Prayer: Direct Communication With God
I believe that prayer is one of the most beautiful and powerful gifts that God has given us. Just think about it: as Christians, we have the privilege to directly communicate through prayer to El Shaddai (Almighty God- Genesis 17:1 NLT)
Jesus: Our High Priest
Back in the biblical times of the Old Testament (before Jesus came to earth in human form), the people had to bring their sin offerings of goats and calves, etc., to the priest. That priest communicated and offered their sin offerings up to God regularly to cover the people’s sins until the anticipated Messiah (Anointed One or Chosen One) came, and that Messiah is Jesus.
Aren’t you glad that Jesus is our High Priest? As the Bible states in Hebrews 4:14 NLT, “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.”
Yes, Jesus only had to offer His sacrifice (death on the cross- Jesus, our sacrificial lamb), one-time giving eternal redemption to all who come to God through faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:11-12 NLT, “So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.”
Improving your prayer life can be a personal and unique journey, but here are 5 steps you can take to enhance your experience:
1. Keep it simple: Use simple words from your heart. Speak to God, believing He is right there with you, listening.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:7-8, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Don’t use repetitive, meaningless words, thinking that God will hear you better and grant your prayers because of your many words.
2. Start your day with a prayer: Let’s take the example from Jesus Himself as Mark 1:35 NLT states, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” Greet God with a “thank you” for waking you up this morning and watching over you as you slept last night. Ask God what He wants you to do each day. Pray before all decision-making. End your day with another “thank you” prayer for God’s intervention in keeping you safe throughout the day. Pray throughout the day while washing the dishes, showering, and waiting in line at the bank; say a brief silent prayer in your mind (God knows). These prayers can be as simple as: “Please, God, help me to get to my appointment today safely and on time” or “Thank you, God, for healing me from my headache earlier today.”
3. Pray Bible verses back to God when you pray: Pray back to God the Psalms or any Bible verse that is appropriate for what you want to say. For example, Psalm 121 and 23 and for a “Praise Prayer,” Psalm 150 is excellent. Personalize the verses by inserting your name in the verses as you pray.
4. Pray the promises of God back to Him: Continue to read the Bible regularly so that you can get to know God’s character better and the promises He made to us in the Bible. Then, pray the promises of God back to Him. For example, in Joshua 1:9, CSB says, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” You can pray this promise from God back to Him by saying something like this: “Dear God, I believe that you commanded me to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid or discouraged in whatever I have to face today, so I am thanking you because you promised to be with me wherever I go. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”
5. Pray and Meditate: Prayer time should also include a time to stop talking, be quiet, and allow God to communicate with you as you meditate on Him and His Word, the Bible. For example, When I pray, I clear my mind of other thoughts and focus on God. I talk to Him as I sit quietly and meditate on Him and allow Him to communicate back to me as He may sometimes place a thought in my mind of something that He wants me to know, or He may direct me to a particular Bible verse answering a question that I was just praying for an answer to.
The following is not a step but a fact undoubtedly worth highlighting: The Bible states in Romans 8:26-27 NLT, “ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
As Christians, when we pray, the Holy Spirit is involved. Let me explain what the Bible means when it says, “The Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed with words.” There may be times in our lives as Christians when we may be deeply hurt or heartbroken over a devastating event or circumstance in our life, such as, for example, a sudden tragic loss of a loved one, etc. We may be so distraught that we can’t even find the words to pray, or maybe we are so overwhelmed that we don’t even know where to start. At these times, when we can’t even articulate the right words, all we can do is groan. I think the late Dr. Charles Stanley explained it clearly here: “The Holy Spirit takes our groanings or sighs that we are experiencing and, as a result, are unable to adequately express ourselves. The Holy Spirit is lifting to the Father the exact, perfect, accurate interpretation of what we are feeling that even we cannot explain. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what we feel, so He intercedes for us. An intercessor is one who pleads on behalf of someone else. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. He will ask the Father to meet the need that fits God’s plan, purpose, and desire for us.” (paraphrased from C. Stanley, Sermon).
These are just a few examples of the steps you can take to improve your prayer life. Prayer is a wonderful means of communicating with God, and I encourage every Christian to pray with faith, thanksgiving, and persistence.
Always remember to Seek Jesus 4 Life!
Stanley, Charles. Sermon: Our Helper In Prayer
