How Do I Begin to Pray?

Prayer. Love. Peace. What do these words have in common?

This may shock you to read, but these words have no value anymore. They have been diluted through everyday speech and we have been indoctrinated into believing that words have no real power or substance, and have lazily accepted this new reality.

A mother's love for her newborn is the same feeling you experience when you enjoy ice cream on a hot summer's day.

The peace a father experiences coming home to his family after a long day toiling away to provide and protect them. His daughter running up to him with a huge chocolate-smudged grin and leaping into his arms while chatting away about her day. Apparently you can now put a price on peace. Just book a spa retreat weekend away. And if you can't afford peace, Netflix will do, for a small price of course.

And prayer is simply talking to God. And opening your heart? And if you kneel, you get extra bonus points.

When I pray, I first like to give thanks to the Lord for keeping me and the people I love well. For who He is, and not just what He does. Often times I pray with scripture by either being led there, or picking one that is applicable to the situation.

After reading it, I pause to take it in and let myself be still, to allow the Holy Spirit to move within me. Knowing and trusting that the Lord sees me, hears me, and has understanding that is above my own. There is no need for extra words, fluff, or beating around the bush. I approach humbly like a servant to their Master, and meekly like a child to their Father.

I cannot emphasise enough the importance of scripture when it comes to our prayers. Why? I'd like to refer to two biblical scriptures to explain this:

I'm sure you've experienced at some point in life a person who only comes to you when they have a problem or an issue that needs to be resolved. No matter how much you love them, it eventually becomes a drain on the spirit and you start to consciously or unconsciously avoid them.

Then how much greater is the love, mercy, and patience of our Father. Do we really want to take that for granted and become an ear-sore? Like chimes or bells constantly going off. One day He will take them out and our prayers will become like the wind.

So again the Bible reminds us of how we should approach Him in prayer:

You may not know where to start. I found looking up things such as "bible verses to praise God" or "bible verses when feeling lonely" helpful. As you commit yourself to the Lord daily, He will also begin to lead you to specific verses.

So have both your feet firmly planted in the Word, and you will find that each time you approach Him in prayer, your mind is renewed — Romans 12:2 — and despite the external circumstances, you are filled instead with gratitude and thanksgiving.

There is always something to be thankful for. If you opened your eyes this morning, give thanks. If you got out of bed, give thanks. If you had a shower, give thanks. If you had a fresh change of clothes, give thanks. If you had food to eat, give thanks. If you had a job or school to go to, give thanks. If you had a family to return to, give thanks. If you have a bed to lay in for the night, give thanks. Even being alive to be able to give thanks in the first place — give thanks!

I call it gratitude-ception.

I'll give an example of some of my prayers for inspiration, but otherwise you have this. And there is never any shame about seeking help, especially with those in your life who have a strong relationship with the Lord. That's a lesson too.