So You Think You're Not Good Enough?နမူနာ

I can't pray, so God doesn't listen

Prayer is a critical part of our walk with Christ.

When people first come to the Lord, they quickly learn that prayer is essential. Prayer is the communication process to bring all of our requests, concerns, and problems to God. It is also how we give Him thanks and praise for all the good we receive from Him.

But prayer does not come naturally. It should not be expected that a new Christian will somehow automatically know how to pray.

Even the disciples of Jesus did not know how to pray, so they asked the Lord, saying, “Teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” If the disciples who were hand-picked by Jesus didn’t know how to pray, then why should new Christians today?

It was in response to this request that Jesus gave them the example prayer we know today as The Lord’s Prayer.

It should be noted that this prayer was only meant to be an example. It was not intended that these words be repeated over and over. When He gave the disciples this prayer, Jesus said, “Pray then, like this.” This is how we know it was an example. He did not say, “Pray these words,” but pray LIKE this.

There is a clear “formula” in the Lord’s Prayer from which we can learn.

The prayer opens by addressing God. “Our Father, who art in heaven.” It then goes on to give the Father His rightful praise and worship as the Almighty God and Father of us all, saying, “Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Likewise, we ought to begin our prayers by properly addressing and glorifying the Father.

Then we make our requests, seeking Him in humility, and give our praises to the Father for what He has done. “Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Finally, the one thing that is not in the Lord’s Prayer is that we should ask these things in the name of Jesus. This is why we utter the “Amen” in His name, as we are instructed in the scripture.

Call to Action:

Remember these few points about how to pray, and be assured that God hears and will answer your prayers. The answer may not be what you expect, but when we ask in humility, in accordance with God’s will, and in the name of Jesus, we always get an answer.