I’ve been listening to Back to the Bible this week, and they are doing a series on prayer - good stuff as usual. It reminded me of a time when I was taking the Alpha course. This is a series where you are introduced (or re-introduced) to the tenets of Christianity. I learned so much from this course and it also was my first intentional and prolonged interaction with Christians. Most of my experiences in life to that point were from far, far outside the church walls.

Our group discussed what each of us pray about. There were two ladies in the group that were very emphatic that they did not pray for themselves at all; rather they just prayed for other’s needs. At first that seemed pretty noble and I felt like a selfish boob, but something just didn’t seem right about what they said.

Of course God does not want us to be selfish in our prayers - he wants us to pray with others and for others. However, what was their motivation in not praying for themselves?

• Was it because they wanted to look “Holy” in front of the group? Perhaps that was subconsciously part of their motivation. I’ve caught myself praying, thinking about what the other person with me thought about my prayer. Messed up - but true : (
• Was it because they had everything they needed? I don’t think the most faith-filled believers on the planet do, much less a small group for new believers. Even James 4:2 (NIV) tells us, “You do not have, because you do not ask God.”
• Was it because they were not 100% sure that God answers prayer? By not asking for personal blessings they would not be entirely dissapointed if they did not come to pass.
• Was it because they considered themselves unworthy of prayer? They were right - we are not. Fortunately God loves us despite our sin and chooses to ignore it so long as we are in Christ.

Learning More About Prayer

None of the aforementioned questions are something we want to answer in our own lives with a “yes”. We’ll take a look at prayer over the next few posts and how to avoid other “rookie” mistakes as these and I hope you’ll join us. I’m looking forward to it, as my prayer life has been a bit stale lately.

Are you outside the family of God? No, I’m not talking about a particular church or denomination - I’m talking about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is the most important and wonderful decision we can ever make. I can testify to this personally. Becoming a Christian is the first step to opening a clear channel of communication with God. Of course God hears our prayers before that point, but by accepting Jesus as our personal savior, our motives begin to change and our prayers become more infinitely more effective. If you are interested, click here to learn “How to become a Christian.”

If you enjoyed our website, you can receive notification via email when new articles come out. This saves our memory for more important stuff like Bible verses : ) Of course we don’t share your information with anyone or try to sell you anything. You can find the free subscription box on the right side of the screen. If you use a RSS reader to keep track of your favorite blogs, you can find that on the right side of the screen as well.

Thanks for dropping by - have a blessed day.

Categories: Prayer
Tags: