How do you pray?
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I’ve really been thinking about this a lot over the past couple of weeks and I really have been wondering if my way of prayer is…redundant.
Matthew 6:7 states
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
Every morning I spend time in the word. After, I pray. Sometimes its 30 minutes because I have so much to pray for but I realized it’s the same things every single day. Every day. And I’ve been wondering, is it necessary? Is it necessary to pray over the same things every. single. day?
God knows my prayers before I even think them. And it’s not like He’s rolling His eyes when I say the same prayer day in and day out but, seriously, I can’t help but think He would. Yes, I know He’s nothing like my human ways, but I wonder if it’s one of those things He thinks, ‘at what point is she going to trust in Me over these things and move on!??’ Again, I know He doesn’t think like my sinful flesh does.
The sweet and lovely Amy did a post about her prayer journals and she told me I should start one up. I’ve never done one before and didn’t really know how to do it or what I was doing with it but I thought it was worth a shot.
I was having a really hard week emotionally last week when I started it. I wrote a few, cried and had to stop. The next morning however, I felt better. Lighter. More at peace even. Since that night, I haven’t really been praying as much over those things.
And because of that, it really made me question how to pray. I actually really enjoy talking to God through prayer. Throughout my day I’ll have random conversations with Him. He really knows how to comfort me. So now I’ve been wondering what to pray for.
If I’m writing them down or if I talk to Him about something once then what will I have to talk to God about? My life isn’t so fraught with trouble and depression that I need to have things to pray over every single day but if I stop the repetition, what will I pray about?
Philippians 4:6 is clear
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Does anyone have any insight?
How do you pray? Is it the same way as I’ve done all this time?
Do you have a prayer journal? And if you do, have you seen benefits from it? Pin It Now!
8 comments:
Oh Emily! I truly love this post! Sometimes, I feel my prayers are a little redundant...almost as if I don't want God to forget what I'm praying for or about...which I know it NOT possible. I also am in constant prayer or conversation with Him throughout my day. Sometimes, it feels better to talk to Him and give it all to Him...rather than talking to a co-worker. I like the idea of the prayer journal...may need to try that one out. Seriously, great post!
Great post about prayer! I really like this line ‘at what point is she going to trust in Me over these things and move on!??’ It's so true, but it's human nature to pray continually about something until we see it come to light.
It's easier said than done to trust in Him and have faith that he DOES have everything under control. But once we realize that and surrender everything to him (even our prayers), we are less stressed, more at peace, and we're not worrying all the time.
Sometimes my prayers look like me talking to myself in my car, while walking...etc. I might look a little crazy, but I love that prayer can be just a talk with God, a bearing of your heart. I love the reading and then praying routine too, but I have incorporated a journal to write down verses that speak to me and my thoughts about them. God is your friend too, and I think if you incorporate the way you would approach a friend sometimes, you'll feel like it's not so repetitive.
Love this post Emily! Wrote something similar to it yesterday =) I've been journaling my prayers for a couple of years now, and it's really helped me grown in my walk with the Lord.
Love this Em.
I def. don't think there is only one right way of praying. I do sit down to pray to him as in a more "formal" way where my "list" is pretty repetitive, but I think that's ok because I bring to him the concerns and thanks that I have at that point in time. However, my favorites are the talks that I have with God while I'm in the car, or doing dishes, or taking care of my girl. It really is just a normal conversation where I ask him questions and think of what his answers would be.
I don't have a prayer journal, but I know that some people have great results with it. But trust me, as long as you talk to Him, he doesn't care which way you do it :-) I asked him, and he agreed :-)
I write out my prayers in my journal...it's not my "bless my husband, family..." kind of stuff, but whatever is on my mind that very minute. It helps me decompress before I get into the Word. But everyone is different. It works for me!
i find praying with other people easier than praying on my own... maybe im just bad at focussing :p i find writing does help though :) xx
Love this post and all the comments... I often struggle with the "what do I pray for then?" feelings because I have the same thought when I pray for the same thing over and over... that I should just trust HIM! KNOWING that He knows my heart, my desires, AND whats best for me. I'm really liking the idea of a prayer journal...
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