Prayer. It is the way we communicate with God. It sounds simple enough, until we sit down (or kneel) and try it ourselves. If we've never prayed before, we might find ourselves reciting familiar scripture: "Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thine name..." or "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want...". Which in themselves are wonderful examples of prayer. But how can we make our prayers personal and meaningful? The Apostle Paul challenged us to "Pray without ceasing" - Don't stop praying! But what if I run out of things to say? A simple pattern to follow is in the acronym P.R.A.Y: P-Praise, R-Repent, A-Ask, Y-Yield.

P – Praise God for all He has done in your life and the life of those around you. God has done so much for each one of us that once we start praising Him you just might find that the words will begin to flow.                                                                                                                         

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Ps. 100:4

R – Repent of any sins you have; the wrongs that need to be made right or the good things you should have done but didn't. Light cannot reside where darkness dwells, so let's make sure that we cleanse our hearts allowing Christ to shine through. 

 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 Jn. 1:9

A – Ask God to give you an understanding of His will for your life. Ask for His will to be done in the life of others. Ask Him for opportunities to bless others in Jesus' name.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

Y – Yield everything to God. Give yourself, in full surrender, to His will and His way. God wants to give us a full and abundant life which can only happen if we are willing to allow Him to work in and through us.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Prov. 3:5-6

Suggested Prayer: Dear God, you are the Almighty King, yet you are loving and merciful to a sinner like me. Please forgive my sins and cleanse my heart so that it will be an adequate dwelling place for you. Help me to understand that your plans for me are greater than I can imagine. Use me to bless others and allow others to see you alive in me. I surrender all my worldly desires to you so that you might have your perfect way in me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.