“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ ”
— Luke 11:1
Jesus had the habit of prayer, of talking to his Father, praising him and asking him for things. After one of these prayer times, a disciple asked Jesus to teach them how to pray too.
Morgan’s Sunday school teacher challenged the whole class to pray at least ten minutes every day that week. But each time Morgan sat down with her timer to pray, her mind went blank. She felt guilty, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. Her mom gave her a seven-minute formula for prayer, but Morgan felt silly using it. She didn’t have any success with prayer as long as she tried to copy someone else’s prayer method.
Don’t try to imitate someone else’s prayer life. We’re all different, and our prayer lives will be different. Our life circumstances are different too. Your grandmother who lives alone might pray two hours every morning. You’d have to get up at 4:00 a.m. to do that and still get to school on time. Don’t compare your prayer times to anyone else’s. Instead, talk to God. Ask him to teach you how to pray, how much to pray, what to pray for, and how to listen for his answers.
Don’t be shy about asking God for help with your prayer life. He’s willing to help you with anything. “Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).
If you need help with your prayer life, be honest with God. Begin by saying, “Lord, teach me to pray.”
More to Explore: Psalm 19:14 and Romans 8:26
Girl Talk: How often do you pray? Do you know what to say, or do you find yourself stumbling along? Have you asked God for help?
God Talk: “Lord, I feel so lucky to be able to talk to you whenever I need to. I’m not always sure what to say. Please help me find the words. I want a better prayer life with you. Thank you for always being there. Amen.”
From Girlz Rock by Kristi Holl