How does God want us to pray to Him?

Question

What should we do or say when we pray to the Lord?

Answer 1

Jesus, Himself, told the apostles how to pray. He said, "Pray in this manner", and taught them the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father, or the Model Prayer.

When He said in this manner, He did not mean to pray those exact words, necessarily, all the time. Jesus also told us not to pray prayers that were formula prayers.

When He said to pray in this manner, I believe He was giving us insight to one of the mysteries of the Bible. He was teaching us what I call, A Pattern Of Prayer.

We are to first, acknowledge our relationship with God. HeIS God, we are not. We are His creation. He is the source of all the strength and power we need. So, we are going to Him for that power to be activated in, and through, us. We are to PRAISE GOD first. Give Him His due respect, as creator.

Secondly, we are to THANK GOD for all He has done for us, and is planning to do, to bless us. He deserves the thanks for all the good in life. We can not see the simple things He does each day to get our attention, and perhaps, avoid disasterous results.

Third, CONFESS OUR CONDITION. We are sinners, dependant upon a sovereign God. It is only by the grace of God, and His great love, that we have the opportunity to have a relationship with Him. He gave His only Son for this purpose. WE MUST CONFESS OUR SINS AND CLEAR AWAY WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY OF US BEING CLOSE TO GOD. God can not be in the presence of sin. So, we must get rid of our sin in order to come into the presence of God. He is the only one who can get rid of our sin.

Fourth, we go to God to PRAY FOR OTHERS through INTERVENTION.
Now that we have establshed our relationship with God, established the right attitude to come into God's presence, cleared away what would keep us from God's presence, we can acknowledge that only God can take care of the spiritual needs, thus the physical and emotional needs, of those for whom we have come to Him to pray. "Your will be done, Lord." He knows better than we, what needs to be done in any given situation. We just may not like His answer, or His ways.

Lastly, we can now, putting ourselves and our needs last, come to God to ask Him to meet our needs. "Your will be done, not mine, Father".

This is what Jesus told us to do in prayer. Prayer must come from the heart-felt need to have God in active our lives. Pray what you can, using this pattern. God even understands that we may not know what it is we need. "The Holy Spirit will give utterance unto the Father." In other words, if we sincerely try to pray to God, even when we do not know what to say, God knows our heart, because the Holy Spirit dwells ther, if we are Christians. (this is not in any way a use of the gift of tongues).

Know this: You are exactly where you are supposed to be, doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing; and you are right on time. (Anon???)

Answer 2

One must begin with a study of the Bible. This will help you to learn about God’s personality and qualities. As you learn what a kind and loving God he is, you will feel more comfortable about approaching him in prayer.

‘But what do I say to him?’ you may ask. Praying to God can be much like talking with a close friend. If you had a difficult problem on your mind, wouldn’t you speak very openly to such a friend, expressing your most intimate thoughts and concerns? God is a friend with whom you can trust your deepest thoughts, knowing he will understand exactly what you mean. But since he has far greater wisdom and power than any human, he can really help you!

However, should personal problems always dominate your prayers? Jesus gave us a model prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer, or Our Father prayer, found in the Bible at Matthew 6:9-13. Note that first in importance was the sanctification (or holding as sacred) of God’s name, Jehovah. Next was that God’s Kingdom (or heavenly government) come and that God’s will be done both in heaven and on the earth. It was only after discussing these great issues that Jesus gave attention to personal concerns, such as food, gaining forgiveness, and enduring temptation to do wrong. Your prayers can reflect the same priorities, showing God that you are not selfishly concerned with just your own problems.

Jesus, however, cautioned: “But when praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words.” (Matthew 6:7) Long, complicated prayers do not impress God; neither do prayers read out of a book or recited like a rhyme, as if the choice of words were what is important. Said the psalmist: “Before him pour out your heart.” (Psalm 62:8) Do you have some sort of weakness that you have worked hard to overcome but that keeps surfacing? Is there some family problem that makes you very unhappy? These are things about which you can “pour out your heart” to God for divine help.

Keep in mind, though, that you must also be willing to accept God’s answer. Jehovah, in his wisdom, may see things you do not see. So if you ask for something and don’t receive it, this does not mean Jehovah was not listening. It could simply mean you have asked for something that was not in your best interests. As the proverb says: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) Keep praying about it, and you will eventually receive God’s direction.

Answer 3

Pray with your heart. God already knows what you want to say and knows what your wishes are. God knows what you need. So prayer is really an act of giving, giving God the chance to spend and share a moment of your time. Acknowledging God with your words, thoughts and actions is the simplest forms of prayer.

Answer 4

I agree with daddysnurse. When I pray I just talk to God in conversation just like I would to a friend.

Answer 5

Like others have said, there is no real "set in stone" way to pray. Personally i ask for forgiveness, and thank him for my health and the health of my loved ones. Then I address problems that I'd like his help with. Dont feel like there is a certain way to pray though, because there truly isn't.

Answer 6

There is no certain way to pray but with the heart. God does not demand a format but to come to him though Jesus Christ is son, like, dear god i come to you today because, or i have questions, or i feel guilty, sorry, or want to ask your forgiveness or pray for someone sick etc. etc in Jesus name I pray. Amen

Answer 7

Jesus himself left us the perfect example in Matthew 6:9-13. He said to pray "after this manner" so it's clear this is meant to be our example. We are not to repeat this verbatim, only use it as a guide.
We are to start with worship (vs. 9), seek his will in our lives (vs. 10), pray for our needs (vs. 11), pray for forgiveness (vs. 12), pray for strength and guidance and end with worship (vs. 13). You don't really have to worry so much about the format though, it really just sort of flows that way. The most important thing is to establish that contact. Just talk to him as you would your closest friend or confidant. Tell him anything you want and anything you need to. He's there to listen and he cares very much. You know that!

Answer 8

follow the Lords prayer that's always a good place to start I start with praise first then I pray.

Answer 9

Tell God whatever is in your heart. Ask for His help in every aspect of your life. Thank Him for all the blessings he has given you. Praise Him for being a wonderful, loving, Creator God. Confess any area of your life where you are havig difficulty, and know that He will help you through it. The more often you talk to God, the easier it will become. Just speak to Him as if He were standing right next to you, because He is in fact with each one of us.

Answer 10

In Faith, In secret and with sincerity.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Matthew 6:5-8
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Answer 11

The Lord's Prayer is a good place to start. As you get used to praying start asking for what you need. Peace, Love ect.

Our Father which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done,
In Earth, As it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
[For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.]
Amen.]