How to Pray to God
There are few things more uncomfortable or frustrating than not knowing how to do something, especially when we are in the presence of people that know how. In my own life, there have been many times where I have attempted to do something I had truly no idea how to do. I’ve played board games that had rules I did not comprehend whatsoever, so I played totally unaware if I was doing things right. I’ve tried out sports I had never played before, and looked completely foolish as I attempted to play something that was completely new to me. I’ve attempted recipes with techniques that far surpassed my baking skills, with disastrous results.
When we attempt something we don’t know how to do, we often experience different emotions.
Shame or embarrassment.
Fear that there is something wrong with us.
Frustration or discouragement that we can’t seem to get it right or do it well.
These are all feelings we can experience when it comes to not knowing how to pray. Whether we have just begun praying or have been praying for years, we can find ourselves asking: Am I doing this right? And if we don’t know if we are going about prayer right, we might get down on ourselves and be tempted to just give up when it comes to prayer. But what’s important to know with anything—especially with prayer—is that just because we don’t know how to do something doesn’t mean we can’t learn. It takes time, practice, and discipline to learn how to pray, and that is okay! When we remove pressure or expectations on ourselves when it comes to prayer, we are more open and eager to keep learning and growing. So with that perspective in mind, let’s explore prayer and how we might pray to God.
What is Prayer?
Before tackling the question, “How do I pray?” it is helpful to understand what prayer is and its purpose. The simplest definition of prayer is talking to God. And while this is absolutely part of prayer, it is not all that prayer is. The purpose of prayer is to glorify God, commune with God, partner with God, and ask for the providence and help of God. Prayer is not just about asking for things from God but dwelling and delighting in His presence. When we pray, we commune with the God of the universe who loves us and longs to be with us, help us, and guide us. Therefore, prayer is the means by which we grow in intimacy with and dependency on the Lord.
These truths should encourage us because they show us that prayer doesn’t have to look a certain way. Coming to God with our needs is prayer. Praising God for His goodness is prayer. Confessing our sins to God is prayer. Sitting still in God’s presence is prayer. There are many ways in which we can engage in prayer, which brings freedom and variety to our prayer lives.
So when we come back to the question of how to pray, knowing the purpose of prayer helps us grasp exactly what it is we’re learning to do. Prayer is going to God and sharing our heart with Him, giving Him our needs, asking for His help, thanking Him for who He is and what He is doing, and declaring our hope and trust in Him.
And while all of this can be helpful, we might still want something practical to help us when it comes to prayer. Thankfully, Scripture gives us exactly this.
Use the Lord’s Prayer to Learn to Pray
In Luke 11:1, the disciples approach Jesus and ask, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” Jesus answers this request with what is often called the Lord’s Prayer. Now, the prayer that Jesus prays in Luke 11:2–4 and Matthew 6:9–13 is not something that we have to pray word for word. We certainly can pray it verbatim, but Jesus says in Matthew 6:9 to pray “like this.” Therefore, the Lord’s prayer can be seen as a template for prayer. It gives us direction on what to say in prayer while also giving us the freedom to pray with our own words. Using the Lord’s prayer as a model helps us to have a rich time in prayer as we come to God with honor and humility, surrendering to and asking for God’s will to be done, bringing any needs to Him, and trusting in God’s protection and provision. Check out this blog that shows you how you can pray the Lord’s Prayer in your own words!
The Lord’s Prayer is a great place to start when learning how to pray. Consider using the Lord’s Prayer as a template and model until you begin to grow more comfortable with prayer and establish a rhythm that works best for you. As you seek to bring prayer into your daily life, continue reminding yourself of the purpose of prayer when you find yourself distracted, discouraged, or frustrated, remembering that God loves you and wants to commune with you no matter how insufficient you feel in prayer.
And if you want to learn more about the practice of prayer, check out our study on prayer!
