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How to Pray |
By Lance Witt
At the heart of every good relationship is effective communication. Every husband and wife knows that there is a direct correlation between intimacy and communication. Affection, expressions of gratitude, apologies, meaningful conversations about the future, making plans, and asking for help are part of meaningful communication in marriage.
What is true in marriage is also true in our relationship with God. In fact, the New Testament even describes our relationship with God as that of a marriage.
”I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” II Corinthians 11:2 (NIV)
So, to develop intimacy in our relationship to Christ, we must learn to effectively communicate. We call this communication “prayer.” We live in a physical world but God is spirit—prayer is the communication cable that connects the two together.
Prayer is one of those words that usually evokes a sense of guilt in most Christians. We know we ought to pray, we know we need to pray, we believe in prayer—yet most of us know we don’t pray.
This article is not meant to heap more guilt on you. Rather, it is written to offer practical guidance and encouragement in your pursuit of an intimate relationship with God. There are four elements to a meaningful prayer life:
- The Privilege of Prayer
- The Power of Prayer
- The Challenges of Prayer
- The Practices of Prayer