Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Prayer is, I think, one of the least taught aspects of the Christian faith. We see a certain type of prayer modelled for us in a Sunday service, but that is not the totality of prayer. Prayer is more than simply giving God his divine to-do list, and then leaving him to get on with it.
At its base, prayer is consciously being in the presence of God. It is talking to God. It is an awareness that this is a place where God is, and that makes a difference. Some prayer may be wordless - at times words are hard to find - or a pouring out of the heart. It might be silent, spoken or written. Perhaps the written prayers of others might act as a ‘starter’ to begin prayer, or it might be that your own words flow more easily. Some wrestle in prayer at night, others might speak a single line in the midst of the day.
The point is this: there is no single prescription for prayer. It differs from person to person.
It is also the case that prayer gets more straightforward the more we pray. The old saying goes: “how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice!”, and that rings true for prayer too. At times it is easier than at other times, but the more you pray the richer it becomes.
So pray! Perhaps make a list of people and situations to pray for. Launch out, or use some familiar prayers to begin. Maybe go through the Lord’s Prayer line by line, dwelling on each petition. The ways are endless, but they all start with a beginning.
So begin!
