April 26, 2003, Ron Cutting, Wales, UK

Lord, teach me how to pray?

Image Caption: Thought for the month

Thought for the month

Submitted

Why Pray? When you read the Bible, God is speaking to you.When you pray you are speaking to God. Both of these actions are necessary in order to maintain communion with your Heavenly Father. I don’t think there has ever been a more urgent time to pray than now. In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul wrote “ making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” That was during the 1st Century. What would he be saying today? I am also reminded that we are instructed by the writer to the Hebrews “let us encourage one another - all the more as we see the Day approaching” By the word ‘Day,’ the Apostle means the end-times which seem very close as we see and hear of more and more violence and godlessness around us. But we must not fear in these circumstances because ‘He, who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!’ (1 John 4:4) Let me encourage you to pray more ‘as the Day approaches’. How do I pray? Why not follow this acrostic, which I found in a useful book by G. R. Harding Wood entitled ‘Learning and Living the Christian Life’ and compare it with the way our Lord taught the disciples to pray. A - Adoration e.g. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name C - Confession e.g. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us T - Thanksgiving e.g.Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven S - Supplication e.g. Give us our daily bread, lead us not into temptation but deliver usfrom the evil one. I hope this encourages us all, as we have a great God who hears and answers the prayers of His children.