Prayer – Lord, teach me to pray the effective prayer of a
servant. I long to please You in everything I think, say, and do.
Meditate. Pray.
When I was in the sixth grade my Sunday School class met
around a big table in the middle of the kitchen at the church we attended. The
lesson I remember the most was one on the Lord’s Prayer—that prayer that Jesus
taught His disciples to pray. Our teacher, Virginia Howe, made a profound
statement that I’ve pondered and treasured all these years. She said, “The
daily bread (KJV) could be spiritual food, as well as the food on our tables at
each meal.” Spiritual food! Yes, that is the bread of life that we “eat” each
time we read God’s Word. Spiritual food? Should we be eating that three times a
day as well? Spiritual Food. Can we share that with others—just like we share
our physical food—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks? What does spiritual
food look like? Is it just scripture—or can it be songs, hymns, and prayers,
too? That is a lot of food for thought. Such an appropriate lesson to be
learned in a kitchen.
There is so much in the Bible about prayers that thousands of books have
literally been written about it, but God has a plan—and Jesus fulfilled that
plan—including teaching us about prayer. The book of James gives us some more specific
ideas.
Are any of you
suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing
praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to
come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a
prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.
And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to
each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest
prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James
5:13-16
In a Bible Study as an adult, I learned the acrostic, ACTS,
associated with prayer. It was instrumental in the growth of my own prayer
life.
A is for Adoration
C is for Confession
T is for Thankfulness
S is for Supplications
Using this acrostic as a format for daily prayers helps
those new to a dedicated prayer life…and serves as a reminder for those who
have been praying for what may seem like an eternity already! We are
continually reminded—especially as we get closer to Christmas—that we do “adore”
the Lord our God—and He is worthy of our glory, honor, and praise. Confession
is always good for the soul. Have you confessed to God today the things you’ve
done that you know are not respectful towards Him or how you’ve offended Him or
others? We are to confess our sins, one to another. (See James 5:16.) In all
things, we are told in Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica that we
should always give thanks in all situations (1Thessolonians 5:18).
Supplications. The "I wanna" in your prayer. So often it is asking God for a
healing touch to someone who is ailing, or for Him to provide safety, security,
or even financial support. How do these elements of prayer affect your
relationship with our Lord God? Do your prayers draw you closer to the Lord?
Prayer is communication—and God likes to have His scripture—His words prayed
back to Him. Have you ever tried using scripture as the basis—the very words—of
your prayers? In our prayers we all ask for things or situations to happen and
we are assured of God’s power and love throughout His word.
God can do all things. Nothing is impossible for Him, but He
does want us to pray to honor Him, to seek repentance—even for the small things
in life, to express our gratitude, and to let Him know our needs—although He already
knows what we need before we even ask. Jesus mentioned that right before He
taught the Lord’s Prayer, as recorded in Matthew.
When you pray, don't
babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are
answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them,
for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Matthew
6:7-8
So, don’t babble and ramble on and on. Say what you mean. Talk
to God as you would a friend—because like Abraham, we can be called a “friend”
of God.
And so it happened
just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as
righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. James
2:23
How do you pray? ACTS helps—but just talk to God the
Father, to Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit as your beloved and adored friend.
Remember, as James wrote…the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great
power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16. So, sincerely give some
serious thought to your prayers and praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Verse of Salvation ~ Dear brothers and sisters, the
longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be
saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.
For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself.
Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with
God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose
for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right
with God. Romans 10:1-4
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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