I don’t know the proper way to pray um scared right now I’m just living life because it’s lifing
I think only God can reveal your purpose. And God reveals that over time. Live your life, build a relationship with God, make your everyday choices, and learn to listen to those moments when God nudges you toward what He would have you do.
In the meantime, what is calling you? What are you drawn to do? Medical/Healer? Cooking/Feeding others? Art/ prophecy, speaking truth through crafted image or word, inspiring change? Counselor/wise person, encourager? Justice/ maintaining balance to sustain life? Teacher/ shaping young minds to contribute to society and to do what is right?
Take a step, then take another. The path will be revealed. Or a new direction found.
The Lord’s Prayer is modeled to us by Jesus in the Bible as an idea of how to pray:
Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen
- Father in Heaven,
Address God directly.
- Hallowed be thy Name.
Acknowledge God’s Holiness, and understand all that the word Holiness implies because it encompasses a lot.
Acknowledge God’s Greatness. It is like standing beside the ocean and looking out. Think on how much bigger God is to you, and let that humble you.
And then think about how God still looks at you, this tiny speck- and God still sees you, and knows your name, your worth, and He thinks that you matter, and He loves you. Even when you disobey, run away, and look your worst. God still cares. And let that understanding hold you, when you are most hurting and afraid.
- Your Kingdom come… On Earth as it is in Heaven.
The Establishment and Expansion of God’s Kingdom here on Earth. To understand this, you will need to understand the qualities of God’s Kingdom.
What does it mean for God to reign? Justice, Forgiveness, Mercy, Grace, Balance/stability, Wisdom. Compassion. Charity. Kindness. Peace. Wellness. And so on.
The true qualities of God trickle down into the Kingdom that God rules over. If God doesn’t rule, then there will be no peace. And the heart of humanity will grow dark, cold, selfish, greedy, hateful, spiteful, riddled with dishonesty.
The spirit in power shapes the kingdom it controls, and you will know them by their virtue or vice. The outcomes they naturally inspire- their fruit.
We put God’s Kingdom before our own and all others. And we put His Holy Spirit before all other spirits.)
- Your Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
We put God’s Will before our own. We pray for God’s Will to occur on Earth, we pray that God has the final say, the most important say on how things unfold and become. We put God’s plans for the future before our own dreams. We put God’s desire before our own.
And we pray that, even if things don’t turn out in our favor or even if the world goes into darkness we will continue to trust that God’s Will will still come about despite whatever goes wrong, because God has the Power to work through whatever happens and bring good into the world.
God’s power working through it and all things to cause God’s Will to become manifest. To come into existence.
And what is God’s Will?
That we bare good fruit. That we Love one another.
Seek and save the lost. Be kind. Forgive each other. Heal the wounds, the traumas of the past. Stand up for what is right and just. Stand up for the most vulnerable and protect them. Make right what is wrong. Make peace in this war torn broken world. And share in your abundance with others who are less fortunate. In doing this, we act as one.
For each of us can excel in at least one ability, and fall short in another. But if we are one person, collectively, if your strength covers my weakness, and mine covers yours, if we forgive each other our sins and carry each other when one of us falls, then we are stronger together. Interlocking.
And when we are one in Christ, and through Christ one with God the Father, then no matter what our weakness is, even where all people collectively together fail short- God’s power is glorified. He shines through when all we have left is God, when all we have is to to trust and have faith. When God is the only one we can praise for what comes next.
- Give us this day our daily bread.
We aak God to give us what we need today in order to sustain ourselves. Provide for our needs, that we do not starve. Feed our bodies, minds, hearts, all that we are, with that which will nourish us, heal us, lift our spirits in Joy and heal our broken hearts. To teach us His ways, that we also might grow to bare good fruit in this world.
- And forgive us our tresspasses (sins) as we forgive those who have tresspassed (sinned) against us.
Ask for forgiveness of anything that is keeping you from God. Any mistake, failure, sin, addictions, behaviors, anything that makes you feel hesitant to approach God in prayer. Shame, humiliation, unforgiveness, lack of love, hatred, pride, judging others, being unkind, grieving, pain, sorrow. (Though it may not be consideree a sin, if it keeps you from God, ask for God to help you with it to resolve it, work through it, to heal and be well.)
Acknowledge that God, in His kindness and grace, holds nothing against you. God freely gives you His love, and through this models this behavior to you. God gives you forgiveness and love from His abundance, and wants you to do the same for others.
We find our healing in letting go.
But this does not mean allowing a hurtful person to keep hurting you. We are called to love ourselves as we love our neighbors. In balance, in equal portions. So preserve your life as you would another. Be kind to yourself as well, as you would another.
And forgive all others their sins against you. Any resentment, unforgiveness that you are hanging on to. Let go of they did.
- And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil
We aak God to lead us away from those things, those moments, that would use our weaknesses (our sins, vices) against us in order to test us and destroy us when we prove to be imperfect- as all people are without God, without Christ, without each other.
We ask God that we would not be seduced, tempted. We aak God to keep us safe from evil, from destruction. To do evil means to destroy.
- For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever.
Acknowledge that all things belong to God. By God’s power it is done, and it will bring God the glory- All will see the greatness, wisdom, and love of God. Everyone will know His Name.
- Amen
So be it. May it be done, according to His Will.
Beyond that, I personally say-
Speak from your heart with honesty. Know thyself, and bring that into your prayer. Because God already knows the real you and loves you Drop all pretense.
Be grateful for the blessings in your life. Count them off, one by one in prayer. By this we keep conscious watch of what God has already done for us and this helps to build faith and trust in God, because God is coming through for you and will come through. We acknowledge God’s faithfulness. Especially in difficult times. Remember God’s love, and express the gratitude for that. And let that feeling of thanks giving grow.
And don’'t just ask for a list of things. Ask God to teach you, guide you, to open your eyes to see truth especially when things are unclear. Ask God to bring the truth to light. And to guide you toward wisdom and understanding, and empathy.
Ask God how you can be of service. Ask God if any of your loved ones or friends need a kind word today. Or if a stranger does. Ask God to have a relationship with you, to walk with you. To engage you. And see what happens. And pay attention to what begins to happen around you throughout each day and night. Notice the shifting changes.
If it is of God, it will bare the fruit of the Holy Spirit. That is how you will know it is God.