Prayer is the central bearing pillar. The most important this you will do today.
Pray as soon as you start to wake up even before you open your eyes. Greet God and then the day. Putting God first thing in the morning shows Him and you that He is the number one priority in your life. Placing God at the top of your to do list is essential in this go go go world. We were built by God for fellowship with God. Our body, soul, spirit, mind and emotions need to connect with Him. He wants to fill us with His love, optimism, wisdom, and joy. We begin tapping into that river of love that springs from Him through prayer. This is the most important thing you can do all day to get your Bearings. God is more than the North Star for your life. He is your North Star and the promised destination. So begin your day finding your Bearings, connecting with God through prayer.
Some people hate to pray because they feel it is a waste of time. This is something that you will have to learn for yourself. It is not a waste of time if you believe in God. Even if you don’t and you start to pray your faith in Him will grow. You open the door and he comes in.
Others don’t pray because they were taught as children the old prayer “If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Praying may seem scary. You may think that praying is only to prevent something negative from happening or praying for a certain outcome. Perhaps you view prayer as a wish list of things that you want God to do for you. Like a magic spell or a genie.
Some think that God is too busy. Why would he care about my little problems? They may seem big to me but why would God stop what He is doing to listen to me. I shouldn’t bother God. The truth is that God loves you so much you can not be a bother. Everything you think or feel he put there for a reason to show you something. Maybe he put the obstacles there so you would pray giving you an excuse to talk to Him. We don’t know the mysterious ways of God but we do know that he enjoys and listens to our prayers. “He delights in the prayers of the upright.” (Proverbs 15:8 NLT) Once you set your bearing on praying you will know too. Why will you know? No one can explain the grand mysteries of God but you will just know. Step out in faith and try it. What have you got to lose? You have only unexplainable, undeniable joy to gain.
So, now you have decided to set your bearing to pray, but how? What is the right way to pray? The Catholics have books and books of prewritten prayers, the Pentecostals pray in an unknown language. How do I know the right way to pray?
Prayer is a personal experience and each person will do it in their own style. The New Testament of the Bible does give us two excellent examples. I love to use them both. For me they cover everything I want to talk to God about. This basic prayer formula is the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 followed by Paul’s recipe for peace found in Philippians 4:6-7.
“6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)
Your pray will start something like this:
9 “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-1 KJV
Then go on to ask God for what you need and remember to thank Him for all he has done. At the end say, “I pray these things in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Congratulations! You have completed Bearing 1: Prayer.
Don’t worry too much about your prayer position. You can pray before you open your eyes in the morning. If you want to kneel, lie in bed, or sit do what makes you feel comfortable. God wants to talk to you and who is to say the proper ritual. The most important thing is to start praying. Keep it simple and doable on a daily basis. You will start to see you changes happen right before your eyes.
You may find that your prayers are longer in times of trouble because you have more need. The key is to always remember to spend as much time thanking Him for what He has done for you. Do this every day and you will find that your troubles may not all go away but you will be more equipped to deal with them. Things that bother you now will no longer affect you. You will get that peace that is promised that passes all human understanding.
Look for the next post Bearing 2: Worship
