I am not good at praying in public. Many times at Church we would have a round robin prayer group where everyone would take turns praying out loud. I am the one in the back that prays in silence. I find that praying in public is much like speaking in front of a large group....terrifying! Why you may ask... I think it comes down to being afraid of sounding dumb...not to God...He loves my prayers, I know..it's the women who I look up to as my spiritual leaders. I'm sure if they were reading this...they would say, "Kelly, you are so silly!" and they would be right. But all of us have our little issues, don't we? Thankfully, you don't have to pray in public for God to hear our prayers!
When Jesus was teaching His ministry, His disciples came up to Him and asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus said when you pray you say:
"Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."
I am sure you have heard this prayer or at least some version of this prayer many times before. Like many people you probably have no idea what it really means. Neither did I.. So here's a little bit of an explanation. Father is God... Hallowed - is a form of respect and intimacy with God, it means that God is Holy. Your Kingdom come refers to God's promises. Your will be done - is submitting to God. Give us our daily bread this means that we are all dependent on God for all of our needs. Bread does not necessary mean just food, Forgive us our sins and just as God has forgiven us - we must forgive others, do not lead us into temptation - is asking God to for spiritual leadership and protection. Deliver us from the evil one - is asking God again for protection....from Satan.
I pray at the most different times... The shower is the most popular place for me. It is usually when I have the most privacy... I ask for His guidance and every day I ask Him for His forgiveness.
I pray after I drop my kids off at school. I pray for their safety away from me and for them to have friends that are good for them. I pray right before I fall to sleep at night. I thank God for my day and for loving me as I am and I pray for the next day to be good. In between these prayers, I will pray for others who need prayer. People who are sick, lost, and just need a little something extra. God wants to talk to us about everything. There is not anything that is too small to go to God with.
Why do we need to pray? God wants a relationship with us. He wants to bless us. The more we pray the more we are in fellowship with Him. It's kinda of funny how that works. I know from personal experience that when I pray..I become more aware...more loving...more discerning... and more forgiving. Give it a try....I know you will be blessed!
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