How to Prayby Gene PooreKnowing what prayer is and why we pray holds no value if we know not how topray. This “How” does not mean mechanics of prayer. This “How” tests our innercondition when reaching out to God.How do we pray? We pray with our heart! God’s Word says, “Ye shall seek me,and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (JER 29:13). Yet,when do we most often search for God? When calamity strikes. Misfortune draws therealization we are not in control of our destiny. However, during times oftrouble, we can pray to God without a response from God. Why? Because we have anunprepared heart to talk to our creator.How do we prepare our heart? Empty our heart of sin. Repent of previouswrongs. Ask God to cover those wrongs with the blood of His Son, Jesus. “Thenshalt thou lift up thy face without spot. . . .” (JOB 11:15).Now, with a heart prepared, how do we pray? Standing? Sitting? Prone?Bowing? Kneeling? Yes, because posture remains unimportant. Scripture states weshould pray without ceasing. Without ceasing means always and in any posture.Standing? Solomon stood to pray when dedicating the temple. Solomon spreadhis hands toward heaven. Scripture in Mark also implies standing as acceptablewhile praying.Prone? Hezekiah prayed for healing while in bed, turning “His face towardthe wall. . . .” (ISA 38:2).Bowing and kneeling? “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneelbefore the Lord our maker.” (Psalm 95:6).Scripture marks no difference whether we stand, bow, kneel, prostrate beforeGod, or look up with open or closed eyes when we pray. We are to “Pray everywhere,lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1TI 2:8). However, if ourheart lacks readiness, our prayer will never reach fruition because God “Knoweththe secrets of the heart.” (PSA 44:21). “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of[humans]. . . .” (PSA 94:11).God warned about unprepared, unrepentant hearts before Isaiah warned hispeople: “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sinshave hid [God’s] face from you, [and God] will not hear.” (ISA 59:2).Thus, when we come before God in prayer, we assume an attitude of worshipthat reveals heartfelt respect. With a prepared heart, we reach to God with humbleand reverent gestures. Our humility becomes essential to effective prayer.How do we pray? With a heart cleansed by Christ’s Blood before we approachGod’s throne. Posture makes no difference. God looks on our heart’s condition, notour physical position. Yet, not knowing how to pray hampers our Christian walkwith God, and we receive limited blessings when God promises so much more.However, prayer represents no magic formula to give spiritual horns ofplenty to our greedy ego. Scripture warns, “Ye ask, and receive not, because yeask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (JAM 4:3). Yes, we should prayfor our needs. Yet, scripture states we should pray for others more often.How do we pray? We pray for answers according to God’s will. “This is theconfidence that we have in [God], that, if we ask anything according to his will,[God] heareth us; and if we know [God] hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know thatwe have the petitions that we desired of [God].” (1JO 5:14-15).We must pray in the name of Jesus. Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask inmy name, that will I do, that the Father might be glorified in the son. If yeshall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (JOH 14:13-14). Therefore, “I sayunto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receivethem, and ye shall have them.” (MAR 11:24). In other words, we keep faith in God.How do we pray? We prepare our heart. We offer our petitions to Godaccording to His Will, not our own. We pray for God to give blessings to others.We pray to God to bless our needs. We pray without ceasing. We pray with faith in
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