Pray like Jesus

Currently Studying Jesus' Example of Prayer. Some thoughts from Today's devotion... 

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our prayers are to be "TO the father, THROUGH the son, BY the Spirit." 

Something I've really been noticing as of late is how much my prayer life has changed since I was younger. A few years back, when I was between ten and probably sixteen, 

I was under a mis-conception that prayer has to always be SO formal. 

I didn't understand the meaning of "approaching the throne of grace boldly!" 

Don't get me wrong, I know what it means to be respectful and to be reverent...

... but reverence doesn't mean heartless. 

And reverence doesn't mean boring.

Our Prayers are to be TO the father. Always remember who you are talking to.

Remember to be respectful, remember the character of God and his attributes.

Don't be lazy, don't be half-hearted, don't be careless.

But PLEASE do not be heart-less and impersonal.

When we Pray, we depend on GOD's love and grace, we can be confident in knowing 

God HEARS me, God LOVES me and God IS good! 

Be bold!

Don't get caught up in ritualistic rules.

God wants us to be personal, to show emotion, to spend time with him sharing the depths of our hearts.

How can we do that if our prayer life is so... boring?...

Some people pray the same prayer every day, with out any heart in it.

Some people pray before their meals because they 'should'. 

Some people only pray in church.

Some churches only pray pre-planned, written out, formal and ritualistic prayers.

Leave room for the SPIRIT to move. 

Most of the time, prayer is not to move the hand of God (although prayer can definitely do that)

but rather prayer is used to change our hearts. 

Trust God. Learn from Him and Obey Him. 

This builds a stronger and more personal relationship with Him. 

But this can only happen when we pray with hearts and souls, rather than with empty words

and heart-less phrases. 

Pray Without Ceasing.

Prayer is to be woven into our lives; Into everything we do and in every moment of every day,

acknowledge God and involve him in your thoughts, actions, words, plans etc.

Jesus didn't teach one basic outline of prayer. 

Prayer was woven into all of his teachings, into his life example through -out all of the gospels. 

If communicating is part of a relationship, 

and prayer is communicating to God,

then prayer MUST be essential in order to have a relationship with God.

Pray Scripture. 

Prayer and the Word go hand in hand.

In prayer, we speak to God and in reading the Word, God speaks to us.

Pray before you read, pray while you read, pray after while you reflect.

Pray PAINFUL prayers.

Jesus didn't just prayer about his victories. 

He was betrayed, beaten, mocked - and yet He prayed in his anguish.

Tell God how hard it is. Be real.

With the cross on the horizon, Jesus didn't pray, "Father, get me OUT of this!"

No! Rather he prayed, "Father, get me THROUGH this!"

He prayed so he could remain faithful,

so he could glorify God, so he could honour God,

and so he could worship God!

Sometimes it can't be about our comfort,

rather it is about God's purpose. 

Pray that God would reveal his purpose to you, 

and until then, whether he does it in this life or the next,

take faith and TRUST him.