Prayer:

Prayer:

Father, Help us to pray.

This is one of the most personal aspects of Christianity. It's how we communicate with our God.

God watches us and looks after us, but prayer is how we come to him. It's a bit like having a best friend - if we don't talk to them how are they to know?

Prayer doesn't have to be long or complicated (look at some of the prayers I've started our studies with!). But prayer should be made with sincerity. Jesus says in Matthew's Gospel that God knows what we need before we say it, but sometimes the saying is important too. If nothing else it shows respect as well as an understanding that we are relying on God.

There are lots of examples in the Bible. (Try to remember some as part of your homework!)

More often the ones mentioned in scriptures are the special ones, either of thanks or prayers for help. Which brings us round to why we should pray.

Prayer should have a purpose. It should be of some benefit to both parties. Communication is a two-way process. Jesus criticised the Pharisees of his time because they prayed to be seen by others, they weren't talking to God at all. Mark and Luke both mention Jesus' condemnation of them for making prayer nothing more than a show.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 18 - He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Like most things practise makes perfect and prayer is no exception. It is something we need to do again and again. The disciples even asked to be taught how to pray. Jesus reply is recorded in Matthew 6:9-13 and is known as the Lord's Prayer. It contains all the essential ingredients that a good prayer needs.

Instead of questions, can you read the Lord's Prayer and break in to down into sections, then look at how each section applies to us - what we would say now.