Getting Started

This is a study I should have started a long time ago. I've built up a lot of assumptions about prayer with layers coming from hearing others pray, from listening to others talk about prayer, and from my own habits.

My first self-initiated prayer (not the ”repeat after me” type) was over 40 years ago. And after 40+ years, I'm still not sure of the “right way” to pray. Can you imagine practicing golf for 40 years without knowing if you're getting better or worse at it? Can you imagine being someone's golf instructor for 40 years, but your student never seems to listen to your instruction and never gets any better?

This study does not represent a fresh start, it is a new beginning.

A few things I think I know:

• Prayer is conversation with God.
  • That means talking to God (not to the air, or itemizing your thoughts to yourself)
  • That means listening to God (He speaks in the quiet spaces)

• Prayer is conversation with the Creator of the universe, infinity, and eternity
  • That means approaching the King in his throne room
  • That means remembering the King is our heavenly Father
  • That means to show love and respect

I plan to approach the discovery of prayer with only that basic framework in place; attempting to discard or ignore anything else I think I know about prayer.

The other piece of the discovery happens when I encounter something about prayer that seems wrong to me: I will stop to discover which of my presuppositions is being challenged; I will stop to dig more deeply into the meaning of the scripture that has become my stumbling block; I will ask other believers about the topic. And after all those filters, I will let God's word transform my understanding to better know the truth.

With that in mind, here are some obvious questions:  What is prayer? When do we pray? When should we pray? What is effective prayer? Is prayer answered? Are there right ways and wrong ways to pray? Are there different types of prayers?

So many questions. Let's start at the beginning (using Nave's Topical Bible as a cross-reference).

Prayer in Genesis

• Genesis 17:18-21
• Genesis 25:21
• Genesis 27:28-29
• Genesis 28:1-5
• Genesis 28:20-21
• Genesis 32:11, 24-26
• Genesis 43:14
• Genesis 48:16