What is Prayer?
· Connecting with the Most Powerful Being in the Universe and Beyond
· A love interaction – communion (common union, it’s about relationship)
· Many forms (i.e. verbal and non-verbal)
· Exercise of trust (you can’t see God, therefore developing faith)
· Not just natural but foremost spiritual (of another realm)
· Acknowledgement of dependence
· Many other things
Why Pray?
· Keeps me alive (He is the source of life and goodness)
· To fulfill my purpose (destiny) and be self-fulfilled
· Because He wants it and I want to please Him
· Because I want to
· I am motivated by love, His love for me and my love for Him
What kinds of prayer are there?
· Spiritual or psychic (Spirit led or soulish)
· Individual or corporate
· Verbal or non-verbal
· Rote or heart cry (authoritative, travailing, loud crying and tears)
· Spontaneous or read from a book (Bible or otherwise) or learned by heart
· Specific or general
· Effective (gets results) or ineffective
· Motivated by faith or fear
· Many others
Simple Prayer Models
· ACTS – it’s a help to remember not necessarily the order of events
o Adoration – to acknowledge who God is and declare our love to Him, render Him honor, express admiration and wonder
o Confession – to admit fault (hopefully with a heart that wants to change, that’s what is called repentance)
o Thanksgiving – to give thanks, to acknowledge God’s kindness received
o Supplication – to ask for something, entreat, beseech humbly
· Ask and Listen Model – You ask a question and wait for an answer right there and then
· The Jesus Prayer – JESUS!
Barriers to Prayer or Praying
· FEAR – foremost and maybe most common, no boldness or courage
· Ignorance – a big one, could be the most common, no understanding of what it is, how it works, how to get in the spirit
· Simply no faith (doubt or unbelief)
· No love
· Lack of discipline (your spirituality is based on your daily life)
· Mental instability, lack of focus and many others
