Prayer

[wiggins]

I've come to realize that I'm not a strong Christian even after being a Christian for many years, so I've got to start asking some of the basic questions I should have asked a long time ago. I thought it best to post this here since I know theree are alot of strong Christians here at CAA. How does one npray? I know Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer, but since prayer is talking to God, I'm sure we're not meant to pray the Lord's Prayer for every prayer we pray because that would make it almost a mantra of some sort, and it would become kind of mechanical anmd empty after a while. So how should Christians pray. I doubt there's a set form but maybe you guys can give me some pointers. For example, I haven't really thought of just being silent and listening to God. I've seen some people call it meditation in other posts, so now those posts got me thinking about it... but if we do have peiods of silence listeniong for God to speak to us, how do we do it, do we just sit there quietly and listen or read our bible or what? And how long should we do it for? It's not that I don't pray... I have prayed before and felt comforted after praying, but recently I feel my prayers are either missing something, or maybe not missing, but after reading all these things about meditation, etc., I'm curious and I do want to pray the best I can. I don't want anything missing from my prayers which should be in them. Can you guys help me out here? Thanks!
Wiggins

[Ashley]

Hey Wiggins,
Oddly enough, I grew up in a Christian home too and prayer has truly been a lifelong struggle for me. Yes, I've had a few times of earnest closeness with the Lord, but I struggle in coming to Him every day in prayer. I do find it easier to begin my prayers with intercessory prayers for others--my friends, my family, those I know of who are in need, and you guys here at CAA. Sometimes it's easier to break up prayer time with some studying as well--like, a session of intercessory prayer, then read through a psalm and just pause and pray a sentence or two as you feel lead...expressing what the passage means to you or what have you. I'm not expert on prayer, but I thought perhaps giving you a glimpse of my prayer life would help you in yours. And Indy is right, we don't pray to a God that is untouchable and unreachable.

[wiggins]

[quote="Cephas"]
I don't really have an answer here. Faith is more than a feeling]

I do have faith, but what is it I should find out for myself? I have faith and believe in God the Father, God, the Son, Jesus, and God, the Holy Spirit, and knw thet they are alive and at work and that God's ways are above mine... but how does this pertain to meditation and having periods of silence listening for God?
Does these periods of silence and listening to God also include reading the Bible since that is one of the ways Gos speaks to us?