What IS prayer?

Before we can talk about anything, we have to agree on some basic terms so that we can get on the same wavelength.  

I admit--I'm big on clarifying definitions.  It matters immensely what we understand each word to mean. 

So as I have looked to define prayer, I simply say:

"Prayer is talking to God."  

It needs more than that.  It really is only OUR side of the conversation. 

"Prayer is when we talk to God."

Now we need to also agree that God is not just any god for prayer to be prayer. Because there are instances where people talk to statues and/or direct their pleas to gods that are not the God I know.

"Prayer is when we talk to the one TRUE God."

Upon additional consideration, the scene in the opening chapter of Job comes to mind: Satan talking to God.  I don’t think I’d call that prayer either.

How to define "we" is still alluding me...but I am most comfortable defining "we" as God's children, believers, those who have trusted Jesus as Savior.

"Prayer is when believers talk to the one true God."

So it matters who we talk to—GOD.

And it matters who we are—how we relate to God.

It also helps me to think of what prayer IS NOT.

It is not some special words arranged in a special order that guarantees some outcome.  
It is not mystical or magical or even predictable.

It is not how we change or control God.

In the days ahead, I want to cover a few more things that need attention:

1.     How do we even know God?

2.     How does God talk to us?

3.     Why does He even want to talk to us?

4.     What does it matter how we relate to God?

Of course, there is more, and these may take more than one day each.  But I think that’s what I see here.

If you see that I brought up another issue that I haven’t caught for follow up, just let me know.  J

Click here for index of all #write31days posts in this PRAYER series.