How Do You Pray?


how to pray, a simple guide for normal people is a book by Pete Greig. I don't know much about him and his core beliefs yet but he does seem enlightened about prayer. He shares some great insights about prayer in the life of a Christian. You can hear some of his talks on YouTube.

Today, I started "How to Pray: a 21-day devotional journey with Pete Greig on YouVersion or Bible.com. Read highlights from this reading at the end of this article.

God first
Luke 11:1-4
In Luke 11, the Lord Jesus teaches the disciples about prayer. The Lord's Prayer is indeed the disciple's prayer. It's how a disciple should be praying. And, it begins with God. It is primarily, initially, and supremely about God.

The average person may look at the first section and think, "Oh great, I come to God for what I need and want, and it's immediately all about Him. The Lord's Prayer says, 'Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.' Why bother praying at all? God always has His way in the heavens. So this means, 'Okay, just have your way in everything, then.' But how will I get what I want? How about me? How about my way?

I've heard some mock God-worshippers and Christianity. Fanaticism, they say. "It's all about God, God, God. God, who never listens. God, who doesn't stop tragedies from happening. Christians are ignorant fanatics."

But, why be a God-worshipper if it's not going to be about Him? Why, be a devout seeker of God, and not want to know all about Him? Why be a Christian and yet not be marked by Christ?

Is it because some only want a shade of religiosity in their life? A bit of Christianity. A bit of God. That's all they need. That is enough of a safety net. That is enough of a back-up plan when things go wrong in their lives.  "I just want to sort of know that I can go to God when I need to. I just want to keep the connection open and accessible. I don't want to be paganistic. But, I don't want to be too Christian either."

They don't want to be too godly. They still want to fit in. They need to be worldly enough because that's where the good stuff is. That's where excitement and fun living happens.

These types of mindsets can be hard to break down and break through. But once the sensible and grateful Christian breaks free from those lies planted by the enemy, no other than Satan himself, things become clearer.

What you realize
You realize that when you make it all about God, life becomes simpler to navigate. There are more joys than heartaches. There is satisfaction in yourself, your most important relationships, and in what you do.

What you discover
You discover that God is passionate about His glory and righteousness, but He's INTO you.
He is all about you and what's best for you. He wouldn't make an ultimate, costly sacrifice if He didn't care a great deal about you.


The Need for Isolation
Mark 1:35
Motherhood has a way of harnessing a woman's skill to just zone out and put time into the Word and prayer amidst the usual buzz and commotions of home and family life. But today, Mark 1:35 reminded me of the importance of still dedicating some time to isolate or free myself from distractions and 'responsibilities' in order to spend 'intentional' time with my God.



Highlights from today's reading
  • God will walk, and talk with you in silence.
  • In prayer, God tells you things you never knew.
  • In prayer, God lets you bring up things you never told.
  • In prayer, you know more of yourself.
  • In prayer, you discover God and His Will.
photo credit to Jackson David

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