The ChurchSample

What is prayer?

Prayer is talking with God and enjoying fellowship with him. By faith, when we pray, we come to the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer can be such an odd thing, especially the first few times you do it. Should you do it alone, in a group, or both? Should you pray silently or out loud? What about praying in tongues? Is it better to use pre-written prayers? How long should your prayers be? Should you close your eyes? Is it ever okay to open them? Should you mostly pray for yourself or for others? Should you pray to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?

The most important thing to grasp is what prayer is. Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is talking with God. Prayer is how we grow in our relationship with God. Of course, the first few times you do it, it might feel awkward or weird. You might feel like you’re talking to the ceiling, or just saying words into the air. But the more you talk to God, the more you hear him respond through his word, and the more you grow in your relationship with God, the more natural it will feel. 

Part of enjoying fellowship with God in prayer is that you become more aware that prayer is a dialogue. It’s not just about telling God stuff, or asking him to fix things for you, or talking about what you want. You’re having a conversation, a give and take. And God is shaping your heart to be like his.

And when you grow in prayer, when God starts to transform your heart, you won’t be so caught up in the logistics of it all. It will just make sense and feel as natural as talking to your best friend.

Take some time today to pray in ways that you haven’t before. Maybe pray a section of the Bible or write out your prayer. Celebrate the opportunity to get to talk with him and the creativity and majesty of God.