One way of praying is to count our blessings—past, present and future—and thank God for each of them. You are so blessed in ways you may never even know:
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the millions who won't survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world. If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world. If you have food on your table, clothes to wear, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read anything at all. (emailed by Frank Bascos)
In happy moments, praise God. In difficult moments, seek God. In quiet moments, worship God. In painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God:
§ For our hands and feet can be moved.
§ For our health, strength and vitality.
§ For saving us from hunger and malnutrition, thirst and dehydration, nakedness and shame.
§ For sheltering us from predators and the elements.
§ For our safety even as we sleep and rest our tired bodies.
§ For extending our earthly life every time we awake.
§ For the plants are there to give us oxygen and food.
§ For the air is there to prevent us from suffocating and the heat, to spare us from the cold.
§ For the company of our family and relatives, friends and associates, and the blessings they impart to us.
§ For our knowledge and understanding, power and authority.
§ For our answered prayers, especially on occasions when strangers and angels are sent to help us.
§ For Him dying on the cross that we might have life.
§ For Him loving us more than anyone else can.
§ For His love remains constant even as we falter, fail and sin against Him.
James 5:13 tlb says, “Those who have reason to be thankful should continually be singing praises to the Lord.” Say: “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things” (Isaiah 25:1).
What other advice can be given on how to pray?
You must go to a private place, alone with God, and have long talks with Him—yes, every day! Unburden your heart to Him. Take all your problems, your interests, your plans, your troubles to Him. Talk over everything with Him, continually. Then, even when going about your work—when walking down the street—when driving your car, or wherever you are or whatever you do, talk with God. Go to a private place, and kneel in prayer (on both knees) as often as you can, and at least once every day. But talk with God often in between. Pray without ceasing! (Herbert Armstrong, Good News, October 1957)
Begin your prayer by addressing it to Y’shua, our Abba in heaven. (Of course, the presumption is that you acknowledge Him as your First Parent and submit to His parental authority over you. Otherwise, don’t call him Abba.)
After the address, confess your life direction on earth: “Holy be Your Name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done.” Then demand to be supplied your needs in relation to it.
9 This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts [sins], as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” MATTHEW 6
Take note: Matthew 6:9-13 (better known as “the Lord’s Prayer”) is an outline-guide. Rise above parroting or reciting it. Prayer is nothing memorized or drawn from the intellect. Praying is talking with God, and God talking with you, from the heart.
The ACTS Method
You may add adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication (ACTS) to Matthew 6:9-13. Adoration is doing praise and worship. Confession is admitting to God the sins you committed during the day; it should be preceded by repentance and followed by begging for God’s forgiveness. Thanksgiving is acknowledging your blessings of the day and thanking God for them. Supplication is pouring out the burdens of your heart and petitioning God for help.
In doing supplication, you may resort to the Five-Finger Prayer. It is four parts making supplications for other people and one part making supplications for yourself. Take a look at your fingers now and be guided accordingly:
When you fold your hands, the thumb is nearest you. So begin by praying for those closest to you—your loved ones. And pray for those who helped you when you hurt.
The index finger is the pointer. Pray for the coworkers of God, that they may have wisdom, patience and perseverance (not to mention LOVE) in pointing others to the direction of God.
25 Brothers, pray for us. 1 THESSALONIANS 5
The next finger is the tallest. Pray for those in authority over you (eg. your parents at home, parents in the Lord, public leaders, employer, work supervisors, school authorities).
6 That he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Messiah Y’shua. PHILIPPIANS 1
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 TIMOTHY 2
The fourth finger is the weakest. Pray for the weak, the suffering and those in trouble.
16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. 1 JOHN 5
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. JAMES 5
Then comes your little finger. Let it remind you of your smallness in relation to God’s greatness. Say: “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God” (Psalm 143:10).
12 [Pray] that God make you stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. COLOSSIANS 4
9 [Pray] that God… fill you with the knowledge of His will, with all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And… that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and… please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened by His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. COLOSSIANS 1
9 [Pray] that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the Day [the Second Coming] of the Messiah, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Y’shua the Messiah—to the glory and praise of God. PHILIPPIANS 1
Pray that God may cover (protect) you with His Holy Blood. Pray for light (enlightenment and advice) on what you are doing and will do.
3 Commit to God whatever you do and your plans will succeed. PROVERBS 16
18 Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance. PROVERBS 20
Demand to be given all your needs.
13 Is anyone of you suffering? He should keep on praying about it. JAMES 5 tlb
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. PHILIPPIANS 4 nlt
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Messiah Y’shua. PHILIPPIANS 4
Wait for God’s Response
A popular malpractice in praying is turning our back on God after saying our piece to Him. We ask for forgiveness, for protection, for a blessing, for a solution to our problem… but just when God is about to speak to us, we turn our back on Him and leave. It is outrageously disrespectful. God is mocked. Stop it.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. PSALM 37
Praying is talking with God and God talking with us. Yes, that’s right, the Most Powerful Being in the universe talking with us! Prayer is a trustful, open and warm interaction with God. Interaction means He listens while you talk and you listen while He talks. If you have a question, He answers it and if He has a question, you answer it. There is an exchange.
We must dispose ourselves to hear God speak. Never be in a hurry to turn your back on God.
Pray the way a child talks to his father. Speak with Him not only in times of need or trouble. A child tells his father when his heart is heavy and when it is filled with joy and gladness. He consults his father on matters he does not understand; complains when he thinks an injustice is done; and shares his dreams and aspirations with him. He tells his father of the beautiful things he sees and enjoys—even of the funny jokes he hears. He expresses his gratefulness for the wonderful things his father has been doing for him. He does not hesitate to say in different ways, “I love you. You’re the best Daddy there is.”
There is nothing we can say that God has no prior knowledge of (Matthew 6:8, 1 John 3:20). In fact, God hears more than we say. He is not really after the things we tell Him but after the fellowship, the communion.
He is no different to an earthly father who appreciates it when his child puts in extra effort to come and spend time with him, to keep a LOVE-relationship with Him. God enjoys it when we make Him No. 1 among our priorities, when we desire to be with Him throughout the rest of eternity. God feels honored and accomplished when we seek a private appointment with Him to confide a situation, to ask for His help and counsel. God enjoys it when we come to be straightened in righteousness.
Nothing is sweeter to God than to see you overcome your battles and nothing more bitter than to know you were overcome by them. God likes it even more when you overcome a situation because you listened to His Word. Unfortunately, much as He wants to interfere in your affairs and help, He will not until asked. God is a respecter of the human freewill. He will never violate your freewill and private space. As John Wesley said, “God does nothing but in answer to prayer.”
What has been said so far lays the foundation for the next study modules. If you reach this part without thoroughly understanding what has been said, please go back and read again.
7 Be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 PETER 4
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