Prayer

Prayer begins with grace

Christians do not pray in order to earn God’s attention, prove themselves worthy or persuade him to love them. They believe God already loves humanity and has acted through Jesus to overcome the sin that separated people from him.

Because Jesus bore human sin on the cross, those who turn to God and trust in him can approach God with confidence. Their acceptance does not depend on perfect words, strong feelings or a flawless life.

Prayer is therefore a response to grace. Christians pray because God has invited them into relationship with him, not because they have first made themselves good enough.

Prayer and the Trinity

Christians worship one God who eternally exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They often describe prayer as coming to the Father through Jesus the Son, with the help and presence of the Holy Spirit.

Christians may pray directly to the Father, to Jesus, or ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and help. These are not prayers to three separate gods, but prayers to the one Triune God.

Catholic and Orthodox Christians may also pray to Mary and the saints, asking them to pray for them and intercede with God. They do not worship Mary or the saints as gods; worship belongs to God alone.

What prayer includes

Prayer can include praising God for who he is, thanking him for what he has given, asking for help, praying for other people, confessing sin and expressing grief, fear or confusion.

The Bible contains prayers of joy and confidence, but also prayers of sorrow, anger and uncertainty. Christians therefore believe they can speak honestly to God rather than pretending to feel differently from how they really feel.

Jesus warned against praying merely to impress other people or appear religious. Prayer is a relationship, not a performance. A few sincere words can be a complete and genuine prayer.

Jesus also gave his followers the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern. It teaches them to honour God, seek his will, ask for daily needs, receive and extend forgiveness, and seek his protection from evil.

Confession and forgiveness

Confession means honestly acknowledging sin before God rather than hiding it, excusing it or blaming someone else. It includes turning away from wrongdoing and asking God for forgiveness.

Confession does not tell God something he did not already know, and it is not a way of earning forgiveness through shame, self-punishment or repeated apologies.

Christians ask for forgiveness because Jesus has already borne the judgement for sin on the cross. They trust God to forgive and restore them by grace.

Where their actions have harmed others, confession to God should also lead them, where possible, to apologise, make amends and change their behaviour.

Asking God for help

Christians believe God hears prayer and can act in response. They pray for practical needs, healing, wisdom, strength, justice, guidance and the wellbeing of other people.

Prayer is not a technique for controlling God or guaranteeing a particular result. Christians recognise that prayers are not always answered in the way requested.

Sometimes the answer may appear to be yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait. At other times, the answer may remain unclear. Christians continue to pray because they trust God’s wisdom and goodness, even when they do not understand what is happening.

Prayer may also change the person praying. It can deepen trust, reshape desires, bring comfort, reveal responsibility and give strength to endure circumstances that do not immediately change.

Listening and discernment

Prayer is not only speaking. Christians also make space for silence, reflection and attention to God.

Listening to God does not necessarily mean hearing an audible voice. Christians most reliably listen through the Bible, through the teaching and character of Jesus, and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

A person may also become aware of conviction, encouragement or a possible direction while praying. Such impressions should not automatically be treated as messages from God.

Christians are encouraged to test them against the Bible, the character and teaching of Jesus, careful reasoning and the counsel of trustworthy people. A claimed message from God should never be used to justify harm, manipulation, dishonesty or control.

How to begin

There is no special posture or location required for prayer. You may speak aloud or pray silently. You may sit, stand, kneel, walk or pray while carrying out ordinary daily activities.

You can use prepared prayers or speak in your own words. You do not need to understand everything about Christianity before beginning, and you do not need to hide your questions or uncertainty.

A beginning prayer might be:

“God, I am not sure what I believe, but I am willing to know you. Please help me understand Jesus, show me what is true and guide my next step.”

Someone ready to respond more directly might acknowledge their sin, ask God for forgiveness, thank Jesus for his death and resurrection, and ask the Holy Spirit to help them begin a new life with God.

Prayer does not need to be long. A simple, honest sentence can be a meaningful beginning.

When prayer feels difficult

Attention may wander, words may feel inadequate and God may seem silent or distant. Christians do not usually regard these experiences as proof that prayer has failed.

Prayer can be returned to gently and honestly. A person can tell God that they feel distracted, doubtful, angry, tired or unable to find the right words.

Prepared prayers, the Psalms, the Lord’s Prayer and praying with other Christians can help when personal words are difficult.

A short and regular habit of prayer may be more helpful than waiting for a dramatic spiritual experience. The value of prayer rests in God’s faithfulness, not in the intensity or eloquence of the person praying.