Prayer is speaking with God.
It does not require folded hands, closed eyes, a bowed head, or being down on your knees. Those things may help us shut out distractions and show respect, but they are not what makes something a prayer.
Prayer can be spoken aloud or offered silently in the heart. It can happen in church, at home, in the car, while working, or while lying awake at night. A believer can pray anywhere because God is always present.
Hannah prayed silently while she was at the house of the Lord. Scripture says, “As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard” (1 Samuel 1:13).
God heard every word, even though no one else did.
Nehemiah was standing before the king when he was asked what he wanted. He wrote, “So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king” (Nehemiah 2:4–5).
He did not have time to leave the room, kneel, and give a long prayer. He prayed in his mind before answering. It may have been no more than, “Lord, help me.” God heard him.
A thought directed toward God can be a prayer.
Prayer is not telling God something He does not already know. We sometimes pray as if we must explain every detail so God can understand what happened. But God saw what happened. He knows what other people did, what we did, and what we were thinking. He knows our needs before we say a word.
Jesus said, “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7–8).
God does not hear us because our prayers are long. He does not answer because we use impressive words. Prayer is not a speech meant to impress God or other people.
Jesus warned against those who loved to pray where others could see them. Their prayers were directed toward God in appearance, but their real purpose was to be noticed by people.
Prayer should be honest.
If you are afraid, tell God you are afraid. If you are angry, confused, tempted, or hurting, tell Him the truth. If you have sinned, confess it without making excuses. God already knows what is in your heart, so there is no reason to pretend before Him.
Prayer is more than asking God for things. We pray to praise Him, thank Him, confess our sins, ask for help, and pray for others. We also pray because we want fellowship with Him.
Jesus gave His disciples a pattern for prayer in Matthew 6:9–13. He began with, “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”
Prayer begins with remembering who God is. He is our Father, but He is also holy. We may come to Him freely, but we should never come carelessly.
Jesus then prayed for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done. Prayer is not trying to talk God into doing whatever we want. It is bringing our desires before Him while submitting ourselves to His will.
We can ask God to provide what we need. Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God cares about our daily needs. Nothing is too small to bring to Him, and nothing is too large for Him to handle.
We should also confess our sins and ask God to help us forgive those who have sinned against us. We may ask Him to guide us away from temptation and protect us from evil.
Sometimes we do not know what to pray. The pain may be too deep, the situation too confusing, or the words may simply refuse to come. That does not mean we cannot pray.
Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
God understands the prayer that comes out as a sigh, a tear, or a silent cry for help.
We should pray in the name of Jesus. That does not mean adding the words “in Jesus’ name” to the end of a prayer makes God give us what we asked for. Those words are not a magic formula.
To pray in Jesus’ name means we come to the Father because of Jesus and not because we have earned the right to be heard. It also means we ask for what agrees with His character, His teaching, and His will.
God always hears His children, but He does not always give us the answer we want. Sometimes His answer is yes. Sometimes it is no. Sometimes He makes us wait. We may not understand His answer, but we can trust His wisdom.
Prayer does not need to be long to be real.
Peter once prayed, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30).
A tax collector prayed, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
Both were short prayers. Both came from men who knew they needed God.
There is a place for longer prayer. Jesus sometimes spent much time alone in prayer. But a long prayer is not more powerful just because it is long. A few honest words from the heart are better than many empty words spoken out of habit.
Fold your hands if it helps you focus. Kneel if you are able. Bow your head if you choose. But do not think that God is closer because of the position of your body.
What matters is the position of your heart.
Prayer is the child of God speaking honestly with his heavenly Father. It can be spoken or silent, long or short. It can be offered through tears, whispered in fear, or lifted in thanksgiving.
You do not have to explain everything to God.
You only need to speak with Him.