What it Means to Pray
The God of the universe, who created the heavens and the earth, wants to talk with you daily! How crazy is that? In Jeremiah 29:12, God invites us to “come and pray to me”, and then he drops this incredible promise, “and I will listen to you!” God wants to talk with us, to listen to us, and to interact with us regularly. This is what prayer is. Prayer is a conversation with God.
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
- Jeremiah 33:3
What God's Word Says
Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Matthew 6:9-13 “ This, then, is how you 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 have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Acts 2:42 – “the early believers devoted themselves to prayer.”
"Let's Pray About That Right Now"
Practical Tools
Sometimes, it can be challenging to get started with prayer. Here is a simple tool that will help guide your prayers.
The acronym A.C.T.S. Walk us through 4 different topics to talk to God about, and it is a great way to start your day, take a break in the middle of the day, or end your day with God. Just carve out 5 minutes at any point and go through these prompts.
Remind yourself of of who God is, by telling him the character traits about him that you appreciate
Examples: He is holy, might, good, loving, just, gracious, merciful, creative, forgiving, etc…
Verse to Consider: Exodus 34:6a-7 “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin”
Acknowledging our sin, and receiving the gift of forgiveness from God
Examples: Telling God things you have done, thought or felt that are not in line with the way He has called us to live. Things such as pride, lust, greed, selfishness, disobedience, apathy, etc…
Verse to Consider: 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Telling God all the things you are grateful that he has done for you and your family.
Examples: Expressing gratitude for your life, health, family, friends, church, work, salvation, God’s word, the Holy Spirit, specific blessings in life, etc…
Verse to Consider: Isaiah 12:4 “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.”
This word means to ask humbly and earnestly. This is when we bring our requests to the Lord.
Examples: God invites us to bring all of our request to him. Ask for blessing, favor, opportunities, protection, health, wisdom guidance. You can ask him for things on behalf of your, family, church, community and nation
Verse to Consider: Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
What to Do Next
Schedule a Prayer Reminder - Schedule a specific time each day to stop and pray. Set a reminder on your phone, an appointment in your calendar or a Post-It note on your dashboard. Look for a way to remind yourself to choose to make time to talk with God.
Create a Prayer List - Take time to write down the things you want to remember to pray for.
Download the Echo App - this app will help you set up reminders to pray, lists for each type of prayer of prayer in the A.C.T.S. Framework.
Going Deeper
- Join us at one of our Encounter Nights. Every 2-3 months we hold an Encounter Night of Worship.
- We hold a Men's Prayer Meeting weekly on Wednesdays in the Chapel at 7a for an hour of interactive prayer and worship.