EXERCISING PRAYER

Posted by Pastor Brown on June 27, 2009

Last month on June 1^st we held a special “prayer & praise” service here at our church. We had a strong attendance and participants participated in three different prayer exercises as one of the vehicles used to bring us closer to God that night. First, the congregation was asked to speak prayers aloud during the regular prayer time. Everyone was given opportunity to praise God in prayer and also offer up special petitions and requests to the Lord. Second, during another portion of the service we split up into small groups of two or three. Each person listened to their prayer partners and then prayed for them in the small group. Third, everyone was asked to spend some alone time with God as they prayed silently without anyone else around. Of course this was something new for us at Praise, and yet, I still received a lot of very positive feedback from the participants.

Prayer isn’t always an easy exercise, but just like physical exercises, you will become stronger with practice. Often people feel as if they don’t know what to say when praying. God doesn’t judge our prayers on whether or not they are filled with eloquent and flowery speech. He only cares that our prayers are sincere and from the heart. Praying alone and with others are both wonderful exercises for building spiritual strength. Please make use of both types on a regular basis. Praying with others and for others (aloud with them present) can also be an exercise that will also strengthen our relationships with each other here on Earth. There’s a saying that goes, “families that pray together stay together.” And while there are never any guarantees about our Earthly relationships and that we will have family members with us always, we can be assured that God works through prayer to strengthen those relationships with one another.

If you weren’t here during our special Monday night service, I invite you to try the following exercise with your spouse, a family member, a friend, or a trusted mentor: First, ask another to pray with you. If they feel uncomfortable praying, you can begin by just offering to pray for them (until they begin to feel more comfortable and eventually want to join in). This person should be someone you can trust . Remember that another’s prayer requests are always confidential. Second, find a quiet and private place to pray with your prayer partner. Third, share with each other some ups and downs or highs and lows of your life. Ask your partner, “how can I pray for you,” or “what can I pray about for you?” Pray for their blessings and struggles, and then ask them if they would mind praying for you.

If you’re not sure how to begin praying, you may want to use the A.C.T.S. method of prayer. Just remember the word, “acts” (Like the Book of the Bible) and then use each letter in the word to represent a category of prayer:

A – Adoration = Praise God for who He is and what He has done.

C – Confession = Confess your sins before your Lord.

T – Thanksgiving = Tell God how thankful you are, and what you’re thankful for.

S – Supplication = Ask your Heavenly Father to grant your requests according to His holy will.

It may not happen overnight, but with regular practice and faithful exercising of your prayer life, your prayers will become stronger and you’ll soon be able to pray with greater ease than you ever thought possible. This is a sign that your relationship with God is growing stronger and that you are walking closer to your Lord than ever before. Let’s praise God for the opportunity we have with Him in prayer!