Friday, July 11, 2025

New Testament Reading Plan: Hebrews 5

Are you intimidated by the idea of prayer? Do you skip it all together out of fear of doing something “wrong”? Here’s the good news - prayer doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t have to be perfect to do it.

So, what is prayer anyway? Prayer is the opportunity to come into God’s presence. It's our opportunity to communicate with the God of the universe - the God who set the earth on its foundation. Amazingly, he wants to talk to us! Although it’s tempting to think we must have it together before approaching God in prayer, or must use the perfect words, loving and trusting the Father is all that’s needed.

As with anything new, prayer takes practice, but like most things, we “get it together by going,” so just begin. The more you do it, the easier it will become. The habit of prayer will be built the longer you journey as a follower of Christ.

If you aren’t quite sure where to start, don’t be embarrassed. The disciples themselves asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1-4).

Luke 11:1 NIV
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus gave them (and us!) The Lord’s Prayer as a template. There are also acronyms such as P.R.A.Y (praise, repent, ask, yield) that you can use to structure your prayers in the beginning.

Whichever you choose, as you embark on the spiritual practice of prayer, keep it simple. Your language doesn’t need to be flowery or religious. Focus on connecting with God rather than merely requesting things as if he’s a heavenly vending machine. While he definitely wants you to ask for what you need (Luke 11:5-13), he wants a relationship with you even more. So, be sure to listen instead of just asking.

Questions:
How do you view prayer?

Next Steps:
Put a reminder in your phone and use The Lord's Prayer below, or the P.R.A.Y. acronym, to begin building a daily prayer habit

The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Psalm 85:8
I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.

This post comes from the “Learn” section of the Spiritual Domain in the Your Journey feature on our app. To explore this and other helpful content, head to the “More” tab and continue Your Journey today. Your Journey | Spiritual Domain | Learn | Prayer