Learning to Pray
Do you ever feel silly when you pray? Maybe you don’t know what to say or you don’t know if God is really listening. Or maybe you are afraid God gets mad if you don’t pray kneeling next to your bed with your eyes all the way closed. There are lots of reasons why you might be embarrassed to pray. But don’t feel bad about that! One really good way to learn how to pray is by reading the prayers in the Bible. And the book of Psalms has lots of prayers! If you are reading the Bible chronologically with Joni and Ken, you are reading lots of prayers today. Some are about remembering God’s protection and some are about turning away from sin. And then there are some parts that sound really mean. Is it okay to pray that way? It is important to remember that God isn’t shocked by what you are thinking. He knows. If we try to hide our sin and our mean thoughts from God, then we can’t ask Him to forgive us and help us be more like Him. One important part of prayer is being honest with God. As you read through the Psalms, you will see a lot of honesty. Let that remind you that God wants you to pray no matter how you are feeling.
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Do you ever feel silly when you pray? Maybe you don’t know what to say or you don’t know if God is really listening. Or maybe you are afraid God gets mad if you don’t pray kneeling next to your bed with your eyes all the way closed. There are lots of reasons why you might be embarrassed to pray. But don’t feel bad about that! One really good way to learn how to pray is by reading the prayers in the Bible. And the book of Psalms has lots of prayers! If you are reading the Bible chronologically with Joni and Ken, you are reading lots of prayers today. Some are about remembering God’s protection and some are about turning away from sin. And then there are some parts that sound really mean. Is it okay to pray that way? It is important to remember that God isn’t shocked by what you are thinking. He knows. If we try to hide our sin and our mean thoughts from God, then we can’t ask Him to forgive us and help us be more like Him. One important part of prayer is being honest with God. As you read through the Psalms, you will see a lot of honesty. Let that remind you that God wants you to pray no matter how you are feeling.
