Prayer Is More Than

The average person thinks that prayer means kneeling down and saying a few perfunctory words. But prayer is more than that: It is one of the greatest skills in the world. Prayer is a mechanism over which spiritual power flows from God into the daily lives of human beings. Astonishingly, prayer illuminates problems, overcomes obstacles and restores health. As with any skill, one must learn the formula, step-by-step, in order to open the circuit and receive this pwer.

These guidelines can help:

• Talk to the Lord in simple, everyday language. Do not use exaggerated, formal speech. But in personal, private prayer you might say You to God rather than Thou. This does not diminish respect for Him, but serves to make the relationship more natural. Talk to God about everything that is on your mind and in your heart.
• Tell God what you want. Tell Him you like to have it if He thinks it is good for you. But also say that you will allow Him to decide and mean it. Tell God you will accept His decision as what is best for you and any others involved.
• Practice praying during the day. Talk to God not only at night before you go to bed, but as you drive your car, wait for a bus, etc. If you had a friend with you, you would talk to him or her, wouldn’t you? Then imagine the Lord is there for He is, you know.
• Realize that words are not always necessary when you pray. Think how good God is, how kindly, and that He is by your side guiding you and watching over you.
• Try helping others by your prayers. Pray for the troubled or the ill. Pray not only for your loved one, but also pray for people you do not like for those who have not treated you well. It will do more for you to pray for those you resent than for those you love. If you doubt this, try it for six months and see what happens Select some person who may be a problem to you and shoot prayers at him. Surround him with goodwill and faith. I have seen the most astounding almost unbelievable results come to the person who practices such prayer.
• Do not put all your prayers in the form of asking God for something. Let your prayer consist of all the wonderful things that have happened to you. Name them, thank God for them, and make that your whole prayer. You will soon find that these prayers of thanksgiving grow longer and longer, and you will have more and more things for which to thank God.

Learn to Pray by Norman Vincent Peale was excerpted with permission from POSITIVE THINKING BIBLE.
Copyright 1998 by Guideposts, Carmel, NY 10512 and published in Woman’s Day magazine 4/20/99.

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