How to Pray

You are always in God's presence even when you are not aware of it. Praying is consciously being in the presence of God, and prayer happens when you read, listen, speak, meditate and even passively contemplate God's living presence with you right now.

Prayer does not come naturally. Jesus' disciples asked him, “Teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” Our Lord began by teaching them that prayer is a relationship, a holy communion between God and us. “When you pray say, 'Father.' ” Actually, Jesus probably used the word “Abba” - a Hebrew term that a very small child would use in addressing a parent. It is equivalent to our word “Daddy” or even “Da Da.” In calling God your Daddy you are also confessing that you are his child. This relationship is the basis of all prayer.

Prayer is a dialog - a heart to heart communication between you and God. However, you do not initiate the conversation and hope that God answers. Rather, prayer is a response to God's Word as he speaks to us through the Scripture and though the Spirit of his Son Jesus.

Praying the Scriptures

Personal prayer may begin with praying the Psalms. Our Lord prayed the Psalms on the cross (Ps. 69, 22, 31, and 34) . Psalm 95 traditionally begins Morning Prayer, and Psalm 141 Evening Prayer. Favorite Psalms like the Good Shepherd Psalm 23, Psalms of Protection like 27, 91 and 121, Psalms of Confession like 51 and 32 are inspirational ways of beginning personal prayer. When you pray the Psalms you pray the inspired words of the Holy Spirit and therefore make a good beginning. This is called the devotional use of Scripture.

Bible reading is an integral part of Christian prayer. Devotional booklets provide a schedule for reading the Scripture in an orderly way. The Daily Lectionary has a two year series of Scripture readings from the Old Testament, New Testament and Gospels for each day. This Daily Lectionary can be found in the Lutheran Book of Worship, p. 179.

If you are just beginning a discipline of daily Scripture, it would probably be best to choose only one reading a day. Remember to read devotionally, that is, listen to what the Lord is saying to you personally. If a word or phrase jumps out at you, stop reading and spiritually reflect on it. This is called meditation. It is the Lord speaking to you here and now. Listen, reflect, ponder, and respond. Out of your spiritual reflection pray in your own words, speaking to your “Abba,” Father. As the Spirit prompts you pray for others and pray the “Our Father” to close.

Contemplative Prayer

Consider learning the practice of contemplation, which consists of just being in the presence of God without words or thoughts. Find a physical posture that supports your body firmly, feet flat on the floor, sitting upright, eyes closed, and hands resting in your lap. Take a deep cleansing breath and empty your mind of thoughts by internally saying the name of Jesus to center your spirit. If various thoughts come to mind that distract you, gently internally say the name of “Jesus” to refocus your spirit. After some practice you will find that it is possible to just “rest” in the arms of the Lord without distracting thoughts or words. Paul writes: “I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also.” (1 Corinthians 14:15) Verbal prayer is praying with your mind. Contemplation is praying with your spirit. Twenty minutes is the usual time allotted for this practice.