How do you pray?

The evolution of a prayer.

Depending on what or who you read, there are over 650 prayers in the Bible. Twenty five of those are recorded from Jesus.  

How do we pray? Finding a spouse is going to be our example. “Dear Lord, bring me a spouse. Here is my list of requirements; must have a job. Good teeth, dentures are okay. Treats me good. Great sense of humor. Must be a Christian. Must love my pet. Not as much as I do just he can’t be mean to my pet. If he is retired, willingness to be a house husband. I know no spouse is going to look like Hugh Jackman, but he needs to at least be conscious of his health.” Insert more requirements as you see fit.

Let’s assume you pray this prayer every night for 5 years and nothing happens. Then you tweek it a little. You still want a Christian spouse. Who know’s if your pet is still living? You don’t want an animal hater. How has the political climate changed? Maybe you can’t be attached to someone that voted a certain way. Or thinks (for example) women’s rights are unimportant. You pray your revised prayer every night for another 5 years. 

You revise your prayer again. You still want a spouse. One that is kind. One with a great sense of humor that alines with yours. But it’s okay if he’s not a Christian as long as he supports your faith. Maybe he can even help you learn more and you can both grow together?

Maybe you pray this prayer for a while. Or you just all together stop. Prayer is stupid. You’ve been alone for at least 12 years now. Prayed every night and nothing! Oh, there have been a few dates here and there. But nothing you can really sink your emotions into. You feel like God isn’t listening to you. You are no better off today than you were 12 years ago. This doesn’t have to be about a spouse. Your prayer can be for a home, a child, a new career. Whatever you might be praying about or for. 

You hear a story on the news about a woman and her 3 children that were killed by her husband, the children’s father and you say a quick prayer, ‘thank you God for not bringing a man like that into my life. If that is all there is left out there, I’ll just stay single’.

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he answered them saying; Matthew 6: 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” ESV

Luke 11: 1-13, he tought them the Lords Prayer, 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread.4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” ESV

Ephesians 3:12 “12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” ESV We are encouraged to be bold when we pray. There is a saying, “the answer is always no until you ask.” Asked God boldly. 

Jesus did, he asked God boldly to take this cup from me. Luke 22: 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. ESV

Have you ever prayed so hard that your sweat became like blood? I haven’t. We think we pray in earnest. The way our human brains understand how to be earnest. 

God the father told Jesus no. We know from Bible stories that Jesus was crucified. We know the cup was not removed from Jesus. Doesn’t that just smack you in the face? God told Jesus, his beloved son (Matthew 3:17) no. 

We have the pleasure of knowing why. Jesus died on the cross to atone for humanity’s sins. He paid the price so we wouldn’t have to. For the wages of sin are death. Romans 6:23. ESV

God told Jesus no. How much better are we than Jesus? Let’s stick to our singles prayer. What have you been doing in all this time that you are single? Have you been working for God’s kingdom? Have you been able to work out why you are still single? 

Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Martha, and Lydia, Miriam, Lazarus, Phoebe and Timothy; are all examples of single people in the Bible. Read about all the amazing things they did for the Kingdom of God using their singleness. 

What big prayer have you been praying for or about? Can you find someone in the Bible that God said no to that you completely understand how they must have felt?

We want our answers to be yes. Or to swing in our favor. We don’t want to live through the pain that being told no creates. As for being single, society puts so much pressure on us to find a spouse. After all, it’s more profitable for everyone. From contractors to lawyers; from a bigger home to getting a divorce, there be money in them there emotions. 

Answers are hard. Especially answers we don’t want to hear. Keep your prayer line open. Keep talking to God. We may never know the answers on this side of Heaven. I do know, that when you stop talking to God, Satan is licking his lips.