Weird Question but, how do you pray?
 

When I was at church the other day, the question was asked "how do you pray?" and it got me thinking.

How do you pray?

Before I go to bed at night I do what I call 'The 10' and I pray for 10 people/groups of people.

I start out with:
I want to pray for ________.
I pray that _________.

and do it for 10 people.

and then I get to the 'asking' part of it.
I pray for strength, support, and guidance.


I don't feel there is a certain way to pray, but this way works for me, but I was wondering if any of you had a special way to pray.


(If you don't feel comfortable sharing, because you believe this is a private and personal matter, I understand, I just ask that you don't flame me for being curious. :o)

I have formal and informal prayers :) I kinda babble at God a lot all the time :o and then I have quiet times of more "organized" prayer...praise,confession,thanksgiving,requests & supplications,more thanksgiving and praise. Those were the ways I was taught to pray from childhood.

when I wake up each morning and am too tired to think anything yet, I always try to say the Lord's Prayer ( the "Our Father.....") to start the day before my fuzzy brain starts to wake up and do its own thing.

I guess most often my prayers are very varied and conversation with God about many different things. I also try to remember to be quiet more and listen more :o

Our Pastor once asked the congregation about our prayer habits, but not in an offensive way. It also got me to thinking about prayer, meg.
I am kind of like Chemar, in that, I tend to talk to The Lord out of the blue at times and then I have there's times I have a more structured prayer time w/him.

Alot of the time, I'm alone in my car, so choose to pray then. I try really hard to pray before I close my eyes at night. I feel calm and quiet then.

There are lots of different ways to pray.

I sometimes talk to God as if he was right here with me. Just conversation.

Other times when I really need him I'm a little more formal.

I do pray in the morning at night and before I eat my meals.

Mostly I talk to God like I am talking to a friend.

Nothing formal... I'm not good with formal...

I know He hears me not matter how I am talking to Him.

Abbie

can i flame you for being curious? :wink: :p :hug:

sometimes my lil'ole brain pops out these eloquent (sp) beautiful prayers. goes back to my sunday school teaching days and all the theology courses we took i guess.

sometimes it's just a little blessing type. i dont always reply to all the need of prayers here, buti do read and stop right there and then and pray.

sometimes it's like talking to an elder, sometimes like a brother or friend. those times happen spontaniously. i know he is right there with me. not to be ignored, so we talk. i listen real hard too.

i will say i love reading prayer books.

good question meg. ty. :hug:

How do I pray you ask?

Prayer is a quiet spiritual dialogue for me.

As an evolutionary biologist, some may find it odd that I can be spiritual, but in fact many most of us are spiritual in one way or another.

A Real Example:
Imagine being in the Mojave desert when the temperature is over 120F and you feel like you are with Dante,.., and you know that you have to return to the same site the following day. Prayer is not even a part of the equation at the time, just persistence and the hope that you can get to the motel before you melt.

THEN,.., you return to the same site the very next day before sunrise, moving slowly along a desolate dirt road that is fifty miles from the nearest human.

When you get to the site, it is still dark and you know that you are going to be alone for the rest of what is expected to be another hard and hot day.

The sun is just starting to illuminate the desert mountains in a purple-gray color but something is strange about this particular scene, so you get out of your truck for a better view. The truck door is opened to an odd and cool breeze so you get back into the truck quickly. You doze off for a few moments...

Then the sun rises enough to make things clear...and the 120F of the previous day is washed away when you see that the entire desert is covered with snow...cold white pillow-like snow.

It is then that in silence I am spiritual.

-Vic

Prayer is communication with God in three Persons. I talk to Him all the time! Often, I hear myself saying, "Good one!" or "what a great idea!" Sometimes my disease makes me extremely frustrated and I just yell at him with my fist in the air.

I've also been writing Him a long letter for years. I write it just like I'd write to a friend ('cuz I am!).

Most of the time though, I admire him, I confess my sins, I thank Him for forgiveness, and I ask for His blessings and comfort for a long list of people.

I learned it this way: ACTS

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

If you look up the Lord's Prayer in the Bible, think it in your own words, you'll start to see yourself and your own life in it.

I honestly believe that God would rather have us fumbling for words (H.S. is a great translator) than not communicating with Him at all. He made us all by design and He knows what's in your heart— share together with Him, not at Him. :)

I wish I was an evolutionary biologist.

