How do you pray?????/?

Question

do you just use the Lords Prayer

or

do you tell God all your troubles which he already knows

Answer 1

I try to "pray through" the Lord's Prayer as I was taught to do in the Westminster Catechism:

Q. 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?

A. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer.

Q. 100. What doth the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

A. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

Q. 101. What do we pray for in the first petition?

A. In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name, we pray that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known; and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.

Q. 102. What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it;[ and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

Q. 103. What do we pray for in the third petition?

A. In the third petition, which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we pray that God, by his grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.

Q. 104. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?

A. In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them.

Q. 105. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?

A. In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

Q. 106. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

A. In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin,[ or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

Q. 107. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

A. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen, teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.

Answer 2

i pray the lords prayer.  i also pray for the hungry, the sick, the service men and women.   i weep for the world.  do you pray these things?

Answer 3

Please god or allah or whatever

please let these christian lunatics go far, far away.  

Answer 4

i first tell god my troubles then i say a prayer

Answer 5

The Bible says God knows what you want before you ask.  Prayer is an act of faith that moves GOD-we must pray.  If you want GOD to hear you, you must repent of your sins.

After that just start talking to GOD, the more you do it the more natural it becomes--and real. Work on establishing a relationship with Jesus.

Answer 6

Pray positively with Faith, & believing you have received the answer already.

Answer 7

well..before i go to bed i say....

now i lay me down to sleep

i pray the lord my soul to keep

love and guide me through the night

and wake me with the mornings light..amen

then i just spill....idk it makes me feel better. if i did something i shouldnt have, i admit i was wrong. i tell him what im thankful for, what i wish the world was like..idk everything  

he knows how i feel but i still think we need to say it. like my family knows i love them but they really feel it when you say it you know? sometimes its better when things arent just implied..thats why i say it guess..ive always done this and my  mom taught me the prayer..its what she says too =)

just pray in the way that you feel is right. thats all that really matters

Answer 8

I think that our everyday thoughts and feelings are prayers.  If we see someone in need and want to help them and share their pain then that is a prayer.

Answer 9

I use his personal name. (Ps 83:18)

Depending on the situation, that's what I pray about. I speak from the heart.

Thanking him, asking him, sharing etc.

Answer 10

There is no right or wrong way you just pray

Answer 11

No. You get on meds, realize there is no one to pray to and stop wasting your time. Life is short.  

Answer 12

Oh, I give him the whole load and then some

Answer 13

I don't talk to pretend people.

Answer 14

i don't think there is really any right or wrong way to pray...i just talk to God in my head...yes i kinda think He does already know whats going on in our lives, but i don't think that matters, just say waht you want

Answer 15

After a long night I pray with my knees on the ground facing the white porcelain god.

Answer 16

I tell GOD all of my problems and some other things.  

Answer 17

you tell the lord your situation and ask for guidance in the right direction for which you are seeking and ask for him to give strength and the wisdom to know which way is the way he wants you to go

Answer 18

Talk to yourself.

Answer 19

How Should We Pray to God?  

In this series:

"Teach Us How to Pray"

How Should We Pray to God?

WHEN a disciple asked for instruction regarding prayer, Jesus did not refuse to give it to him. According to Luke 11:2-4, he replied: "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." (Catholic Douay Version) This is commonly known as the Lord's Prayer. It conveys a world of information.

For one thing, the very first word tells us to whom our prayers must be addressed—to our Father. Notice that Jesus made no room whatsoever for praying to some other person, image, "saint," or even to him. After all, God had declared: "I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things." (Isaiah 42:8, Dy) Prayers directed to anything or anyone other than our heavenly Father are therefore not heard by him, no matter how sincere the worshiper may be. In the Bible, only Jehovah God is called the "Hearer of prayer."—Psalm 65:2.

Some may say that "saints" act merely as intercessors with God. But Jesus himself instructed: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Also, whatever it is that you ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in connection with the Son." (John 14:6, 13) Jesus thus ruled out the idea that anyone called a saint could serve in the role of intercessor. Observe also what the apostle Paul said regarding Christ: "He not only died for us—he rose from the dead, and there at God's right hand he stands and pleads for us." "He is living for ever to intercede for all who come to God through him."—Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25, Catholic Jerusalem Bible.

The Name That Must Be Hallowed

The next words of Jesus' prayer were: "Hallowed be thy name." How could one hallow, that is, sanctify, or set apart, the name of God unless one knew it and used it? Over 6,000 times in the "Old Testament," God is identified by the personal name Jehovah.

