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How do you pray?
It's a simple question really, but one so many of us are afraid to ask.
Queens, prayer is an integral part of of our #Blessed lives. Praying can help you feel calm in the middle of the storm. It can help you feel gratitude for the little things in life. Prayer is our armor to protect us from whatever negativity life throws our way and is our ticket to grace and redemption. It's important that we practice praying every single day, when we wake up, when we go to sleep, before we eat, before we make life decisions, when we're angry, sad, happy, or erratic. Because prayer is our lifeline to God and we should never go a day without using it.
Think of it this way. In John chapter 15, verse 15, Jesus states:
Jesus is our friend. In order to keep a friendship and build on it you have to communicate with that friend on a regular basis whether by phone, text messaging, or social media. Prayer is your phone call to Jesus. It is a key component to building a relationship with him.
So I ask the question again. How do you pray?
In the bible, Matthew Chapter 6, Jesus' disciples ask him to teach them how to pray. His response was:
There are two important concepts to be taken from this passage.
1. Don't pray because it's popular, pray because you truly have a heart that yearns to know God. Your relationship with God is not some fake social media life you flaunt for more views and likes. You must be genuine when you confer with God. You wouldn't like it if your significant other was all boo'd up with you for the gram and their friends, but when you're alone they want nothing to do with you. It's the same concept.
2. You dont have to know big words or have gone to seminary school in order to speak to God. Just speak from the heart and God will hear you.
Basically there's no perfect way or right way to pray. It all comes from you Queen. You control the reigns. Do you remember the Phorbe Mantra:
Well, I see my prayers as a conference call between God and I where we confer on what I've done since the last time we spoke and I get his direction on what I should do next. In the morning, I get on my knees and I visualize God and I walking and talking on the beach and I'm just having a conversation with him.
Other times, I see my prayers with God as deeply meditative. I pour out my heart and soul to God and work through a major question or decision in my life. By the time I'm done praying, I know what I need to do next.
Then there're times when I just want to hang out with God and shoot the breeze. These are my thinking if you text message prayers:
"Thank you God"
"God, you are so Great"
Or just normal conversations I have, out loud, with God while completing mundane tasks like driving or washing dishes.
There's no best way to do it but to do it. Queen it's all in you...it's such a natural task to perform, it's like breathing. It may be awkward at first, but the more you do it, the more you'll get the hang of it.
If you're still stuck, here are a few tips:
1. Imagine God is your imaginary friend and talk to him about your day.
2. Start with thanksgiving. I always begin my morning prayers saying: Dear God, Thank you for this day. Thank you for waking me up this morning. I pray for a tomorrow.
3.Clear your head and focus on what you're saying. Sometimes when we pray, we are saying the words, but thinking about other things. This is the same as being on your phone while out to dinner with someone. Put away the distractions and focus on God and your time with him. I usually do this by taking a few deep breaths before I begin my prayer.
4.Don't forget to listen for God's response. When you finish your prayer, after you've said Amen, hold your position and meditate on what you just discussed with God. It's in these moments where I have my biggest revelations.
5. Don't be afraid to talk to God out loud. My hair dresser Toni Belle recently taught me this. Chance the Rapper speaks to God in public all the time. You don't have conversations with your friends in your head...you speak to them out loud. Give God the same glory and actually speak to him. You'll find that hearing yourself speak your woes or thanksgivings out loud is both therapeutic and liberating.
It's a beautiful day to conquer the world Queens. So pray, than go forth and slay!
-Queen Maree
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 14, 2018