How to pray

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7

How many of us only pray when something is not going well in our lives? We are afraid or we need something and only then do we turn to God. Let me ask this, do any of you have “friends” who only seem to come around when they need something from you? How does that make you feel? Does it make you feel loved and special or just like someone is trying to use you? I think we all know the answer to this question.  So why do we do the same thing to God?

Having a relationship with God is just like any other relationship in certain aspects. It requires work and communication. Imagine yourself in a marriage. How long do you think it would last if you lived separately, were not involved in each other’s lives and only called up the other person when you needed money because you ran out again? Not long. That’s why it is SO IMPORTANT to communicate with God through his son Jesus Christ on a regular basis! God wants a RELATIONSHIP with you, not just lip service! You should let God into every aspect of your life—your work, your friendships, etc, etc. This is how we are transformed, by letting God into even the little things.

I’ll give you an example of how God has changed me recently. I work in a job that is very, very frustrating—I’m an English teacher in Spain and let’s just say the children I teach are not very enthusiastic about spending an hour with me every day during their two-hour recess/lunch time.  I won’t go into detail here about why this is such a difficult and frustrating job, but I will tell you that for almost three years I came home from work completely discouraged and angry most days. For a long time, I did not connect with my coworkers who are largely in their late 50s and have their own families and friends established already. My students would be outright rude to me on many occasions—in short, I felt rejected in every way possible. The only thing keeping me in Spain was my then fiancé.

One day I decided I had to change my attitude about work. Instead of thinking of it as low-paid torture, I would ask God to help me get through the day, to help me be a good example and witness for my students and even thank him for the opportunity to work (not a small thing with the SUPER HIGH unemployment rate in Spain). Things changed. I’m not saying it was overnight or even that my students turned into little angels. No. But I have seen an improvement in my relationship with coworkers as well as with my students. One day a student even said to me, “Miss Kristen, you’re being nicer than before!” It made me laugh, but it was true. I learned how to be patient and stay calm instead of getting upset all the time. God transformed me into a better teacher and a better coworker.

It may seem silly and trivial, but God can transform us in any part of our lives, be it small or big. I can tell you from experience that this seemingly small change has really been for the better and has made a huge difference in my life. My husband noticed that I was happier and calmer than before and told me so. Another coworker said to me on another occasion that I “looked so happy”—I guess I was smiling without realizing it.

So how/when should we pray? We can pray anywhere, anytime. Some people like to pray in private, some as they walk down the street, some in the subway or in the car. Some aloud, some silently. However you pray, just pray.

It’s a good idea to not only ask God for things, but also to praise him and thank him! Think about all the wonderful gifts he has given you! Look at the world and how beautiful nature is-a gift from God. Taste the food he has put on your plate and how delicious it is—a gift from God! Do you have clothing on your back? Do you have somewhere to sleep? These are gifts from God. Do you have a job? Another gift from God.  No matter how bad things are, we have to remember that God has given us LIFE. By all means, if something is bothering you or you need help with something, ask God for help! That is part of being in a relationship—just don’t forget to be thankful and to give him the praise he is due.

Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. Psalm 104: 1-4
What a wonderful God we have! :)