Prayer can quickly become more complicated in our heads than it needs to be.  Especially if you do spend time around more mature believers and marvel at their ability to pray.  Or perhaps you just can’t find the words and prayer seems to be a discipline you cannot develop.  Or like me, you used to be able to pray more easily, but now it feels like you are hitting a wall.

In situations like these we need to go back to what Jesus said about praying in Matt 6:5-8

Jesus is giving guidance to believers on how to live in the a speech knows as the Sermon on the Mount and addresses three spiritual disciplines: giving, prayer and fasting.  In all three he uses the same phrase:

“Then your Father who sees what you do in secret, will reward you.” (Matt 6:4; 6:6; 6:18)

This act of prayer is between you and your Father and should not be for the audience of others, which includes inviting in comparison into your prayerlife.  Inviting comparison is concerned about what other people think.

“Do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.”  (Matt 6:5)

Prayer is for the audience of ONE.

That means you can be honest with Him about where you are because He wants to hear.  Phil 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Sometimes we just have to start with how things are and how we are feeling.  To tell him and not expect judgement from Him, or that we have to have it all together.  God is not interested in a performance when we come to him, He is interested in our heart.  Keeping our prayer honest is as simple as coming with the bare bones of ourselves and not being tempted to role-play before Him.

Keep Prayer Honest

Which means we come by ourselves, which would mean that we have to enter a quiet place inside ourselves, where the noise of the world cannot reach us and where we can quiet our thoughts and emotions enough to pray.  This is easier if it is in a quiet place, but the place is not as important as the need to pursue quiet, separation, silence.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.” (Matt 6:6)

In this quiet place, “your room,”  is where we are more likely to step into dialogue with God.

Keep Prayer Quiet

So what if you do not know what to say, or how to say it?

‘In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

Give the Spirit time to work.  Sometimes we are so busy composing our prayers with “how great thou art..” statements, that we don’t allow the Spirit to work it out in our heart.  When we launch forward with how we think we are supposed to pray we babble on..

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many worlds.  Do not be like them….” (Matt 6:7-8)

When all we need to do is simply ask.  In Matt 7:7 we are told to “ask and it will be given to you” because in Matt 7:11 we have a Father who wants to give good gifts to His children, “to those who ask him.”

Keep Prayer Simple

“…your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matt 6:8)

We are in a love relationship with Him and like a good Father He wants good things for us, just like we want good things for our children.  In a relationship there is the security of love that goes both ways and a desire to bless.  But the relationship is more important than the blessings and although I long to share all blessings with my children, I want a relationship with them first.

Keep Prayer Honest, Quiet and Simple.

  • Have you had a tendency to compare your prayers and your prayer life with others?
  • How would having an audience of ONE impact what you would say in your prayer time? How honest have you been in your prayers?
  • Do you have a quiet place where you can pray? Why not try and identify a place where you can switch off outside influence and quiet what is going on inside of you?
  • How much do you rely on the Holy Spirit when you pray? Do you wait for Him to work inside of you so that you can simply ask with a heart that knows you are loved?

Father, forgive me for putting off prayer because I have found it difficult.  Please help me to find the quiet times and then be simply honest with you.  Help me not to get bogged down in what I think my prayers should sound like, or how to add to them to be more convincing to You.   But help me to be honestly me before You, seeking You out honestly.