A Sound Prayer

How do you pray? This is a question that I used to ask when I first baptized and has never disappeared from my life as I subsequently encountered by both believers and non-believers.

So, is there a format for praying? 

Debatable. However, one will come to a consensus that the core of prayer is about communicating, confessing to God and doing it wholeheartedly. 

Bible about prayer (Matthew 6: 5 - 14):

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from the evil one.

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

A satisfactory answer based from credible source. What if we want to pray about specific matter? 

As I surfed through the internet and an accumulative knowledge from various church sources, there are two sets of guidelines you may consider: 

A) The 5 Fingers of Prayer is a simple way of praying and focuses on the notion of loving people. This is also commonly taught to young children as a fundamental way of caring about others, be it blood-related or unrelated, through action of praying. Read here!

As we grow, we see more, we hear more, we sense more, and there, trouble more. The next prayer tends to have an inclination of forming a more intimate connection between you and God. 

B) The A.C.T.S Formula is a galvanizing method, and some says 'complete' way, of praying with the following 4 elements:

• Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who he is as Lord over all.
• Confession: Honestly deal with the sin in your prayer life.
• Thanksgiving: Verbalize what you're grateful for in your life and in the world around you.
• Supplication: Pray for the needs of others and yourself.

Hope you have a greater insights and concrete ideas of going about establishing relationship of God after reading this. Amen!