Holy Habits - Prayer

This seems simple enough - just pray to God. How do I pray, when do I pray, what do I pray???? Let's look to the bible - there are lots of prayers recorded in the bible. Probably the most familiar is the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. Here is a quick list of a few of the prayers:

Abraham's Prayer for Sodom - Genesis 18:23-25
David's Prayer of Thanks - 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Solomon's Prayer of Dedication - 1 Kings 8:22-30
Elijah's Prayer at Mount Carmel - I Kings 18:36-39
King Hezekiah's Prayer - 2 Kings 19:15-19
The Prayer of Jabez - 1 Chronicles 4:10
The Prayer of Ezra - Ezra 9:5-15
Hezekiah's Prayer when Sick - Isaiah 38:2-8
Daniel's Prayer for the Captive Jews - Daniel 9:4-19
Habakkuk's Prayer - Habakkuk 3:2-19
The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-15
The Tax Collector's Prayer - Luke 18:13
Christ's Intercessory Prayer - John 17
Stephen's Prayer at His Stoning - Acts 7:59-60
Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom - Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Growth - Ephesians 3:14-21
Paul's Prayer for Partners in Ministry - Philippians 1:3-11
Paul's Prayer for Knowing God's Will - Colossians 1:9-12
A Prayer of Praise - Jude 1:24-25

According to Matthew 6:6 praying is a personal and private time with God.  When we love someone we want to spend time with them, talk with them forms a relationship.  If we really love God then we should want to some time with Him.  Can you imagine being married and never talking with your spouse?  But God is so much higher than us, he is holy and we aren't, how do we get started?  If we study all the prayers in the bible we will find most follow a simple rule of thumb the ACTS or the Prayer Hand patterns.  I like them both but I think the ACTS is easier to remember.

A - Adoration - this is worship telling God who he is (creator, sustainer, redeemer) we love him with all our mind, soul, and strength.
C - Confession - this is where we clear away our actions that are displeasing to Him. Don't get lazy here and say God I've sinned please forgive me.  Take ownership, figure out what you've done wrong and why.  For example last night Isabel said something to me and I let my pride get the better of me, I wasn't slow to anger and I surely wasn't patient.  I blew it - so I've prayer all those things I just stated and asked God to forgive me and help me turn from this sin - I don't want a repeat!!
T - Thanksgiving - God is continually blessing us and thanksgiving should be continually on our lips.  When we focus on the gifts that he lavishes on us (mercy, grace, peace, forgiveness, etc) it helps us be humble and grateful.
S - Supplication - this is where we tell God our hurts, or pains, our scares, worries, fears - this is a good place to find some scripture to pray back to Him.  For instance maybe you are fearful about something. Pray 1 John 4:18 to Him - Lord make me perfect in your love, because perfect love drives out fear and there is no fear in love.

Then what - well you should spend so time listening for God to respond. My quiet time book is one Larry gave me: When You Pray Daily Practices for Prayerful Living, by Rueben P. Job.  This book is full of quotes from numerous authors.  This one comes from Creating a Life with God, Wolpert; p.18:

A prayer practice is just that: practice.  It is taking time to learn how to listen for God.  It is taking time to see the hand of God at work in our lives.  We need to take this time because this listening, this seeing are difficult tasks.   I once introduced a time of silent prayer at a prayer service by saying, "Let us take some time to listen to God." One woman who was struggling with various concerns said, "I listen and all I hear is the fan on the ceiling." God's voice is often very soft. Prayer practice is the art of setting aside our own individual desires to seek the desire that God has placed on our heart.  It is becoming aware of the distractions of our minds and then letting them go, and as we repeat the disciplines over time, we become more skilled at seeing God in all that we do.

I have found if I journal my prayers when my mind wonders I can stay focused.  I also have recognized one of the ways God talks to me so I'm on the look out for them now.  For instance the two studies I just finished  prayer was an essential part of the learning, the quote above came from last weeks devotion, Larry's sermon - God talks to me by repetition of the same theme in different ways.  Look I just found something to say in my "T" part of my prayer time.

I wasn't sure I could copy the illustration for The Prayer Hand - this is another valuable source and can be found at:

PRAYER HAND

Be on the lookout for God - in Vacation Bible School - we call these God Sightings - do you have one to share?  I would love to hear about it.