Prayer is talking to God. God made humans with the ability to have a relationship with Him, and prayer is one way to grow closer to God. You can pray at any time of day and in any place. You can speak loudly, softly, or silently in your mind. You can pray with your eyes open or closed. You can pray with your hands clasped, to your side, or up in the air. God can always hear you regardless how you pray. God wants to hear from you. You can talk to Him about anything.

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Prayer is a very important part of being a follower of Jesus. Prayer will help you in many ways. As you pray and you praise and thank God for things, it will help your faith and keep you from being discouraged. As you grow closer to God, you will be able to recognize when God is speaking to you. And when you pray, if you spend some time listening during your prayer time, you will hear from God. God will help you make decisions and provide for your needs. Although God already knows every need you have, He still wants you to ask Him through prayer. He wants you to trust Him and rely on Him to help and take care of you. God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.

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Imagine being in the same room with your parents or best friend all day. You were right next to each other, ate meals together, and spend the entire day together, but you never said a word to each other. This is what it is like if we do not pray. God is with us all the time. And if we don't talk to Him, it is like we spend every day ignoring Him.

 

The Bible Teaches About Prayer

Here are some things the Bible says about prayer:

• Don't pray in front of others because you want them to see you praying. It is important that we pray for the right reasons. (Matthew 6:5-6)

• Although long prayers are fine, you don't have to pray a long prayer with many words and say the same thing over and over. And we don't have to use fancy words just because they sound good. God wants your honesty and cares about what is in your heart. (Matthew 6:7-8)

• Pray with faith. Have faith that God answers your prayers as soon as you ask Him, even if it takes some time for you to see your prayers answered. God says He answers all prayers when we ask with faith. (Mark 11:24).

• Our prayers should match the Bible. For example, if we pray that we will get rich through a business in which we constantly lie and cheat people, this is not a prayer that matches the Bible. The Bible is full of promises that God has made us. It takes God's Word, faith and prayer to receive them. For instance, if we have a need for a way to travel safely to work, the Bible says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). It also says, "You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out (Deuteronomy  28:6 NIV). Get these verses in your heart by reading them repeatedly, memorizing them, and thinking about them. Then pray, tell God what you need, and speak these two Bible verses while you pray. You could say something similar to:

          

Lord, I need a good and safe way to get to work. Your Word says that you will provide  all  my needs. It also says I am blessed when I come in and blessed when I go out. So I receive your blessing and a safe way to work from you in Jesus name. Thank you for answering my prayer.

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Whatever need you have, find one or more verses in the Bible about that need. Get them in your heart, believe them, and then speak them. God's Word is alive and powerful. He will answer your prayers but you have to trust Him and have faith that He did.

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• The Bible says," Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). Worry is the opposite of faith and trust in God. If you feel yourself becoming worried, scared, stressed, anxious, or other similar feelings then pray. Don't feel like you are bothering God when you pray. He wants you to talk with Him about everything you're going through, big or small. There is nothing too difficult for God. And there is nothing that is too small for God to help you with.

 

God wants us to pray with others and for others. If you know the needs of others, pray for them. If you know others that need to receive Jesus in their life, pray for them too. Prayer really works! 

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Some Hindrances to Prayer

Here are some hindrances the Bible teaches:

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• Not abiding in God's Word. John 15:7 says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." (NKJV)

• Doubt. Matthew 21:22 says, "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." 

• Not praying according to the will of God. (His will is found in the Bible.) James 1:5 says, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

• Not forgiving someone. Mark 11:25 says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

• Not honoring your spouse. 1 Peter 3:7 says, "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers" (NIV). (The words "in the same way" is referring to the verses before which discuss wives honoring their husbands.)