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When Jesus’ followers saw him praying, they knew that he connected to God in a profound way. Wanting to know how they could do the same, they asked: "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). Their request continues to be the desire of all who long for a meaningful life with God.
Learning how to pray can happen in many ways. Sometimes we learn to pray from those who pray for us and with us. My parents prayed over our meals by day and over us by night. A spirit of gratitude and intercession pervaded my early life. My initial prayers were no doubt formed by what I heard them say to God in my presence.
As we mature, we involuntarily learn to pray when crises hit. Mimicking our parents’ prayers doesn’t help in those moments. Difficulties drive us to articulate that most personal of prayers, "God, I need you right now . . . ." Perhaps for the first time in our lives, we talk to God from our hearts, in all sincerity. Adversity became our instructor.
Praying Scripture is another way to mature in our life with God. When we read the Bible, we listen for God’s voice. When we discern his direction, we respond in prayer. Often our words simply repeat the language of Scripture. If you are reading a psalm of thanksgiving like Psalm 103, and you want to pause and tell God how grateful you are for all of the blessings in your life, then it would be natural for you to repeat the words of gratitude from verses 1-2: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits" (Ps 103:1-2 NASB). Praying Scripture gives us the benefit of beautiful, borrowed language to talk to God. In this way, God’s Spirit teaches us to pray.