A footnote on Exodus 6:3 in the Catholic Douay Version says regarding God's name: "Some moderns have framed the name of Jehovah . . . , for the true pronunciation of the name [of God], which is in the Hebrew text, by long disuse is now quite lost." The Catholic New Jerusalem Bible therefore uses the name Yahweh. Although some scholars favor that pronunciation, "Jehovah" is a legitimate and long-established way of pronouncing the divine name in English. Other languages have their own ways of pronouncing the divine name. The main thing is that we use the name so as to hallow it. Has your church taught you to use the name Jehovah in prayer?

Proper Subjects for Prayer

Jesus next taught his disciples to pray: "Thy kingdom come." The Gospel of Matthew adds the words: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10, Dy) God's Kingdom is a government in the hands of Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 9:6, 7) According to Bible prophecy, it will soon displace all human governments and bring in an era of global peace. (Psalm 72:1-7; Daniel 2:44; Revelation 21:3-5) True Christians therefore make the coming of the Kingdom a recurring theme in their prayers. Has your church taught you to do so?

Interestingly, Jesus also showed that our prayers may include personal matters that concern us. He said: "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." (Luke 11:3, 4, Dy) Jesus' words imply that we can seek God's will in everyday matters, that we can approach Jehovah about anything that might worry us or disturb our peace of mind. Regularly petitioning God in this way helps us to appreciate our dependence upon him. We thus become more aware of his influence in our lives. Daily asking God to forgive us for our offenses is likewise beneficial. We thereby become more aware of our weaknesses—and more tolerant of the shortcomings of others. Jesus' exhortation that we pray for deliverance from temptation is also appropriate, especially in view of the declining morals of this world. In harmony with that prayer, we are careful to avoid circumstances and situations that could lead us into wrongdoing.

There is no question, then, that the Lord's Prayer tells us much about offering prayers that please God. But did Jesus intend that we take this prayer and simply recite it regularly?

Answer 20

I don't do either of those things (though I'm sure they work for many people.)

I am a Religious Scientist - so prayer for me is a practice called Spritual Mind Treatment.  There are five steps...

1)  I start by confirming that there is a God and that It works in and through all things - and then I usually state that It has whatever virtue I am hoping to possess or work on.

2)  I then go on to confirm that I am part of God.  

3)  Then - knowing that God is within me - AND everything I need to do what ever I need - that I have the power within to accomplish whatever I need.

4)  The next step is to THANK God.  The gratitude in any prayer is my favorite part.

5)  And then - the last step is to release my prayer into the Universe - knowing that everything is as it should be.

Thanks for asking!

Namaste!

Answer 21

Yes - both.  Sometimes I like to meditate on Psalms like #23 - the Good Shepherd.  Usually we pray at meal time as we are thankful for our daily meals and the many blessings God gives us - We are grateful most of all for eternal Life.  Many times there are concerns and friends - and others - we want to pray for who have needs to include in asking God to please RSVP as He wills it.  Many times it gives us some tenderness for those we pray for, too.  God is good, and we can pray for His ways to influence us more and for us to be caring about what He is interested in building in us...  good character qualities, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness . . .  etc.

Answer 22

Do we only get two choices? I pray in the following way. You got a lot of answers so you should try them all and see what really works the best. It might be interesting to see what kind of results you get.

I definitely believe there is a specific and correct way to pray. I do not believe that our personal prayers should be repetitive.

We should pray to our Father in Heaven.

We should thank Him for anything we are particularly grateful for.

We should ask for those things we need, whatever it may be like guidance, help with a budget, help in how to handle a personal relationship, etc...

We should consider others when we pray.

We should end our prayers in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.

This works for me and I believe this is how our Father in Heaven wants us to pray. Be sure to click on the Additional Information link for more detail.

Answer 23

i say name of the father the son and the holy spirit amen then i pur my hands together facing up, then i say dear god... or dear jesues... or dear mary... or to any saints too.

Answer 24

I use the lord's prayer as a basis. Instead of reciting it, I do what it says.  That seems to get the message across. I never pray for myself or ask for anything for myself, I always pray for others.  I believe that's what prayer is all about

You're right, He already knows what we want and need.

Answer 25

Whenever, however and wherever it feels right to do so.  My method is really just to "talk" from my soul, heart.  Normal, honoring, open "communication"

Could be for just a moment while at a stop light.  While out for a walk.  Upon waking or just before drifting to sleep.  While folding clothes.  Indoors, out in nature . . . I don't limit myself to any place, time or method.  No "formal" method(s) . . . I simply open myself to communicate / listen.

Discuss any concerns, express appreciation, ask guidance and/or questions, simply share a "chat talk".

I "talk" and also make sure I quiet myself to "listen" for reply(s) . . . Feel the presence.

All is known even before I express.  Still I express, listen . . .

.

Answer 26

Both.