We want you know, there’s no wrong way to pray! We also understand that everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to prayer.
Some people hesitate to commit themselves for an extended time of prayer. “That was hard for me,” John confessed, “because I didn’t know what I was going to pray about for the whole time.” People often feel inadequate at prayer; they don’t want to set up themselves to fail like the disciples did in the Garden.
To allay these fears, we offer suggestions on how to spend the half hour to an hour. We say, “Praying for a half an hour to an hour is like sitting down for a leisurely meal with a friend rather than ordering a burger and fries at the drive-up window. As you spend the time together, you find a lot of things to say.”
Here are some of the things we suggest:
Start by bringing along some things to discuss with God: your Bible, a hymnal, perhaps a church directory, and our church’s current prayer list.
Be yourself. Why would you pray like Brother or Sister So-and-So? Talk to God as you’d talk to your best friend.
Get comfortable. The stiffer you feel, the more formal your relationship will be. Sitting is fine. If kneeling helps, do it. You might want to take a long walk as you talk with your Friend.
Try praying out loud, though not loud enough to disturb others. Being able to hear yourself pray improves your concentration. You’ll find your mind doesn’t wander as easily, and you can pray more fervently.
Don’t feel you have to do all the talking, however. Discuss something with the Lord, and then be silent. Sometimes God uses the times of listening to implant his answers in our minds. Gradually you’ll find prayer can be a conversation.
Consider these suggestions:
Preparation: Ask God to help you spend this time profitably with him. Give yourself to him for this hour.
Confession: Spend a moment going over with him recent sins that weigh on you, but don’t dredge up old ones. Read 1 John 1:9. Ask for his cleansing, and then accept it by faith and thank him for it.
Praise and thanksgiving: Sing your adoration to the Lord using a hymnal or choruses you know. Now start to thank him for his goodness to you and your friends. There’s a special sense in which God “inhabits” the praises of his people (Ps. 22:3). As your heart begins to adore him, you’ll sense his presence more deeply.
Petition: Pray about life’s difficulties. Use this time to talk over with the Lord your own struggles. Discuss with him your relationship with your loved one or spouse, your family, your financial needs, your studies or job.
Intercession: Pray for friends, loved ones, relatives, neighbors, fellow workers. Don’t just read a list of names to God, but talk to him about their lives and needs. You can boldly ask God for their salvation. Ask God to bring Christians into their lives, to alter circumstances, and to give you opportunities for witness.
Prayer for the church: Call on God for a deep renewal of love for him. Pray for your pastor and church leaders. Intercede for the Sunday school children and the youth, the families, the singles, the widows, the sick and shut-ins. Call on God for an increase in giving so the church can accomplish its work. Pray for the Christian organizations working with the college students, children, military personnel, and the homeless in your community.
Prayer for the nation: Pray that God will guide our president and legislators, our justices and judges, our governors and mayors, our police and firefighters. Pray for righteousness in government and a public policy sensitive to the needs of the oppressed both here and abroad.
Prayer for other nations: Pray for the work of Christ throughout the world. Intercede for unreached peoples. Pray for missionaries, for Third World pastors and churches, for the people of God who are suffering persecution. Pray for peace. Ask God to give food, shelter, and hope to the hungry.
Prayer for Pastor Lucy: Pray for God’s Spirit to move and work in and through her. That God grants her wisdom and strength to lead and guide us as we seek to be a church that is faithful to God’s calling and will.
Did you know?
We’re welcoming our new Pastor, Rev. Lucy Robbins, by taking time to pray intentionally for her. You’re invited to pray with us. Prayer is welcome always, at anytime, but we have a sign-up for folks who’d like to commit to a block of special prayer time. Click here to add your name: Lucy’s Prayer Schedule. You can also email Kylee Rose Frye at kylee@biltmoreumc.org.
[If you’re having trouble with the hyperlink, here’s the full address: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rRqUlGDfkDq1xw5sxfxpvhB9GCXRRySLFmoNiTIyqck/edit?usp=sharing.]
Looking for additional resources?
The United Methodist Church provides numerous ideas! Check it out: http://www.umc.org/topics/topic-prayers-and-meditations