How to Pray? Make the Connection

To develop in our moment by moment intimacy with God it is important to set aside time each day to be alone with God. 

We see Jesus drawing aside to meet with his Father on various occasions in the Gospels (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12). In Luke 5:16, we read that ‘he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.’ ‘Would withdraw’ can be translated ‘was withdrawing’. In other words, Jesus was regularly withdrawing to pray. 

The Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus taught to his disciples, is a prayer that one could say (Luke 11:2-4) and it is also an outline of how to prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). As I have reflected on this outline of prayer, I have detected seven key aspects of prayer that I like to include in my time alone with God. 

Firstly, there is connection to ‘Our Father in heaven’. Without this vital spiritual connection, prayer is a ritual of recitation but is not the intimate communion God intends us to enjoy with Him (Mathew 6:7-9). 

We make this prayer connection to God by faith, believing ‘that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6). 

And the Holy Spirit works in us, setting up this prayer link and even enabling us in what to say to our Father (Romans 8:15-16). That’s why it’s so vital that we are born again of, and indwelt by, God’s Spirit (John 1:12-13; 3:6-8; Romans 8:9). 

So, in faith, enabled by God’s Spirit, we start talking to God, trusting that he is like the God Jesus taught us about (John 1:1, 14, 18; 14:6-9) and that because of Jesus’ death on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; 2:14-18) and his risen life at the Father’s side in heaven (Hebrews 7:25), we have a real connection with God as ‘our Father’. 

To help me connect with God, I sometimes spend a time praying tongues, as this is a God given way to get built up in the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:4). 

(More on this prayer gift of tongues in the next blog.)