PRAYER

WHAT IS PRAYER?

To pray means to communicate with God. That can mean thanking Him, praising Him, confessing something you’ve done wrong, or expressing a need you have. It can even mean just talking to Him as you would to a friend.
Learning how to pray is really about developing a relationship with God. Relationships are built on moments of connection. Those moments of connection are often centered on communication. This is true even with the your relationship with God. You can talk to him and the more you do it the more you will feel connected to him.
Prayer is a supernatural activity. After all you are speaking to the God of the universe.  On the one hand God is close to those who seek for him.  But on the other God is beyond our understanding. That means that there will be times when you speak to God and it will make complete sense.  And there will be other times when you speak to God and it will not. As you grow in your trust of God so will your expectation of what God will do. So press in and don’t give up.

CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU?


If you have any prayer request that you would like our team to pray for, please click the button below. Our prayer team prays for them within the week and if you like someone can reach out to you to follow up.

HOW DO WE PRAY?

WHAT POSITIONS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR PRAYER?
Bowing, kneeling, standing or even walking are great positions for prayer. God will hear you however you do it. The goal is to choose a position that helps you to focus. Many people in church choose kneeling or bowing your head because it’s a great way to focus your mind/body and acknowledge the authority of God.
HOW DO I START?
Start by addressing God directly in a way that acknowledges the uniqueness of who He is. Typically, people will say things like, “Father God,” “Heavenly Father” or “Almighty God.” How you choose to address Him will remind you and anyone you might be praying with about who you are talking to and what He represents in your life.
DO I PRAY TO GOD THE FATHER, JESUS OR THE HOLY SPIRIT?
This is completely up to you. Choose one or try praying to each member of the Trinity at different times, because they are all listening to you. If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is the presence of God living within you. So you can address Him directly with confidence that He is as close as He could be.
SHOULD I PRAY OUT LOUD?
Depending on how comfortable you feel or what kind of situation you are in, you will choose whether to pray out loud or silently. Over time, you will likely grow in your confidence praying out loud.

If you are praying for someone who is physically present with you, it might encourage them to hear your faith expressed through your prayers. But if you find praying silently allows you to focus more on God than on someone you might be praying with, go for it.
WHEN AND WHERE DO I PRAY?
Anytime and anywhere can work, but it’s good to find a distraction-free time and place if possible. God deserves your focused attention, and you might find it harder to listen to Him in a busy place.

Some people create a space in their homes for this purpose, like a prayer closet. Others will choose a favorite park to take time out with God, or even a coffee shop.
HOW SHOULD I END A PRAYER?
A common way to end a prayer is by saying something like, “In the name of Jesus, amen.”

But why is this?

God is a person choosing to be present in your life. He is not just a force or phenomenon. By praying in Jesus name, we acknowledge that He is the only person with the authority and ability to answer your prayers.

So put your trust in him and how he will work in your life.

WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY?

God is open to listening to whatever you want to say to him. God cares about you and he is deeply interested with how you are doing.  So feel free to share openly and honestly in your own words. God will understand you.
But if you were looking for a more focused prayer use the example Jesus gave us:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
(Matthew 6:9-13, New International Version)

5 LESSONS FROM THE LORD'S PRAYER

1. “OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME.”
Jesus starts by establishing our identity as children of God. You can confidently approach a good Father in heaven.
2. “YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”
It’s easy to start our prayers with “our will.” We can easily rattle off all our requests to God. But Jesus makes a point about placing God’s agenda before our own. God has a plan for you and the world. It’s important to be reminded of that.
3. “GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD.”
No request is too big or too small for God. Jesus knows that when you pray, you often focus on the things you want from God. He started out by focusing on God’s will, and now he encourages you to think about what you really need from God today.
4. “FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS.”
Jesus points to our need to focus on asking forgiveness for anything you’ve done that displeases God. Second, He reminds us to search our heart for any unforgiveness we might feel toward another person. It’s important that we ask Him to help us release that person from that debt.
5. “LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE.”
Finally, Jesus reminds us that life is full of spiritual battles and we have a very real enemy. Jesus closes His prayer to remind us that God’s protection is ultimately what we need to stay safe.