8 minute read
Gospel Grace
How Shall We Pray?
by Melissa Gissy Witherspoon
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.' (LUKE 11:1 NIV)
Two of the most common questions I have come across when speaking with people about recovering from addiction to drugs and alcohol have been: “How do I pray?” and “How do I recognize the voice of God?”
You would think with all the information I have learned in more than ten years of recovery, people would want to ask me questions related to addiction, and most often, they do. But nothing is as frequent as those two questions I just mentioned.
In my ministry of bringing hope that addicts can and do recover to others, I share time and time again how God saved me from my desperate suicide attempt on my basement floor at the rock bottom of my disease of addiction. I was a woman who, for decades, turned her back on God. If I did ever go to Him or acknowledge Him, it was more of a desperate plea to get me out of a situation mixed with empty promises—like if He did rescue me, I would be better or do better next time.
Along my journey in recovery, I came to understand that God was there all along, and I was the one denying Him. Shortly after getting sober and working through a twelve-step recovery program, I realized the need to make a drastic change in my life spiritually. I needed to pursue a relationship with the higher power I now know as God and accept Jesus into my heart.
But that didn’t come easily. When you run in a lifestyle that has nothing to do with God’s will for you for so many years, turning your will over seems almost impossible. In fact, we, as Christians, will struggle with this throughout our entire lives. Maybe your experience isn’t addiction. Perhaps you have experienced other scenarios where you have gotten off course and tried to make things go in the direction you wanted, forgetting that God laid out your ultimate plan before you were ever conceived. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).
It is never too late to recognize you have fallen into the trap of trying to take life by the reins, following your ego-driven will over what God has ordained. And prayer is exactly what can get us back on track, keeping us connected with our Creator so we can stay on the path that was divinely planned for us. Prayer armors us and offers protection not only for ourselves, but for the entire world. We can pray: “Protect me with every piece of Your armor. Father, help me fasten Your belt of truth around my waist.” (See Ephesians 6:14).
Prayer is where my newfound relationship with God began in my early recovery. I was quite wobbly at it, too. I would hide in my bedroom closet and whisper, “God, can you hear me? It’s Melissa. I don’t know what I am doing, but I’m coming to you. I don’t know how to talk to you like others do, so I’m just going to read a prayer out loud and hope you receive my effort to communicate.”
I began doing this morning and night. The same prayer was also said at both my recovery meetings and the church I started attending. At every turn, this small prayer was beginning to appear right in front of me.
I felt awkward each time I prayed, much like a newborn fawn whose legs are wobbly when they first stand. But I committed to it. In fact, I started looking forward to it as if it were a dessert after dinner. I couldn’t wait to get to my bedroom closet, say my prayer, and share about my day. The relationship I desired was starting to form. The more I talked with God about my fears, desires, and sorrow for the sin and hurt I had caused, the more I could feel His presence. And when I began to acknowledge His will over mine, a floodgate of opportunities opened for me to dive deeper spiritually.
PRAYER IS WHERE MY NEWFOUND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BEGAN.
The prayer I rigorously committed to is known as The Lord’s Prayer. To this day, it is the most powerful prayer in my life because it encourages us to cling to God’s will, seek His forgiveness and help in avoiding temptation, and ask for protection against Satan.
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV).
God knows there will be times when we are weary, tired, angry, sad, disappointed, lost, broken, restless, and complacent. But He had His only Son, Christ Jesus, offer instructions on how to pray. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “How shall we pray?” our Father delivered four powerful sentences that take us from our worldly selves and bring us closer to Him. He knows the flesh complicates things, and the accuser tries relentlessly to distract us from communicating with our Father. If you dissect the prayer into sections, you can see how Jesus lays out a perfect model for the things believers should pray about and for:
Hallowed be Your name: God’s name (and therefore, God Himself) is to be the most uniquely valued one in all creation.
Your kingdom come: You are to invite the King, Jesus Christ, to move into your life and the lives of others, breathing His Holy Spirit into you and them with loyalty toward the coming of His kingdom.
Your will be done: Pray that God’s will be accomplished within our circles of influence. His will, not ours, is the truth and light for our existence.
Our daily bread: Acknowledge our needs and God’s abundant provisions.
Forgive us our debts: Confession is a critical element of prayer life. Talking to God about our shortcomings and seeking His forgiveness shows humility.
As we have forgiven our debtors: Be proactive about forgiving others. Prayer is an important time to ask God to give us the ability to show grace and mercy the same way He has shown it to us.
Lead us not into temptation: Ask God to intervene in our lives to help us avoid situations where we might be tempted.
Deliver us from evil: A prayerful plea to avoid the enemy’s schemes. We can’t always see the traps laid out for us, but God can. And we can pray for deliverance from them.
Isn’t it beautiful to know that right there, in the pages of the written Word, are instructions on how to pray? It’s a direct line of communication spoken by our Lord and Savior on how to call out to God. Of course, there are so many places and ways to pray. And your relationship with our Creator is unique. Just as He has designed each of us differently, He knows we will all communicate with Him differently. The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12 NIV).
Do not be so focused on the human thoughts of, “Am I praying correctly?” or “Am I pious enough?” Call to God through prayer, whether you are writing, singing, in silent thought, sitting in your pew at church, walking beside a flowing stream, or hiking a mountain ridge. Even if you’re standing with your toes in His giant ocean, riding in your car, gathered with others, or like me, sitting “criss-cross, applesauce” on your bedroom closet floor, leap into action by praying! Call to the Lord; He is waiting for you! With consistency and practice, one day at a time, you will recognize the voice of God. And the Holy Spirit’s hope, love, and promises will be engrained in your heart forever. Amen!
If you need prayer, please email us at prayer@womenworldleaders.com so we can encourage you further.
We love that God has called us, as a ministry, to love and empower women who desire to love God, come closer to Him, and serve Him with their whole hearts.
If you need prayer, please email us at prayer@womenworldleaders.com so we can encourage you further.
We love that God has called us, as a ministry, to love and empower women who desire to love God, come closer to Him, and serve Him with their whole hearts.
