What Is Prayer?

Some, though they might not say it out loud, think prayer is an empty ritual. Some say they find it a chore. Some have well nigh given up on it. How sad is that?

Prayer ought to be something you look forward to. It ought to be something you can’t do without. The times you spend in prayer ought to be the best bits of your day.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to pass on some thoughts about prayer. I want praying to be something you enjoy and love to do.

What is prayer anyway? That seems like a good question to start with.

We could get all theological about it but that might well kill your prayer life altogether, so let’s keep it simple.

Prayer is a needy soul telling God what he wants.

Prayer isn’t a ritual. Reciting pious, fine-sounding words has nothing to do with it. There are no right words. There is no special kind of language. There is no formula. There are no rules about time or place. Prayers may be short or long. They can be uttered inwardly, in silence, whispered or spoken out loud. They may even be sung. Bottom line: when you pray you don’t have to meet anyone’s rules or expectations because prayer is just you expressing the desires that are in your heart to God.

Prayer begins with desires: feelings, longings, yearnings, not words. It comes from the pit of your stomach, not from your head. So it’s OK to pray with feeling. Genuine feeling, not fake stirred-up feeling: the kind of feeling you find expressed in the Psalms.

“I am weary with my crying;

My throat is dry;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God.”

Psalms 69:3

“I am feeble and severely broken;

I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You.

My heart pants, my strength fails me;

As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.”

Psalm 38:8 – 10

And it’s OK if the feelings are strong. When desires are felt strongly prayers are fervent. It’s when feeling is absent that prayer becomes a chore. I know, sometimes you don’t feel like praying and then you have to make yourself do it, but that should be the exception, not the rule.

Prayer begins with desires but, of course, those desires have to be put into words. That’s when you must use your head. First, ask yourself, “What are the desires I want to bring to God?” Next, it’s good to remind yourself about God: His character, His ways, His purposes. Then you can test your desires with questions like: Are my desires godly desires? Are the things I want things that I should be asking God for? After you’ve done that, put your desires into words as best you can.

Speaking your prayers out loud will help to get your thoughts clear and will help you to keep your mind from wandering, If you’re praying in company, spoken prayers will stir up the people around you and perhaps encourage them to pray, and to have faith. Spoken prayers may even give angels, who look on but probably can’t read your thoughts, cause to worship.

The posture and movements of our bodies express very effectively — sometimes more effectively than words do — what is in our hearts. And that also works the other way around: posture and bodily movements can affect inner attitudes. So the posture you adopt and the movements you make when you pray are not irrelevant.

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”

Psalm 95:6

“[Jesus] fell on His face, and prayed…"

Matthew 26:39

"And whenever you stand praying…”

Mark 11:25

“I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands.”

1 Timothy 2:8

I don’t think you ought to be making rules about it. No posture is better than another. Praying with raised hands is no more effective than praying with your hands in your pockets. Just note that when your prayers come from your heart they may well move your body as well as your tongue and sometimes adopting an appropriate posture (kneeling for example) will help you come before the Lord with a better, more humble and reverent, attitude.

It’s a good idea to give some thought to where the wants, or desires, you’re bringing to God might have come from. Every Christian has a new born-again heart that’s been given to him or her by God. “… the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Desires that arise in that new heart are prompted by the Holy Spirit, perhaps as we read or hear God’s Word. But don’t forget, the old man is still around and he has desires too — desires that may not be righteous and good. You need to question your desires before you put them into words.

Prayer is a needy soul telling God what he wants. When those wants arise from his new born-again heart, prompted by the Holy Spirit, here’s what’s happening. God, wanting to bless him puts the desires for His blessing within him and then draws those desires out of him so that he returns them to God in prayer.

“Prayer comes from God and returns to God.”

C H Spurgeon