking of you. This takes self-awareness to really hone in on what you really need that is lacking in your life.
To be in alignment with God's will and to know your purpose for your life
To find your purpose in life is to pray and ask your Creator, God. At some point in everyone's life, we have asked his very question. Like, what am I here for!? Why am I going through all this? When you encompass submission, a relationship, and what we truly need from God; then we will be in alignment with God to know our purpose. This takes time, this is a journey, not a sprint. To follow Christ takes a lot of self-discipline, sacrifice, spiritual growth, and patience. We are all put on this earth for a divined purpose. Your purpose is to pray and seek God so you can find out more.
How To Pray
There's no right or wrong way to pray, as long as we do it humbly. Don't worry about your prayer being too long or too short as long as you do it for the glory of the Lord, then you'll be just fine.
Carving Time Out
It's always a good thing to be intentional when getting ready to pray. Get Into the habit of talking to him every day. I like to wake up early and try to be in His presence at the start of my day. If I can't do that I sneak in a mini bible session when I'm at work on break and commit to at least 30mins of reading His Word.
Nothing Like One on One
The bible tells us what we should do when we are getting ready to pray.
When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you. “When you pray, don’t ramble like heathens who think they’ll be heard if they talk a lot. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him
Matthew 6:6-8
It doesn't matter if you're at home, in the bathroom, or in your car, find a quiet place. Like I said before, Jesus often withdrew from his disciples for hours to be in the presence of the Lord.
Types of Prayers
Adoration
Adoration, having a deep love and respect for something or someone. It's like having a strong admiration. A strong worship and reverence to God out of love.
Supplication
Supplication, a form of prayer in which one kneels down and makes a humble request for help. Supplication in the bible means to request or petition.
Thanksgiving
The act of giving thanks to God for what he has done and will do on your behalf and in your life. An expression of thanks and gratitude, kindness and favor.
Confession
To recognize or acknowledge our sins to God because we are sinners.
Intercession
The act of praying to God on behalf of someone else or others. Praying for someone other than yourself is intercession.
Jesus Gives Us An Example
Jesus gives us an example of how we should pray:
Our father in heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
Give us today, our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
Matthew 6:9-13
One thing Jesus teaches is to never give up on prayer, to pray consistently and without ceasing. So pray for anything and everything.
So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Revelation 3:30
Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Our Heavenly Father
wants to talk to you!
Will you answer?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Questions To Consider:
1. How's your prayer life? Does it need improvement?
2.What are some things that can help you establish a healthy and thriving prayer life? Reading the bible perhaps!? Prayer Journaling!?
3.What does prayer mean to me? Why?
4. Is it hard for me to pray? Why or why not?
5. What are the prayers and supplications that I have for my heavenly Father? Write those down and then go to God in prayer.
6. What do I really need from Him? What does He need from me?
7. Is my connection to God weak and in need of work?
With Love, remember to always incorporate prayer in your daily life. With the world filled with so much uncertainty, prayer should be your safe haven to connect with God and to refuel. Prayer has so many long-lasting benefits like peace of mind, comfort, alignment with God and His will, and spiritual growth. Prayer is the foundation of faith. You can't pray and have no faith. Prayer is a solemn request for help and/or expression of thanks addressing our Heavenly Father. What's keeping you from being connected with God?
~Just Breathe...A Golden Dream~
Amen.