Prayer Revisited

After the last post about prayer, I did a lot of thinking. It seems to me that the heart attitude is what really matters most when approaching God in prayer. If the only prayers you know are memorized prayers, but your heart is tender toward God and you really mean what you are saying, God knows it. My favorite prayer is the Our Father or Lord's prayer and it covers so much ground:

1. Recognizing who God is, that He is sovereign ruler and His will should be done here just as it is in heaven,
2. asking for God's provision,
3. asking for forgiveness in the same measure as we forgive,
4. asking for deliverance from temptation and evil.

All these things are in this beautiful prayer given to us by Jesus, (who is an expert on prayer).

To clarify things further, I know I have told God with tears many times that He is the only one who can understand my situation and do something about it. I have cried out to Him without any preliminary praises, worshipping or thanksgiving. I knew He was my only refuge.

David, the psalmist and king knew it too. Many times he cried out and God answered. And sometimes God did not seem to answer him though David was described as a man after God's own heart.

Some of the biggest hindrances to prayer are disobedience, wrong motive, and wrong focus. You can read about these things in the book of James and in Psalms. Check it out. Doma