If you’re a newly minted believer, discovering your prayer style, or even how to pray at all, can seem daunting. Even when you’re a long-time prayer warrior, praying the same way can get a bit monotonous. We all need to switch things up sometimes, even when it comes to prayer. Luckily, there are many, many different ways you can connect with God. Prayer isn’t just about getting on your knees and reciting “Our Father, who art in heaven…” each day. It’s about offering yourself to Him and worshipping Him; thanking Him for His love, repenting sins, and understanding His will for us.
Prayer is an important way to experience God, as it helps us connect with Him. In the same way that you’d drift away from a friend you don’t talk to, you drift away from God when you don’t try to connect with Him. By bringing your problems to God, or asking for forgiveness and help, you become closer to Him. In prayer, we lift our minds and hearts to God in conversation.
Over the years, people have developed many different ways of praying and worshipping God, like prayer journalling, internal prayers, praise and worship, and prayer walks. Read on to discover all the methods of prayer you can choose from!
Why is prayer important?
It was Jesus who first encouraged us to pray in the book of Matthew, verse 6:9-13:
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.’ ”
This is the Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer has been an important tradition ever since because it follows Jesus’ example of revelling in the goodness of God and how great He is. We pray to give glory to the Father, just as Jesus did.
Ways you can pray
In the post, we’re going to explore several different sorts of prayer and worship mediums. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect:
- Tongues
- Communal prayer
- Set prayer
- Congregation
- Praise and worship
- Prayer walks and drives
- Journalling
- Meditating on the Word
There are also different types of prayer you can explore, like:
- Adoration: praising God for His greatness and admitting dependence on Him
- Confession: owning up to sin and asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness
- Thanksgiving: thanking God for His many blessings, e.g. health or children
- Petition: asking God for something, e.g. healing, courage or wisdom
- Intercession: asking God to help others who need it, e.g. the sick, poor, or those suffering in war
These prayers can be extemporaneous (on the spot) or set. They can also be private or communal.
Okay, let’s get into the good stuff!
Praise and worship
A lot of people like going to church because of the music. Ephesians 5:19 “Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” Moreover, Psalms 95:1 says “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” Praise and worship are prayers of adoration and thanksgiving.
Other ways to worship God include honouring Him with art; drawings, songs, dances, and more. Read Psalms 105:2, which tells us to “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.”
Praying together (communal prayer)
The Bible says that praying together is a mighty thing. Matthew 18:19-20 says “Again, I give you an eternal truth: If two of you agree to ask God for something in a symphony of prayer, my heavenly Father will do it for you. For wherever two or three come together in honour of my name, I am right there with them!” Concurrently, James 5:16 says “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Reading the Word
The best way to get answers from God or advice is by seeing what the Bible has to say about it. The Bible is an essential tool when we seek information about God’s will, plans, and character. Read the Word to get a sense of awe of God, and rejoice in all he has done for you. Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Internal prayer
The Bible tells us that those who come before God, even secretly, are rewarded with his favour and intimacy. Matthew 6:5 explains this; “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Praying alone is a fantastic way to connect with the Lord on a one-on-one level, deepening your connection to Him.
You can pray to Him alone while you’re falling asleep when you’re brushing your teeth, doing laundry, or on a prayer walk. Constant, unceasing prayer is also sometimes referred to as stream-of-consciousness prayer.
You can also do this through journaling.
Journalling
You can also write down your prayers as letters to God. This is a great way to connect with Him when you would like to express love for Him physically. Writing can immortalise your thanksgiving and adoration for God.
Tongues
Speaking the language of the Lord, tongues, is one of the most potent mediums of connection with Him. God refers to tongues as the language of heaven. Speaking in tongues offers a refuge from your often crowded psyche and anchor of the physical world. Speak in tongues to connect with Him in the spiritual realm. We first glimpse this gift in 1 Corinthians 14:2, which reads, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.”
Set prayer
Set prayers are prayers that have been uttered for generations, set in stone as a form of reverence for God. Examples include the Lord’s Prayer and the Serenity Prayer. These prayers are sometimes thought to be an easier medium to communicate with God. Here is the Serenity Prayer, often referenced in NA and AA groups when going through hardship, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Giving yourself to Him
In essence, prayer is just a means of offering yourself to God completely. You can do this in a bunch of ways, like through adoration, confession, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving. You’ve learned you can celebrate the Lord in numerous ways, like with worship, speaking in tongues, communal prayer, and praying in secret. All of these things please Him.
If you need a hand praying, don’t be afraid to submit a prayer request. We’ll gladly pray with you and for you fervently, giving glory to God.