The Nature of Prayer

Prayer is in essence a conversation with God. Often the types of prayer we hear in churches are quite wrong.

You see in prayer vast theological movements as if the prayer is teaching to the congregation rather than a prayer to God. You see all the leaders of the church have done is teach the church to pray in the wrong way.

Prayer is a conversation with God. If we have walked with God for many years we have had many years of talking to God and Him speaking to us through scripture and various means.

We are on a certain set of terms with God and we should pray to him as a person and not an abstract entity we have no history or relation too.

We would not in speaking with a friend remind them of all the contents of their letters and emails to us. It is a bit different with the contents of the bible, but not terribly so.

The more theology we put into prayer the more we remove it from its fundamental aspect as conversation with God.

The second aspect of prayer is that it is petitionary. We must bring requests to God. They need not be large, but we must bring requests.

The reason for this is that we are in need and God is infinite in perfection and fullness. We properly understand our relation to God only when we express our need to God.

Maybe our needs are small, but God wishes to hear them. He is not bothered by our needs. He is infinite and desires for us to speak to him.