Teach Me to Pray
- Richard Selke
- Nov 12, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 3, 2024
November 13, 2024
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When Jimmy’s business associate was in town, he asked Jimmy to introduce us. I didn’t know why until we met. The man told me that he had been diagnosed with a life-ending illness. He was scared and his illness had brought him to his knees. Six months earlier, he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Now he was seeking comfort in his new faith. We talked about the peace that comes from accepting Jesus, trusting in Him, and knowing that our faith and our future will not end when our time here on earth is over. We will be with the Lord in heaven for all eternity.
And then, he asked, “Would you teach me to pray?”
The first prayer that came to mind was the one Jesus Himself taught us, known as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). I shared it with him:
“Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen”
Prayer is, at its heart, relational – our relationship with God, our relationship with each other, our relationship with creation and it reminds us of the spiritual battles in which we are constantly engaged. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God’s people pouring their hearts out to God, giving thanks, asking for His will to be done, confessing sins, and seeking His help in times of trouble. Many of the Psalms are prayers. There are other prayers in the Bible and many prayers have come down through the centuries. Some of the scriptures teach us about prayer: what prayer is, why we pray, how to pray, when to pray – and how God might answer our prayers.
Here are some helpful scripture verses and reflections about prayer to encourage us as we learn and grow in our conversation with God:
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16b, NIV
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer …” 1 Peter 3:12b, NIV
“Pray continually.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV
“You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” John Bunyan
“When we work, we work; but when we pray, God works.” Bob Cathey
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24, NIV
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 NIV
“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” Abraham Lincoln
“The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” Samuel Chadwick
“Prayer is not the preparation for battle; it is the battle.” Bob Logan
“Do not be surprised by the fiery attacks on your mind. When you struggle to find Me (Jesus) and to live in My Peace, don’t let discouragement set in. You are engaged in massive warfare, spiritually speaking. The evil one abhors your closeness to Me, and his demonic underlings are determined to destroy our intimacy. When you find yourself in the thick of battle, call upon My Name: ‘Jesus, help me!’ At that instant, the battle becomes Mine; your role is simply to trust Me as I fight for you.” Sarah Young, Jesus Calling
“Prayer is request … it may or may not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant and sometimes refuse them.” C. S. Lewis
“There are, no doubt, passages in the New Testament which may seem at first sight to promise an invariable granting of our prayers. But that cannot be what they really mean. For in the very heart of the story we meet a glaring instance to the contrary. In Gethsemane the holiest of all petitioners (Jesus Christ Himself) prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him (Matthew 26:39, 42,44.) It did not. After that, the idea that prayer is recommended to us as a sort of infallible gimmick may be dismissed.” C. S. Lewis
“Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers.” Rick Warren
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their Land." 2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV
We must pray to the Lord what is on our hearts – not what we think should be on our hearts.
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, pray continually!
QUESTIONS
What role does prayer currently play in your life? When do you feel closest to God in prayer? What obstacles keep you from praying?
PRAYER
Lord, we thank You for teaching us to pray. Help us to seek Your presence, hear Your voice and receive Your love, mercy and grace.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
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