Scripture frequently emphasizes the importance of prayer in our walk with God. If we want to grow in our relationship with God we need to keep communication lines with Him open. However, prayer is not to be treated as something that we simply tick off a daily list, nor should we approach it like we're approaching a vending machine. If we are truly hungry for God and passionate about knowing who He is, we will be compelled - not obliged - to pray.
And while most Christians will have no problem praying (it's not like it's rocket science) there can be times when we complicate prayer and in the process lose its essence. I am guilty of this too and often have to remind myself that prayer is simple. It was so simple that Jesus taught ordinary men in Matthew 6:9-13.
Here are five ways we can get prayer wrong and how we bring it back to what it was originally supposed to be.
1. Not asking according to God's will
God's will is good, pleasing and perfect and ours is limited and flawed, yet it's so funny how we can sometimes try and impose what we really want on God even if God has something better in mind. This only complicates our prayer life and impedes growing in communication with God. 1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."
2. Thinking the answers depend on our faithfulness
The only reason we can approach God with confidence is because of what Jesus has done. His sacrifice on the cross became the perpetual bridge that anyone could cross by faith. To think that we have the right to come to God in prayer by our own accord only elevates our hearts and puts distance between us and God. There's only one way to the Father, and that's through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
3. Not being guided by scripture
Some of the worst bases for prayer are our feelings, our logic or our desires. While there's nothing innately wrong with any of these, praying according to scripture can help us funnel them into line with God's will and filter out anything unhelpful. The Bible contains precepts, promises and principles that help us grow in knowing God and thus in communicating with Him more and more. Jesus himself provided us with a wonderful template in the Lord's Prayer and the Psalms are a wonderful resource for times when prayer and worship feel difficult.
4. Failing to do it regularly
1 Thessalonians 5:17 urges us to "pray without ceasing." Just like any relationship will hardly grow without regular contact, our relationship with God will also not grow as much unless we communicate and talk to Him regularly. It's not so much about the length of time we pray but the consistency we have in approaching God.
5. Losing focus
There's just so much distraction to praying - our social media accounts, other people, worries. That's why Jesus would often pray alone. We can learn from His pattern of praying away from distractions.
