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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
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  • FAITH
    • All
    • Bible
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    • Prayer
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    • Spiritual Practice
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    Don’t Let Fear Take the Steering Wheel

    The Case for Shared Leadership (Part 5)

    The Case for Shared Leadership (Part 4)

    The Case for Shared Leadership (Part 3)

    The Case for Shared Leadership (Part 2)

    The Case for Shared Leadership (Part 1)

    More of Him, Less of Me

    You’ve Got a Friend

    3 Important Things You Should Know About Discipleship

    Discipleship Lessons from Star Wars

    Home

    Episode 26: Election, Free Will, and Flowers

    God Is Calling YOU to Rest (Part 2)

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Should we still listen to Hillsong?

    Easter Origin: Bunnies & Eggs?

    Before Christ Rose

    Our Misconception of the Body

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Can Christians go to multiple churches?

    The Relationship Between Frugalism and Stewardship

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Rejoice (Part 3)

  • LIVING
    • All
    • Identity
    • Mental Health
    • Purpose
    • Work

    Home Is Where Your Heart Is

    Interview: Transformation from Pole Dancing

    The Power of Names

    In a Difficult Season in My Life, I Joined the Production Team

    Wisdom from a Baby

    LET THERE BE LOVE — on Christian Veganism (Part 5)

    There’s Nothing Wrong With You

    LET THERE BE LOVE — on Christian Veganism (Part 4)

    LET THERE BE LOVE — on Christian Veganism (Part 3)

    LET THERE BE LOVE — on Christian Veganism (Part 2)

    The Addiction You Didn’t Know You Had (Part 2)

    The Addiction You Didn’t Know You Had (Part 1)

    LET THERE BE LOVE — on Christian Veganism (Part 1)

    Home

    Episode 25: What’s up with the education system?

    Our Misconception of the Body

    The Relationship Between Frugalism and Stewardship

    Home

    Episode 23: Why I changed my career

    What Consumes Us (Part 2)

    What Consumes Us (Part 1)

    Jesus and Minimalism

  • RELATIONSHIPS
    • All
    • Church
    • Dating
    • Family
    • Marriage
    • Singleness

    Home Is Where Your Heart Is

    In a Difficult Season in My Life, I Joined the Production Team

    Wisdom from a Baby

    Dating for Jesus**

    A Short Letter to the Tired Single

    3 Important Things You Should Know About Discipleship

    Home

    Episode 27: How do you find the right person? Questions on singleness, boundaries and friend zones

    The Addiction You Didn’t Know You Had (Part 2)

    The Addiction You Didn’t Know You Had (Part 1)

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Can a Christian date a non-Christian, then convert him/her?

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Should we still listen to Hillsong?

    Home

    Episode 25: What’s up with the education system?

    Get Used to Different (Part 2)

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Is cohabitation a sin?

    Before Saying “I Will”

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Need for Companionship

    Local Man Discovers Gift of Singleness, Calls Off Marriage*

    Get Used to Different (Part 1)

    Talking with Family Members About Mental Health (Part 3)

  • CULTURE
    • All
    • Evangelism
    • Justice
    • Social issues
    Our Christmas Collection

    Our Christmas Collection

    You’ve Got a Friend

    Discipleship Lessons from Star Wars

    Ethical Consumerism

    Easter Origin: Bunnies & Eggs?

    Get Used to Different (Part 2)

    Home

    Episode 24: All about Crypto, NFTs, and the Church

    What Consumes Us (Part 2)

    Is metaverse or VR church a real church?

    Should Christians go to war?

    Home

    Episode 22: Enneagram Part Two

    What Consumes Us (Part 1)

    Jesus and Minimalism

    Home

    Episode 21: Enneagram Part One

    Get Used to Different (Part 1)

    Christian Cancel Culture: A Gospel for the Oppressors

    Christian Cancel Culture: A Gospel for the Oppressors

    Your Calling to Bring Shalom into a Deprived World

    Your Calling to Bring Shalom into a Deprived World

    Welcome to Shift Gear

    READY? SET… GO!

    READY? SET… GO!

    Home

    Episode 16: Cage homes and subdivided apartments, is this the reality of HK? // Ask Martin: Why does God elect some not to believe?

    Home

    Episode 14: How should we engage on social media? // Ask Martin: Would God’ve been more loving if He didn’t create anyone?

  • CREATIVE
    • All
    • Fiction
    • Inspiration
    • Poem
    • Satire

    12-STEP GRACE

    Interview: Transformation from Pole Dancing

    Our Christmas Collection

    Our Christmas Collection

    Dating for Jesus**

    Local Man Discovers Gift of Singleness, Calls Off Marriage*

    Why

    In The Whisper, pt2

    How Do I Get Inspired?

    Rejoice (Part 3)

    Rejoice (Part 2)

    Rejoice (Part 1)

    Loss

    Celebrating Creativity

    Baptism Numbers Skyrocket After Installation of Waterslide in Local Church*

    What God Says About Me

    In The Whisper

    Reppin’ Jesus on Social Media – How to Stay True in a World of Haters

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Keep It Short and Sweet

3 things you need to know when praying

Carrie L. by Carrie L.
2021/08/31
in Prayer
0

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6.7-8)

I have a confession to make. The longer I am a Christian, the longer my prayers seem to get. I learnt to add “Christian terms” to make my prayers sound more convincing. For example, words like, “God, may Your name be glorified!” are great, but if God asks me, “What do you really mean by that?” I actually don’t have an exact answer.

I once volunteered at Alpha and there was a session on prayer. The Alpha video beautifully summarised how we should pray:

Keep it simple, keep it honest and keep it going.

 

Keep it simple: There is no need to use complicated and fancy words. Throughout His ministry, Jesus emphasised the importance of substance over form.

Keep it honest: “for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6.8). Praying is not so much about “asking” as much as it is an intimate conversation with God – and intimacy requires honesty.

Yet why do we have to tell God if He already knows? If you start your prayer by telling God how you feel, your posture will shift: the more you share, the more you want to share. It softens your heart, lowers your guard, and enables you to come as you are; and this is pleasing in God’s eyes.

Keep it going: Just as we should not just be a Sunday Christian and ignore Jesus for the rest of the week, we should also not just be a morning Christian and put God aside for the rest of the day. Try making small prayers throughout the day, relying on God for every big and small matter. Prayer is an ongoing, real-time dialogue with God. God is an active listener, but that is only something we can experience as an active speaker.

As we grow older, sometimes it becomes harder to keep our prayers short and sweet. We are tempted to complicate our prayers to impress people. We compare our prayers with others with the wrong motive to outperform others. We need to intentionally remind ourselves to remain humble and honest before God. Let’s return to the most basic yet enjoyable form of conversation with God – keep it simple, honest, and ongoing.

(Originally submitted as “Prayer Thoughts”, a weekly devotion by the Prayer Ministry of Island ECC)

Carrie L.

Carrie L.

Formerly a lawyer, now a small potato working in the care group and young adult ministries. Enjoys journaling, cafe hunting and drumming. // Favorite book: Disappointment with God, by Philip Yancey

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