Prayer | a 4-Day Skate Church Movement Devotionalনমুনা

How should we pray?

“I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain.” Psalm 3:4

Remember when you were trying to figure out how to kickflip? You tried going with your instincts on where to put your feet, then push down and kick out, hoping for the best. More likely than not, you didn’t land it–you probably weren’t even that close. Now wondering if you’re doing this right at all. You either go to someone you know who can kickflip or watch a “how-to” video online to better understand what you’re trying to do. We go through a similar process trying to figure out prayer. We try to get past the awkwardness of feeling like we are talking to ourselves, debate if we are allowed to have our eyes open or closed, or hands together or apart. We get caught up wondering if we are even praying the right way, and that often leads us to just not pray at all.

If you look in the Bible, though, you will see all kinds of people praying to God in all kinds of ways. Some of them seem to be doing really official prayers, some are shouting, and some are whispering. My favorite way you see someone praying in the Bible is the way David prays in Psalm. You can read Psalm 3 and see a pretty standard way that David prays. I feel the best way to describe how David prays is to say that he is “real” when he prays. Have you ever sat down with a homie and just been real with them about what’s going on in your life? That is exactly how God wants us to pray to Him. To just talk to Him and tell Him what you are going through. You see in Psalm 3 that when David does this, God hears him and protects him.

God wants to be involved in your life, so talk to Him and be real with Him–it’s really just that simple. Like learning a kickflip, it’s going to be a little uncomfortable and foreign at first. Like learning a kickflip from several different people, you’re going to be shown so many different ways on how to do it. What really matters, whether it is kickflips or praying, is that you do it consistently. The more you spend time in prayer, the closer you will become to God. The closer you become with God, the more you begin to understand His heart for not only you, but for others around you as well.

If you are ever unsure of how to pray or where to begin, a solid place to always go back to is the “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9-13. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray, this was the prayer He invited them to pray. Again, this is just one of many other examples of prayer in the Bible. You will find what works best for you personally as long as you keep at it. How you do it is between you and God. Just be real with Him and remember: He wants to hear your voice.

Pushing further

1. Is there something in your life that you worry about and haven’t taken to prayer?
2. Is there anything in your life that you are hiding from God or are afraid to pray about?