How to Pray
Pete Greig has written a super book called “How to pray, a simple guide for normal people.” In it he uses the acronym P.R.A.Y. to help us pray – Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield.
Those actions actually follow the Lord’s Prayer. Notice at the start of the Lord’s prayer Jesus tells us to pray “like” this, not just pray this. It’s not a rote prayer. It’s more a series of headings, a scaffolding to build your prayers on.
Our Father in Heaven gets us to pause, to slow down and remind ourselves that God loves us as a Father and that he is large and in charge in heaven.
Hallowed be your name – gets us to rejoice in God’s names. Names used to be picked to describe the nature of someone. Smith would have been the blacksmith, Cooper the barrel maker. There are hundreds of names for God that describe who he is.
Your kingdom come… is the ask, asking for God’s rule and reign to grow in us, our family, friends, our town – whatever else comes to mind or is on your list!
Give us this day our daily bread continues the ask, relying on God to provide.
Forgive us, as we forgive others allows us to yield to God, to grow in holiness as we lay down what grieves Him.
Lead us not into temptation continues yielding to God as we ask for protection.
Pray: Pause, Rejoice, Ask and Yield.
Recommended extra reading
How to Pray - a simple guide for normal people (Pete Greig)
