Sunday, September 1, 2013

Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

The two types of prayer, personal and corporate, are both very important in the life of every believer.  Some people will find it really easy to pray privately, but when it comes to praying out loud with other people around, their palms begin to sweat and they feel like they are completely incoherent.  Others will be able to pray quite comfortably in a group setting but find praying in private a task they can't figure out how to tackle.  In both cases, the prayer you are comfortable with and the prayer that makes your heart beat irregularly due to nerves are equally important.
Personal prayer is talked about in several places in the Bible including:  Matthew 6:6; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Acts 10:9 and Daniel 6:10.
The writer of She Reads Truth: Prayer in the Bible suggests a few steps towards making personal prayer a priority.  The first thing we need to do is set ourselves a specific time to pray on a daily basis.  Maybe get up earlier or eliminate something you do for pleasure such as reading an extra chapter in your book or surfing through social-media sites.  I know that I get distracted by both of those very easily and end up wasting time that could be spent with God.
Secondly, she suggests that you pick a specific location and call it yours.  Pick a spot in your house/apartment and always go there to spend time talking with God.  It should be a place that is away from distractions such as your computer, your current reading material, your roommates or family members, just to name a few.  It needs to be a place where you can concentrate on talking with God and listening to what He has to say to your heart.
Her third suggestion is to tell another believer what you have decided to do and commit it to the Lord.  This is a good way to be accountable.  If someone knows what you are planning to do, they can ask you every so often about how it's going and keep you from forgetting to do it.
Corporate prayer is also mentioned in several places in the Bible including:  Acts 2:42; Acts 20:36; James 5:16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Again, the writer has some suggestions.  Her first is to ask God to show you someone that you can pray with.  It doesn't matter who it is, just ask Him to reveal that person to you.
Once you have prayed about it, go and do it.  Don't just sit back and do nothing.  Find that person who you can pray with in the natural course of the conversation.  Your prayer doesn't have to be long or eloquent, just sincere.  Talk to God and tell Him what's on your heart and that's all you need to do.  Also, in this intimate time with another believer, you can confess your sins and by doing so, encourage each other to stop sinning.
-Meg

"6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." -Matthew 6:6 (NLT)

Private prayer. When we are praying privately its a good idea to find a place that is our own. And to pick specific times to take out and spend with God.

"16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." -James 5:16

Corporate Prayer.Confession. Intercession. Kingdom Prayer. Find someone you can pray with on a regular basis. Someone your comfortable with but someone you will also be honest and open too. And a person who will keep you accountable.

-Tiff