The Best Way to Pray

Isaiah 30:19
He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer thee.

A story is told about a priest, a minister and a guru who sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby.

"Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said.

"No," said the minister. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven."

"You're both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying face down on the floor."

The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted. "The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."

When the disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray,” He didn’t tell them any particular position or posture to use, but instead He directed them to pray to their Heavenly Father with an attitude of humility and dependence on Him.

We see this even more clearly in the teaching of Christ in Luke 18. In this parable Christ condemned the Pharisee, consumed with conceit and self-exaltation, who prayed before men. In contrast, He praised the lowly publican stood in the temple and prayed humbly and sincerely with with his head bowed unpretentiously.

In Power Through Prayer, E.M. Bounds wrote, “God puts a great price on humility of heart. It is good to be clothed with humility as with a garment. It is written, ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.’ That which brings the praying soul near to God is humility of heart. That which gives wings to prayer is lowliness of mind. That which gives ready access to the throne of grace is self-depreciation. Pride, self-esteem, and self-praise effectually shut the door of prayer. He who would come to God must approach Him with self hid from his own eyes. He must not be puffed-up with self-conceit, nor be possessed with an over-estimate of his virtues and good works.”

Father, I pray with David the great psalmist, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright Ann Shorb, 2006

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Related articles and devotionals:
Can I Pray for Myself?
I'm Praying for You
We Can Pray Specifically
Ask and You Shall Receive

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