How do people pray? It has often been suggested that praying from the heart is the best form of conversation people can have with God. But some Christians are afraid to say the wrong things to their Saviour. That's why they rely on memorised prayers.
World-renowned evangelist Billy Graham understands their concerns, but he is encouraging them to let go of their fears and pray straight from the heart.
"Don't be afraid; don't worry about saying something in your prayers that might offend God. Reciting a prayer that we've memorised (such as the Lord's Prayer) isn't wrong, as long as we don't lose sight of its meaning. But God wants our prayers to be just as open and personal as they can be," he said in an article posted on his website.
Graham said God won't be offended even if adults pray as if they were little children still forming their first few words and learning to talk. In fact, God would be delighted at people's attempts to communicate with Him. And the more they do so, the more people will become skilled in talking to God.
"When we come to Christ and by faith commit our lives to Him, we become His children. He loves us and adopts us into His family, and we can talk with Him the same way our children talked with us. The Bible says, 'The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children' (Romans 8:16)," said Graham.
For people who have not yet prayed from the heart to God, Graham encourages them to invite Christ to come into their lives. All they have to do is listen to Him as He speaks to them through the Bible. To strengthen this relationship, Graham said people should talk to God regularly and bring their concerns to Him in prayer.
"The Bible says, 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God' (Philippians 4:6)," said Graham.
