Praying for people and situations should be an ongoing practice in the lives of Christians. It’s a way of life, a mentality that places all things in God’s hands. It’s not about sending a “wish list” to the heavens and it’s not a last resort effort. It should not be viewed as something to get out of the way like taking your vitamins so you can barrel headlong into your day.
You can find all sorts of books and teaching on prayer and ways to pray. In the language of ‘Christian-eze’ you will hear of going into your prayer closet. It is not required to actually go into a closet to pray though I do have a friend that does just that. She sits in her bedroom closet for her morning prayer time. I have a family member that sits quietly in her bathroom to pray. It’s a personal matter, if you need to get away by yourself to feel free to open up to the Lord; then certainly do so. You can pray while riding a bus; it’s a personal activity most of the time, make good use of the time spent with someone else watching the road. One woman I know who has outlined her prayers with her drives to work. She starts praying as she backs out of the driveway, moves to another subject of prayer at a certain landmark, drives and prays for that till the next landmark before changing topics, etc. This is her way of not leaving something out.
My daily prayer time starts when I get up and ends when I go to bed. It is an ongoing conversation that may have pauses during the day but is never really over. Does this make me a better ‘pray-er’ than you? No way! It is just what I found works for me.
Sometimes I pray out loud; sometimes it is a quiet whisper. Since I find expressing my thoughts in writing gives me more clarity, I do that when I feel my thoughts are jumbled. God knows my heart; He does not need me to be a fine oracle to accept my prayers. Nor does He need that from anyone. A sincere prayer offered up for the poorest of speakers is far better than a lengthy, wordy one from someone who cares to pontificate endlessly in the presence of others. Prayers are not to impress those in earshot but to communicate with the one and only holy God.
Sometimes the most effective prayer is but two words, “Jesus, help!”
There is a simple way to remember who to pray for; it is called the Five Finger Prayer.
1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones, as C. S. Lewis once said, is a "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, nurses, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger; it reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly, our little finger; the smallest finger of all; which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
I am certainly not an expert on prayer by anyone’s standard but I do know that I cannot live without it and wouldn’t want to try! My prayer for us all is that prayers to our God become as natural as breathing to us. We breath therefore we live; we pray therefore we live in expectancy and anticipation of the might works of God for our lives. That, I prayed out loud!
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