How To Pray: How Prayer Works

How To Pray

This Week - How prayer works

Week 2 - Why We Pray

Week 3 - What To Pray For

Week 4 - What To Say To God
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How Prayer Works
According to Jesus' Teaching on Prayer:

Prayer is always initiated by God.

Prayer is communication between God and you.

Prayer is more than just words: 
attitude, actions, ideas,
thoughts, feelings,
body language,
choices,
lifestyle

What is your understanding of what is prayer and how it works?



Prayer is influenced by our image of God as Father – and our relationship with him (and our father) at the time of our praying...

Prayers are always heard by God.

Prayers are not needed in order for God to know what you need.


Prayer is collaboration between God and you – alignment of your will and desires with what God knows and is doing in the world.

Prayer works in connection to the work you put into helping answer your own prayers.

Prayer is as much hearing from God as it is talking to Him.


We tend to think of prayer as either thanking God or making requests to God. We need to think about prayer as communication within a relationship to God.


Prayer is way more than just words, way more than just asking God to do stuff for us or others.


Prayer works - not according to whether our eyes are open or closed, whether we are on our knees or in a pew - but in accordance to our heart and God's will.


Prayer becomes less about getting what we want from God and more about learning what God wants for us.


When the disciples asked Jesus how prayer works, here is what he taught them:

Lord, Teach Us To Pray
"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.

Like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge! 
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."

Based on this teaching of Jesus on how to pray, what conclusions could you draw?

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What else do you want to know about how prayer works?