Prayer: What is it? and Why is it important?

What is prayer? 

Prayer is simply talking and communicating with God. As His son or daughter you have the special privilege of coming to your Father and Friend with all of your praise, confessions, needs, and desires. 

Why is prayer important? 

All relationships need communication to grow. A relationship with God can be compared to a friendship; when two people meet and want to become friends they invest in the relationship by calling, texting, and spending time together. The more you talk to your new friend, the better you know his character, and the more you will trust him. If you met someone once and never spoke again, there would be no relationship! Your relationship with God works the same way; the more you talk to Him and spend time with Him, the better you will get to know His character, and  trust Him. Like any relationship, if you neglect your time and communication with God, the relationship will suffer. 

Below are some helpful tips on how to pray: 

1.            Make time for prayer. Prayer should be a priority.

2.            Find a place for prayer. You can pray anywhere, any time, but it helps to have a designated spot where you can come into God’s presence.

3.            Get some privacy for your prayer time. Go somewhere peaceful where you won’t be interrupted. 

4.            Listen. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God”. Ask God to speak to your heart. God always hears and answers prayer. God may say, “No”, because He has a better plan for you. He might say “Wait” because it is not the right timing in your life, or He might say, “Yes”, and bless you!

The P.R.A.Y. method is a simple and practical way to pray although there is no "right" or "wrong" way to pray.

 (Praise. Repent. Ask. Yield.)

P= Praise: Spend time praising the Lord by thanking Him for what He’s done and is doing in your life and the lives of others. Thank Him for saving You. Pray the Psalms back to Him, sing worship songs, and simply praise Him for who he is, God. 

R= Repent: To repent means to turn away from our sin and turn towards God. Ask God to search your heart (Psalm 139:23,24) Confess any sin that the Holy Spirit reveals to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you turn away from that sin. 

A= Ask: Ask God to provide for any emotional and physical needs that you’re experiencing. Ask Him for the desire of your heart, or for Him to change the desires of your heart. Intercede on behalf of friends and family to ask God for their protection, provision, and healing. 

Y= Yield: Give God your plans for the future. Yield in obedience to His will for your life.  Surrender to His calling for your life. Have the attitude of , “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). 

d family to ask God for their protection, provision, and healing. 

For a more high-tech way to pray, check out Echo Prayer. Echo is a "prayer manager" that will remind you when to pray for specific people or things. Echoprayer.com

For more information on why Prayer is important, read this awesome article by Campus Crusade: How to Pray with Power. 

You can also pray very intentionally for your friends and family by praying through the scriptures. Check out Redeemed Girl's resource, specifically for sorority girl's (guys you can use it too): A Sorority Girl's Guide to Leaving a Legacy. Just download the PDF and find prayer on pages 10, 11, and 12. 

*Prayer tips taken from Redeemed Girl Ministries at redeemedgirl.org 

*P.R.A.Y acronym taken from http://www.southridgeworship.com/PRAY.htm

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