I have recently found myself in the situation where I have been asked to pray out loud as part of a group.  To be honest, this is not something that comes easily or naturally to me…my mouth goes dry, my heart starts racing and I feel anxious about making sure I use the right words and don’t repeat myself etc…

It can be hard to vocalise to God in front of others your thanks, worries and concerns.  Maybe you are frightened of using the ‘wrong’ words or stumbling over sentences or just don’t like the idea of talking in front of others.

In the past, during prayer meetings, I would naturally have taken a back seat, I am happy for others to pray out for the group and for me to pray a silent prayer.  There is nothing wrong with this.  Not everyone will want to pray out loud, silent prayers are no less important than those for said out loud. God hears all our prayers said and unsaid.

Paul wrote in Phillippians 4 : 6-7 ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’.

Prayer is a way of communicating with God, we pray to ask for help, to seek guidance and wisdom. To thank God for blessings, remember who God is and how amazing His love is for us, to develop our relationship with God and to simply spend time in His presence.

For me, prayer is when I feel closest to God, when I can pour out my thanks and worries to Him, a time when I know God is listening and I wait to hear His voice.   When I was little, prayers were part of my bedtime routine.  The prayers I said as a child were simple prayers but no less important.  Prayer is a conversation between you and your Heavenly Father.  It doesn’t have to be filled with big words, God is more interested in our hearts than in the eloquence of our words.

As an adult, when faced with worries and difficulties, I admit to often talking things over with friends and asking for their advice and input when really God should be the first place I turn. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it?  Often prayer is too low on our list of priorities when it should be right at the top.

We all have differences in how we pray, some people pray with eyes open, others closed, some kneeling, others sitting.  For me, I often pray when I am alone in the car.  I imagine He is seated right beside me and we are simply chatting, I ask for His help, thank Him for His love and blessings and enjoy time in His presence.

It can seem that our prayers can go unanswered sometimes, we think did God really hear that prayer about my problem, does He not care about how much this particular situation is worrying me?  Is He listening?  The truth is, God hears all our prayers.  God is good, He asks us to trust Him and sometimes He asks us to wait.  Prayers are answered in God’s time and to His will, not in how quickly we want to see what we think is the answer but we trust in His unfailing goodness and mercy, knowing that God is greater than anything and everything and that whatever happens that it is God’s plan and will.

 

In GBHQ, we are blessed with a prayer room and the chance to spend a little time at the start of our working day praying together.  It is the opportunity to recommit each day to God, to thank Him for Girls’ Brigade and the amazing time we get sharing the gospel with so many girls each week.  Maybe next time you are passing, you might like to call in and use the prayer room?  Or perhaps you would like us to pray for you or your GB company.  Just give us a call and let us know.

Blessings

Emma