One student approached his Christian professor with the an important question. He ask “sir, what is the greatest weakness among Christians?” He thought he may answer with a specific sin like adultery, forsaking the assembly, or not reading their Bibles. But to his surprise the professor said five solemn words “not talking to God enough.”
When the king asked Nehemiah about his request, Nehemiah prayed (Nehemiah 3:4). After the writing from Darius was signed, Daniel prayed (Daniel 6:10). Before Jesus was crucified, He prayed (Matthew 26:39).
Jesus was a master. He was a teacher. He was a rabbi. He carried twelve apostles along so that one day when He left they would carry on His work to the world. They besought him for many answers. On one occasion after Jesus had finished praying their question was not “teach us how to teach Lord,” “teach us how to make a sermon Lord,” but “teach us to pray.”[1]
Prayer is a topic of which no man has mastered.[2] Prayer is a practice of which every man would say “yeah I could be better at that.” Prayer is a gift which many neglect. Joseph Scriven wrote:
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Because prayer is the first step toward God’s blessings toward us and the only way we can communicate with our Creator, here are ten practical suggestions for your daily prayer
I. Have a List (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Putting things on a list helps a person organize, complete, and balance. Put your prayers on a list so that you cover all bases. Organize your prayers into Paul’s inspired checklist:
Supplications. Prayers for oneself.
Prayers. General petitions.
Intercessions. Petitions on behalf of others.
Giving of Thanks. Prayers of gratitude.
Don’t feel like you must pray for everyone in one prayer, level it out throughout the day or the week. Download an app like Echo or organize each list in your notes section on your iPhone. Prayer is that important to write down and too important to leave even one name off.
II. Don’t Rush (Luke 6:12). No girlfriend would like it if her boyfriend rushed a Facetime call so that he could go play with his buddies. God disproves of rushed prayers. They are vain (cf. Matthew 6:7). Jesus prayed to His Father “all night.” He did not do this every night, but in specific situations time was not a factor when He was communicating to God. Breathe during prayer. Put your phone away as you talk to God. Turn off notifications on your watch, silence your phone, and do your best to not become distracted. Before we pray, maybe we sit down in a comfortable chair, take five breaths, and then converse with God. Time runs short with friends we have not seen in a long time, let this be said about our conversations with God.
III. Frequently Pray Alone.
Public prayer is good and praying with family is comforting, but praying alone is powerful and personal. Jesus often prayed in the presence of His disciples (Luke 9:28-29), but sometimes He went alone (Matthew 14:23; 26:36; John 6:15). Secret prayers help one focus, concentrate, and are less formal. They allow a man to focus on personal struggles, bring up private problems, and request pertinent details that would not fit with public prayers. Private prayers should happen more frequently than public prayers. Wake up early if you must (Mark 1:35) and go to your closet for quietness (cf. Matthew 6:6). Praying through the mind or with no voice is ok (1 Samuel 1:13), but private prayer allows you to express yourself fully, involving your ears and your mouth. Pray alone often.
Part 2 will be posted on October 8th, 2024
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