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Prayer at its simplest is communication between God and an individual.
It is the only way we can communicate with Him. We cannot write God
a letter. We cannot get in touch with Him over the telephone, nor can
we reach Him over the radio. Prayer is the only way by which we can
have direct communication with God.
The disciples came to Jesus one day and asked Him, "Lord teach us to
pray". They never asked Him to teach them how to preach, but they
had heard and seen Jesus pray to the Father and they knew there was
something about this thing called prayer that they did not understand.
We also may not understand everything about prayer but that should
never cause us to neglect to pray. Do you let your lack of
understanding about electricity keep you from using it? Or even your
lack of understanding about love, from loving?
The Bible teaches much about prayer and many books have been writ-
ten on the subject. But the most important thing to remember about
prayer is to pray believing and in faith; believing that God will hear,
and in faith, sure that God will answer. "Call to me and I will answer
you" (Jer. 33:3). Prayer is a privilege and a blessing, both to the one
praying and the one prayed for.
At this point I would ask you for a favour. Stop reading for a few
minutes and think about the following question. Is prayer an important
part of my life? and in the life of my family?
To me the quality of family life is very important. I also believe that
both husband and wife have a joint responsibility in making a home.
And making a Christian home is an awesome task. Prayer is a vital
ingredient that holds and molds a family. There is a lot of truth in the
old cliche, "the family that prays together stays together".
Prayer is more than asking. Sincere prayer is followed by action. There
is little use in praying for God's will and way if we are not prepared to
be resolute and determined to follow His light and leading when it
comes. As we pray for ourselves and each other we should be moved to
ask: "Lord, what will you have me to do? What action can I take to
have this prayer answered? Is there an apology to make, a job to do?"
In December we often reflect on aspects of the year gone by; this year I
also invite you to reflect on your prayer life. Are there still many
prayers unanswered? Prayers, about which we find it hard to say, "Thy
will be done"? Generally we associate the prayer "Thy will be done"
with facing suffering, troubles and death. We forget that Christ lived
His whole life in terms of this prayer. Doing God's will is related to
happiness and joyfulness as much as to suffering and to death. We
present a distorted and false image of what it means to be a follower of
Christ when "Thy will be done" does not let people see that doing God's
will makes our lives serene even in the storm and meaningful, no
matter what the circumstances are. To pray the prayer "Thy will be
done" every morning and repeat it every night is a cure for so much of
the worry and anxiety and tension that fill our lives. Putting ourselves
in God's will is a liberating experience for then we are no longer slaves
to our own wills. It frees us from inner conflict and tension. When we
know that anything that is not God's will, no matter how much we want
it, is not good for us, we are able to accept disappointment and turn
defeat into growth.
By reflecting on our prayer-life we may discover that there is room for
improvement, particularly where it relates to our families. Prayer as an
expression of our living faith must be made especially real in our family
relationships. When children see and hear parents pray, and when they
are taught to share in those prayers, it creates a bond that includes God.
It creates a "haven of tranquility", a stabilizing of life, and an
atmosphere where love reigns.
Young parents, lead your children in the way of prayer, you will help
lay a foundation on which their lives can be built. Let me share a few
form prayers for young children:
Children's Evening Prayer
(Tune: Doxology)
Dear God, before I close my eyes
I want to say goodnight to You,
I thank You for this happy day
So full of love and joy and play. Amen
(If it wasn't such a happy day, don't miss the opportunity to straighten
things out, confessing it to God asking for His help.)
Grace Before Meals
Heavenly Father, kind and good
Thanks we offer for this food
For Thy love and tender care
For the blessings that we share. Amen.
Johnny Appleseed Grace
0 the Lord is good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun and the rain and the apple seed.
The Lord is good to me. Alleluia, Amen.
Thank You Lord
(Tune: Edelweis)
Thank you Lord, on this day
For our many good blessings.
Thank you Lord, on this day
For our many good friendships.
Glory to God may You hear our prayer.
Guide us on forever.
Thank you Lord, on this day
For our blessings and friendships. Amen
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