Joyce Meyer has a good rule for praying - pray simply and often.
She says in her book The Power of Simple Prayer that prayer should be like breathing, natural and continual. Always, we should depend on the Holy Spirit as we pray.
The more we involve the Holy Spirit in our prayers, the better we get to know God and the more likely we will know what God wants us to ask. And when we ask, we are more likely to see God's answers.
"We can pray things like, 'Thank you, Lord, for everything you're doing,' or, 'Praise God, I need you to help me,' or, 'Oh, Jesus, help that lady over there who looks so sad.'"
Too often, she says, we tend to put off needs to later when we tell ourselves that we will spend a long time in prayer. But that is Satan's work - getting us to delay praying.
"God will strengthen us and enable us to handle life peacefully and wisely if we start praying about things instead of merely trying to get through the day," Meyer writes.
These prayers could involve a young mother taking a few moments to pray for strength as she cares for her small children, or a garage mechanic worshiping God and praying for help to be a good father as he works under a car.
"I believe God wants all of us to pray that way - to just offer up little acknowledgments of him, make brief requests, and offer short thanksgivings," Meyer says.
As for the Spirit, she urges us to wait quietly in God's presence for his promptings as to what to ask.
The author suggests that "if we will pray about our inner lives - about our thoughts and motives and about our relationship with God - he will take care of the externals." She noticed a change in her prayer life when she began to pray as she thought Jesus would pray.
She says that we should trust God to take care of our needs while we spend the majority of our time on talking to him about the needs of others, the growth of God's kingdom, and our spiritual needs.
"I need to abound in love and show kindness to people at all times much more than I need a larger house."
She illustrates what she means by talking about a parent frustrated with teenaged children. The parent might thank God for the gift of the children, but ask for wisdom in dealing with them. The parent might ask for understanding and help in aiding them.
The parent might also ask for God's peace to reign in the home.
"Pray continually," says the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. "In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Advice that can change my life - and perhaps your life, as well.
She says in her book The Power of Simple Prayer that prayer should be like breathing, natural and continual. Always, we should depend on the Holy Spirit as we pray.
The more we involve the Holy Spirit in our prayers, the better we get to know God and the more likely we will know what God wants us to ask. And when we ask, we are more likely to see God's answers.
"We can pray things like, 'Thank you, Lord, for everything you're doing,' or, 'Praise God, I need you to help me,' or, 'Oh, Jesus, help that lady over there who looks so sad.'"
Too often, she says, we tend to put off needs to later when we tell ourselves that we will spend a long time in prayer. But that is Satan's work - getting us to delay praying.
"God will strengthen us and enable us to handle life peacefully and wisely if we start praying about things instead of merely trying to get through the day," Meyer writes.
These prayers could involve a young mother taking a few moments to pray for strength as she cares for her small children, or a garage mechanic worshiping God and praying for help to be a good father as he works under a car.
"I believe God wants all of us to pray that way - to just offer up little acknowledgments of him, make brief requests, and offer short thanksgivings," Meyer says.
As for the Spirit, she urges us to wait quietly in God's presence for his promptings as to what to ask.
The author suggests that "if we will pray about our inner lives - about our thoughts and motives and about our relationship with God - he will take care of the externals." She noticed a change in her prayer life when she began to pray as she thought Jesus would pray.
She says that we should trust God to take care of our needs while we spend the majority of our time on talking to him about the needs of others, the growth of God's kingdom, and our spiritual needs.
"I need to abound in love and show kindness to people at all times much more than I need a larger house."
She illustrates what she means by talking about a parent frustrated with teenaged children. The parent might thank God for the gift of the children, but ask for wisdom in dealing with them. The parent might ask for understanding and help in aiding them.
The parent might also ask for God's peace to reign in the home.
"Pray continually," says the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. "In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Advice that can change my life - and perhaps your life, as well.
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