Wow, I am awed by everyone's answers.

I am not so eloquent, but your question made me think of this poem:



THE PRAYER OF CYRUS BROWN

by Sam Walter Foss


"The proper way for a man to pray,"
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
"And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees."

"No, I should say the way to pray,"
Said Reverend Doctor Wise,
"Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes."

"Oh, no, no, no,"
said Elder Slow,
Such posture is too proud.
"A man should pray with eyes fast-closed
And head contritely bowed."

"It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,"
Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.

"Last year I fell in Hidgekin's well
Headfirst," said Cyrus Brown,
"With both my heels a-stickin' up
And my head a-pointin' down.

"And I made a prayer right then and there,
The best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standin' on my head." :D

meg, not a weird question at all. In fact, I think it's excellent.

I was not brought up very religiously. Although there was/is belief in God's existence and respect, I would call it more spiritual than religous. Although I don't regret not having been immersed in organized religion per se, I have felt on occasion that I've missed certain things by not having had that. This is one of those things -- kind of like missing a "How To" manual. I've thought many times about the question you posed in this thread.

Several years ago I actually bought a little book called "Fifty Ways to Talk to God". I think it's mostly about each of us finding our own way to feel we're communicating and it's not necessarily so easy to figure out. I am very glad you posted this and look forward to coming back to this thread and reading what you all have written when I have time to focus. One thing I do believe is true -- there's more than than fifty ways. :)

Whether our prayers are a couple of simple words, or a lengthy formal type ...the most important thing to remember is that HE knows what's in our hearts and what we're going to pray for even BEFORE we start to pray. All those Bible verses that have such words as "Come to me...", HE is always there waiting to hear our prayers.
I sometimes ramble, sometimes think more of the needs of others..but it always seems to be a thanks for God's beauty around us, asking our needs and thy will be done, all prayers are said "in the name of your Son", and close them with the AMEN...something that a pastor said to me yrs and yrs ago. Those seem to be the basics although the "innerds" sometime differ. LOL

Hi Meg! I love it when someone asks that question! I think it means that they want to get closer to God and that is truly wonderful!
I talk to God every day as if I was speaking to my friend. In the evening Saffire and I say our prayers:smileypray:...it starts out..."Dear Lord hear our prayer oh Heavenly Father".....then Saff says "Hi God!" We thank him for the day..for each other....we Bless our family and friends..remind him of our love for him and for each other and anything else we want to say..then I say Amen and Saffy who is 1 1/2 says AMEN!
Talk your heart out to him Meg...he hears you and it makes him so happy when you do!!!! God Bless you!:)

i liked abbie's reply fits in with how I approach prayer

I'm really glad this thread turned out like it did. I was afraid to post because I was expecting people to react like :eek: how could she ask such a personal question, but all of your answers have been wonderful and I thank you for all of your insight!

I love it here. :grouphug:

Not enough and that makes me sad.

I say thank you when something good happens, everything from getting that parking spot by the front door when I am having a really heavy pain day. To my kids getting a good report from the doctor. A quick prayer for others who need it here and other places and those close to me from wherever I am.

But I tend to fluctuate in the daily type prayers, where I go from a month or two where I feel really close and am able to let go and let God, where I read my bible and my Joyce Meyer books, where I pray more, then to months and months where I am in chaos because I have to be in control and I live in fear and depression.

Like now, I am just now registering some possible bad news regarding my son that I got yesterday. So now I have to make the decision as to how I will handle it. Will I turn it over and pray or will I try to take control ;):rolleyes:

Ah, that is the question!

Really I wish I did it more but tend to fall away.

ya know Christina the ups and downs in prayer life are like that for all of us I think. :grouphug:

today's daily bread devotional also reinforced something to me about prayer.....
HONESTY with God

I know when there seems a jam up in my prayer walk with God, it is usually cos of that ...whether it's something I need to 'fess up to Him or whatever I am feeling toward Him or others or even self, I need to be honest. He already knows.....But He wants to hear me talk about it, so in giving it to Him that way, He can work in and through it for my best.

anyways, here is that daily bread message for anyone interested. I have read most all Philip Yancy's books, and he was oh so spot on with today's message for me

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-d.../devotion.aspx

:grouphug: praying for a very blessed day for all who have posted or are reading this thread. :hug:

Thank you Chemar, I use to get the Daily Bread booklets in outpatient and I surely miss them. I had found a link and as soon as I found it, it became no good.

Hi Meg, when you pray just use the same voice you use with us. He hears you and He really does care.

When I first started this walk with Christ I went to my pastors wife and asked her this very same question. I didn't know how to pray. Many in the church will pray out loud and they always sound so eloquent in their words.

When I tried to do that it wasn't me talking. I was saying what I thought they wanted to hear not what I wanted God to hear from me. I have even turned down a request to pray at the beginnning of our bible study and felt no guilt or remorse for that. I am just not comfortable praying out loud in front of people. Maybe that will come someday...maybe not and I am OK with that.

So now my prayers sound like I am having a conversation with an old friend who I know I can say anything to without feeling stupid. I talk about my day, thanking Him for the good and the bad, ask Him to watch over whoever is on my mind at the time.

Usually I will sit down with a specific thought in mind to pray about then it ends up being all about something else. I believe that is God helping to lead my prayers.

I am so proud of you Meg, you are a strong confident woman and with God on your side you can't lose. ...Sue :hug:

Hey, Meg,

There is really just no "wrong" way to pray, here's a little proof :D:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.ph...a27a0c99bff671

Hi Meg
 

I will some times pray quick little prayers at any time.

Sometimes I pray longer prayers. I start by asking Gods forgiveness for my sins,and I forgive those who have done wrong to me,then I say my prayer. At the end of my prayer,I say in Jesus Name. BF:hug:

Thank you!!! I absolutely love the video. I so have to show my son, he will love it too lol.

I pray in all sorts of ways! Always trying to be mindful of God and who I am and what experience I'm having, I am quick to say, "Thank You" whether it's for the open handicap parking place or for not letting me change lanes when there was a car flying by, or for allowing me to find one more can of favorite soup hidden in the panty! :)

But I do have a routine of praying too, and I follow what others have shared also. First I do pray to God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, in the Name of the Son. (Hope it's okay to say all that.)
Adoration of His mercy and wonderfulness, and for being There for me always. And then I ask Him to keep safe and to bless the people I love, the people they love, and then also the people those people love. (I feel that will help keep the ones I know and love safe and happy.) :grouphug: And I add in the main concerns of my life, and those who had shared with me their concerns to pray about.

I thank Him for what He has given me, and ask for contentment, to change my "want to" to coincide with His wanting me to... :winky: And I thank Him for my service dog and ask that He help him learn faster and better.

I normally just chatter away out loud. I say thank you a lot too, out loud.

As a child, I was told to get on my knees, put my hands together in a little steeple gesture and always told to say the "now I lay me down to sleep" routine, and bless tons of people in my family. Haven't done that since (not like that).

Yes, normally just chatter unless it's something really really big/bad, I sometimes fall to my knees and ask for help.

LOL Doody, you reminded me of something I noticed when we were chattering in person that one day. :D I didn't tell you then, but it made my heart smile and I wanted to hug you. :hug: Hadn't seen anyone do that in YEARS. :)

((Meg)) - When I was young, I didn't know how to pray either. Seemed like there were so many ways, and everyone seemed to believe only their way was the right way. So, I gave it a shot at just being myself. I used to sit cross-legged in my back yard, picking at the grass and chattering away at God about everything that was on my mind. I didn't hesitate to show whatever emotion was controlling my thoughts at the time, even when I was angry and in pain. I figured God was strong enough to handle a bratty child throwing a hissy fit, or an illiterate child looking for some direction in life.

I hope you'll be able to find your connection - be it in a building or out in a field of grass somewhere. :hug:

So on top of talking outloud (in the car, the shower, wherever) I have created my own nightly routine I call the 10-5-3-1 lol

The 10: 10 People/Groups I want to pray for
I want to pray for ____________.
I pray for their heath, happiness and safety.
I pray that ______________.

The 5: 5 things I am Thankful for.
I am thankful for _____________.

The 3: 3 Things I pray for myself.
I pray for/that _____________.

The 1: The Lord's Prayer.
I end it up with a more formal, tying it all together prayer.

I do the sign of the cross, and kiss my hand and send it on up (like Italians do when something is perfecto lol)


After reading all of your posts, I figured out what worked for me, I'm slowly adding and working on it, but I think what I have now is pretty good. :)