1 Timothy 2:1-2
Many years ago someone told a joke about prayers at mealtimes. He said, “What’s the difference between ‘grace’ and ‘a blessing’?” The answer – cold food. The implication is that some people pray really long prayers, and unfortunately sometimes those long prayers are offered before a meal where everyone is anxious to eat.
Many people may feel inadequate in their prayer life. They may feel that when we pray we should only offer long and involved prayers. Others may feel overwhelmed by the need of prayer. Where do you stop in prayer? Who is included and who is excluded?
The letter to the faithful disciple Timothy makes a comment on prayer. What types of prayers are encouraged? Who should we pray for? Why should we pray?
I believe there is no set way to pray. There are no specific words that must be used in order for the prayer to be valid. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” And this passage in 1 Timothy reinforces the idea.
Our prayers should be for everyone – the sick, the struggling, our leaders, our nation, ourselves, our families and our jobs. We may not need to include all people in every prayer. Pray for this person on one occasion and pray for someone else the next time.
The point is that we should take everything to God in prayer. We should ask for help and healing. We should ask for comfort. We should ask for guidance. We should give thanks to God for the good things in life.
Everything that happens – good and bad, glad and worrisome – should be a reason to come to God in conversation. Having that constant connection with God will lead us to lives of peace and holiness. What is most important is to know that when we pray God listens to us. He hears us when we pray.
We may not get all the things we want, but if our prayer life is one where we submit everything to God we can trust that He hears us and that His perfect desires will be done.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you pray more often in your life?
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