(Tradução da "Qual a maneira adequada de orar?)
What is the proper way to pray?
THEMEWhat is the proper way to pray?
READING OFFICIALPhilippians
4:6-7 tells us: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, be made
known unto God, let your requests, by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
INTRODUCTIONA) Is it better to pray standing, sitting, kneeling or head down? Should my hands be open, closed or directed to heavens? Must my eyes be closed when I pray?B) Is it better to pray in the church or pray admiring nature? Do I pray when I wake in the morning or at night before going to sleep? Are there are certain words that I say in my prayer? How do I start my prayer?C) What is the proper way to end a prayer? These questions and others are common questions we receive about prayer. What is the proper way to pray? Do these things really matter?
DEVELOPMENT01. HOW OFTEN IS PRAYER SEEN?A) Too often prayer is seen as a kind of "magic formula". If you do not say exactly what to say, or pray in the right position, God will not listen or respond to his prayer.B) This is not biblical at all. God does not answer our prayers when we pray based on where we position our bodies in order to make our prayers.C)
1 John 5:14-15 tells us: "And this is the confidence we have in him,
that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know we have the requests which we did."D)
Similarly, John 14:13-14 states: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my
name I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do."E)
In accordance with these and many other passages, God answers our
prayer requests based on whether we ask according to His will and in the
name of Jesus (to bring glory to Jesus).
02. SO WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO PRAY?A) The proper way to pray is to pour your heart to God. Be honest and open with God, because He knows you better than you know yourself.B)
Present your requests to God, but remember that God knows what is best
and will not grant a request that is not His will for you. Express your love, gratitude and praise to God in prayer, but do not worry about having the right words to say.C) God is more interested in the content of your heart than the quality of your words.D) The closest the Bible comes to give a "model" for prayer is the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Please understand, however, that the Lord's Prayer is a prayer that we must memorize and recite to God.E) It is an example of things that should be part of the prayer - praise, trust in God, requests, confession, protection, etc..f)
Pray for the things that are mentioned in the Lord's Prayer, but use your
own words and "personalize" your prayers according to your walk with
God.G) The appropriate method of praying is to express your heart to God.I) The desire for God is our prayer that is personal and a real connection between us and Him;
CONCLUSIONA)
Sitting, standing, kneeling, hands open or closed, eyes open or closed,
in the church, at home, out there in the morning or at night.B) That's all secondary, subject to personal preference and belief and what is appropriate for the occasion.revpaulomadeira@hotmail.com
