LEARNING TO PRAY

Luke 11:1

It is not an option for a Christian to pray. Jesus clearly said, when you pray. It is the duty of all Christians to pray for themselves and also pray for others. I don't know about you but there was a time in my life that my prayer life was very limited.

I always have believed in prayer; From a child I have practiced prayer in my own way. Many  years ago I was a regular church going person before I was saved. I only knew the childhood prayers I had learned such as; now I lay me down to sleep and thank you dear Lord for this food and drink I am about to take. This was about the extent of my prayer life. I was ask by the pastor of the church where I attended to help out as an usher, honestly I did not know what an usher did. I thought it might be to help park cars or show people where to sit. This proved very quickly the wrong thing to do.

When the services got started I was ask to come forward  along with the other ushers. On the way down to the front I began to realize some one was going to be called on to pray. I thought, they have probably  already ask someone else to take care of this prayer.

However, This big man standing behind the pulpit pointed his finger that looked at least a foot long at me and said would you lead us in prayer, I could not pray , now I lay me down to sleep and it was not time to eat so what could I say? I finally got the courage to pray one of the shortest prayers I have ever prayed, that being, Lord help us. Amen.

This was a very humiliating experience for me. That day I realized that there was more to prayer than just saying some words in front of people.

I had not been born again of God's Holy Spirit and because of this one reason I did not have the inward ability to really pray.

I left that church that day determined that I was either going to become a real Christian knowing how to pray or I would not go back to church any more.

March of that year (1964) at 4:00 AM in the morning I accepted Christ as my personal savior and my life has been different since.

I discovered that we must all learn to pray as the Disciples ask the Lord Jesus in Luke 11:1; Lord teach us to pray. If they needed to learn to pray surely you and I today need also to learn to pray.

If you want to learn to pray you can begin by praying a prayer some what like this; Dear Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner and I can not save my self, would you please come into my heart and cleanse me, forgive me of my sins and save me for Jesus sake and I will love you and serve you the remainder of my life. I pray this prayer in Jesus Name. Amen.