Prayer doesn’t need to be complicated!

One of the things that fascinates me about writing or talking is that, once you’ve started, you never know what you’ll end up saying, how long it’ll take to say it, and how you’ll eventually conclude.

With writing, you can of course edit anything you’ve written (before it’s printed), but it’s not the same when chatting with friends, preaching in the pulpit, or praying in public.

Mind you, having said that, I’m not quite sure how – because I’m still writing it – this article you’re reading will actually end! So, sometimes just thinking about what we will actually say can tie us up in knots, particularly when it comes to praying.

The Bible, of course, reminds us that we don’t need to be stuck. As Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) tells us: ‘The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.’

We sometimes forget that – on one level – prayer isn’t that mysterious. At its simplest, it’s simply talking to God – a loving, respectful conversation that praises Him for who He is; thanks Him for what He’s done; and listens to what He tells us.

It may be from His Word, through the prompting of our memory or conscience, through something we’ve heard or read that’s spiritually helpful, or by God directingour mind to an appropriate course of action. Prayer is also about bringing Him our concerns, as we would to a loving parent or close friend.

I’m sure there are many times when, although we don’t really know what to ask our heavenly Father, we could simply tell Him what’s on our mind or is troubling us – He knows it already! – and ask Him to do whatever He considers best.

Why do we make things far more complicated than we need when it comes to praying? God isn’t necessarily looking for inspired theologians, but faithful pray-ers! He’s looking for people who’ll glorify His Name, ask for His help, and then thank Him when He responds.

Or, to put it another way, all we need to do, as Matthew 7:7-8 tells us, is to ‘ask’, ‘seek’ and ‘knock’.

Like many parents, we encouraged our kids to pray when they were young. We didn’t wait until they were able to read vast theological tomes or prepare for seminary before we did so!

If you have young children, why not ask them what they’d like to pray about, then jot their prayers down in a handy notebook? Perhaps they’d like to choose a nice notebook from the shops, or decorate an exercise book with stickers or artwork.

Then, when they revisit it a month or so later, they’ll probably be surprised – and delighted – at how God has answered their requests. It’ll also be a great opportunity for them to praise Him!

Finally, in praying to God, we are of course doing so in the Name of Jesus, our loving Lord and merciful Saviour – the One who cares for us and who, while He was on earth:

• forgave sinners
• fed the five thousand
• turned water into wine (though the more puritanical of us would probably have preferred it the other way round!)
• calmed the storm
• enabled Peter to walk on water – albeit temporarily!
• rebuked the unclean spirit causing a boy to fall into the fire
• released a demon-possessed man, who’d been living in the tombs
• helped paralysed people to walk
• cleansed lepers
• gave sight to the blind
• cured a centurion’s servant from afar
• restored the man who was deaf and could hardly speak
• healed the woman who’d been subject to bleeding
• brought the synagogue leader’s daughter to life
• raised Lazarus from the dead

…and these are just some of the things He did!

So, prayer in the Name of someone like that is certainly worth doing!

Jesus, the ultimate Alpha male, if you will, is “the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). Because He is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), let’s follow His lead and lead a life of prayer.  

What a blessing it is that we, who were called to serve and worship Him from the beginning (Ephesians 1:4-10), can call on Him for help, until He finally calls us home.

GARY CLAYTON

has been writing and editing for a variety of Christian organisations and publications for over 35 years