Ask for prayer
Tell us what is weighing on your heart, and we will pray for you. We will treat your request with care and respect.
Prayer
Why Pray?
If God knows everything, why talk to him at all? The answer is that prayer is not a report we send up to God, but a relationship we share with him. This short article explains why we pray, and how you can begin.
Where to begin
A relationship, not just a list of requests
Jesus says plainly that God knows what we need before we ask. So we do not pray to tell God something he doesn’t know, or to persuade him to care about us.
We pray because God is a Father who loves his children. A child doesn’t talk to their father to pass on information, but simply because they are his child. When we pray, we live out that truth: God invites us to come close to him and speak to him with confidence.
for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
Matthew 6:8
First
We come to the Father through Christ
In the Old Testament, the way to God in the temple was hedged about with barriers: a curtain, priests and sacrifices. When Christ died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), a sign that through his death the way to God had been opened.
So we come to the Father through Christ alone, for he is the one mediator: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Everyone who believes in him can pray to God for themselves, at any time and from anywhere.
Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with the words “Our Father”. We do not address God as a judge we are afraid of, but as a Father we trust. And that confidence is not our own boldness; it is a gift of his grace.
Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
Second
Prayer changes us, too
Sometimes we say, “I prayed and nothing changed.” But prayer is not a machine where we put in a request and get a result out. God hears and answers in his wisdom and in his timing, and all the while he is at work in us.
When we pray for someone we find difficult, our hearts soften towards them. When we pray through a hard situation, we find peace even before anything changes. And when we don’t know what to say, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26).
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Third
Jesus taught us how to pray
Jesus did not leave his disciples guessing. When they saw him praying, one of them asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). He gave them a model prayer, found in its fullest form in Matthew 6:9-13, which we call “the Lord’s Prayer”. Notice the order:
- Relationship: “Our Father in heaven.”
- God’s glory, kingdom and will: “May your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done.”
- Our daily needs: “Give us today our daily bread.”
- Forgiveness: “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.”
- Protection: “Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
When we pray along these lines, our prayer turns from a list of requests into real fellowship with God. You will find an explanation of each petition on our Faith resources page.
Fourth
We pray for one another
Prayer is not an escape from real life, but a way of facing it with God. We pray for our families and friends, for those who are suffering, and for our city of Liverpool and the countries we have come from. Jesus even teaches us to pray for those who mistreat us (Matthew 5:44), and so God sets us free from bitterness.
And when we say “Let your Kingdom come”, we express a hope we hold on to: that people everywhere will come to know God.
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:9
If you are carrying a burden and would like someone to pray for you, we would be glad to pray with you. Send a prayer request.
Putting it into practice
How do you start?
You don’t need eloquent words. Start with small, steady steps.
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Set aside a regular time
Choose a quiet time each day, even if it is only a few minutes. Many people find that the start of the day helps.
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Use the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern
Begin by praising and thanking God, then bring him your needs, and ask for forgiveness and protection.
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Keep a prayer list
Write down the names of people, needs and things to thank God for, and note the answers you see.
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Pray throughout your day
Don’t be afraid of short prayers at any moment. A child talks to their father without needing an appointment.
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
A prayer
A prayer to begin with
Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing me, and for opening the way to you through Jesus Christ. Teach me to pray, not with many words, but with an honest heart. When I don’t know what to say, may your Holy Spirit help me. When I grow tired of waiting, remind me that you are faithful. Make prayer a life I share with you, not a duty I perform. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Your next step
Pray with us
Join our weekly meeting
We meet every Wednesday at 6:30pm at All Nations Hub in Liverpool, and we pray together. Come as you are – you are very welcome.
Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
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