Prayer is communication with God

What is prayer and how do we do it? Well, I can tell you that each one of us prays differently, and that it is okay.

The dictionary defines prayer like this: “A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.” But I believe it is more than that.

Prayer is not a mysterious or magical thing that we use to contact some strange force in the universe. It isn’t some mystical power that we have that allows us to order God to do things for us.

Rather, prayer is communicating with God and waiting for God to answer.

Now this doesn’t mean you can ask for anything you want and it will be granted to you. For example, you might have been praying like crazy on election night and it didn’t necessarily mean that you got your way.

You have to look to the scriptures to understand how prayer is answered. 1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

This scripture holds the key to prayer. It tells us that God listens to all our concerns and pleas but he gives us answers that follow in line with his plans for his children.

God is always going to protect us and love us. We don’t always know what is best, but God is able to see the “whole” picture of life, where we can only see a tiny little part.

We might think that something or someone is terrible, but God sees all of the situation and the heart of the person involved.

True prayer happens when we are living lives that align with God’s will and we become able to pray accordingly.

Prayer is our connection to God and His connection with us, and keeping those lines of communication open is extremely important.

Make yourself known to God. Don’t just use God for emergencies and desperate situations. That isn’t fair to yourself or God.

If you want God to be your friend in times of trouble, be his friend all the rest of the time by just having a good old fashioned conversation with your Creator.

At the Methodist Church, we are always talking to God. If you would like to join us, just show up at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings and we will include you in the conversation.