Sunday, November 28, 2010

Best Ways to Pray to God

There's not one best way to pray to God that works for everyone; it's not that easy! You need to find the best way for you to pray, depending on your personality, spirituality, lifestyle, and reason for praying.

And, you need to try different ways to pray until you find what works for you. Here are a few prayer tips to try...

Best Ways to Pray to God

Learn about Biblical prayer. To be God-centered and and Biblical, prayer must include God! Listening for God’s voice can be challenging, especially if you feel distant from God or if you’re easily distracted. If you’re trying to reconnect with God, you might find How to Renew Your Spirituality helpful. Learning to listen for God’s voice takes practice and patience – and it can be one of the most relaxing, peaceful parts of your day.

Try Centering Prayer. Centering prayer is about silencing your heart and mind for peace, for increased spirituality, and for the emotional and spiritual strength to cope with whatever happens in your life. This type of prayer is about communing with God. It’s not about getting what you want; it’s about finding the strength to cope with what you get. To learn more, read Centering Prayer - How to Pray With Your Whole Heart.

Pray in a way that works for you. I created Quips and Tips for Spiritual Seekers with Gini Grey, who often writes about meditation. Much of what she says works for prayer, too! Here's one of her best ways to pray to God, in her article about praying for others: "When I was in my late teens and early 20s I prayed while taking my dog for a walk late at night. Staring up at the expansive, sparkling sky helped me to feel a deep connection to the Creator. Now, I often pray with my eyes closed while meditating. Meditation merges me with my spiritual self and the source of all life. Whether you pray at your bedside before going to sleep, or while walking in nature, it doesn’t matter. Opening the line of communication to the God of your heart is what counts." 

Accept that you get distracted while praying. If you fight or try to move away from your distraction, then you’ll just become more distracted! Resisting your distraction only magnifies it, prolongs it, makes it worse. So, instead of working feverishly to overcome your distraction, try accepting that you are distracted. Accept your lack of focus. Tell yourself, “Feelings of distraction while praying are normal. It’s okay for me to feel this way.” To learn how to stay focused, read How to Pray When You're Distracted - Mindful Prayer Tips.

“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” ~ Søren Kierkegaard.

What do you think -- what's the best way to pray to God? I welcome your comments below!

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