How to Begin Prayer

Have you ever sat down or gone for a walk to pray and not known how to begin? You are not alone. Let’s talk about how to begin prayer by looking at the way Jesus did.

After the Last Supper He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.' (John 17:1) He began the prayer with the word "Father," just as He taught in Luke 11, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come." (Luke 11:2) It seems this had become His habit.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane He repeated this, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39) Earlier as well, as written in the book of Matthew, He began prayer with the words, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, but revealed them to little children." (Matthew 11:25)

What do we learn from this? Jesus placed His thoughts, needs, and hopes before His Father in every situation. Whether He was rejoicing, teaching, reflecting, or grieving in prayer, His focus reminded Him of the Father. Why is this important? Because it was His Father who spoke of His love for Him, "Then a voice came from heaven: 'You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.'" (Mark1:11)

Whether He was rejoicing, teaching, reflecting, or grieving in prayer, His focus reminded Him of the Father.

Let’s Begin Prayer!

We have a voice that speaks to us with that same love, "See what great love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are" (1 John 3:1) We are loved by the Father just as He loves Jesus. Because of this, we can call on Him, connect with Him, and find strength from Him whenever we want or need to. It does not matter whether we are happy, sad, confused, tired, or angry! We have a loving Father who listens - all we need to do is open our mouths.

The next time you are unsure how to open a prayer, why not try praying like Jesus? Start by greeting the Father and continue from there.

Malcolm

*Church GKDI is currently in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every region; if you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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