A Beautiful Privilege

For a Christian, prayer is a beautiful thing. We are not speaking to just an impersonal force or a deaf idol. We are not trying to appease God or earn His love for us by our prayers. We do not need to use certain formulas, words, or mantras over and over. And we need not believe that only certain answers verify God’s love for us.

God Invites Me
God loves us so deeply that His Son, Jesus Christ, lived, died, and rose in victory to restore our friendship with God. His friendship and love invite us to pray. And we pray in Jesus’ name, meaning He has earned our right to approach God’s throne and our desires are placed under His will. Prayer in Jesus’ name is communication with the God who rules the universe. He has all power to help and all wisdom to do what is best for us. And so we pray as freely and confidently as dear children would speak to their dear father.
Awesome to Help
God is the loving Heavenly Father who rules and guides the lives of all people everywhere, all at once. In the book of Romans (11:33) we read, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out.” In a word, God is awesome. It boggles the mind to think that God knows instantly the ever-changing thoughts and intentions of every single person in the world. And it boggles the mind to think that God can orchestrate a single event to impact thousands upon thousands of people, some living and others not yet born but who will feel the ripple effects of that event.
Personal in His Help
At the same time God can orchestrate things that impact just a few people or even individuals. He cares for each of us. He knows you and cares about what is going on in your life. You can bring any of your thoughts to God. That’s what prayer is. Yet, sometimes formulating our thoughts to God may not come easy. God’s word, recorded for us and the Holy Bible, can help us.
Praying from the Bible
We can pray from the Bible. It contains many prayers of God’s people, and God teaches us through them. Many Bible verses can be used as prayers. Jesus taught His followers to pray using the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). Also, the book of Psalms is an entire book of prayers. These Psalm-prayers were used by Jesus and have been used by His followers all through history. They reflect every thought and emotion that we might experience in life. They help us to be honest before God. Consider how these Psalms might be good prayers at times in your life:
  • Teach me your way, Oh Lord. (Psalm 27:11)
  • O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.  (Psalm 41:4)
  • Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word. (Psalm 119:67)
  • I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
  • God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
The Blessing of Community
Your life, including your prayer life, is also greatly blessed through a good Jesus-focused, Bible-teaching church. We warmly welcome you to Christ Lutheran Church, in Montrose, CO. We teach the Bible as God’s unchanging Word. Jesus’ salvation is the focus. His love and care for us guide our prayer lives. We pray for one another. We would love to have you plan a visit or connect with us. God bless you as you pray to Him and praise Him.