New Believers: 7 Steps for New ChristiansНамуна

Day 3: Pray

The idea of talking to God can be intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, prayer can be a wonderful experience if we do it God’s way. Fortunately, we have God’s Word to teach us how to pray. The Bible instructs us to pray at all times, in any posture, in any place, and for any reason. In addition, it does not matter what words we use when we pray, whether our speech is formal, informal, or somewhere in between. God only desires that we pray from a pure and sincere heart. 

The disciples observed the profound effect prayer had in Jesus’ life and ministry. They witnessed the way Jesus would often go off by Himself to spend time in prayer with His heavenly Father. They saw the power, peace, and tranquility that emanated from His life, giving Him the ability to stay calm in troubled circumstances. Jesus’ prayer life so impressed His disciples that they asked Him to teach them to pray. His response was what we call the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:1-13. Certainly, if the perfect Son of God often took time to pray during His life here on earth, how much more do we, who are mere men and women, need to pray? Because prayer is an essential ingredient to walking with Jesus Christ, we need to examine its elements found in God’s Word.

• Praying for God’s guidance (see Psalm 27:11-12) 

• Prayer increases our spiritual knowledge and maturity (see Jeremiah 33:3) 

• Prayer enables us to seek forgiveness (see Hosea 14:1-7)

• Pray and wait confidently for God’s help (see Micah 7:7)

• Christ modeled for us how to pray (see Matthew 6:5-15)

• Prayer is not a solitary experience (see Romans 8:26-27)

• Prayer helps us overcome worry (see Philippians 4:6-7)