Although prayer cannot be reduced to a formula, certain basic elements should be included in our communication with God, the Almighty One.
My soul, praise the Lord, and all that is within me, praise His holy name. My soul, praise the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your sins; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle (Psalm 103:1-5).
Adoration. Adore God, worship and praise Him, honor and exalt Him in your heart and mind, and verbally with your lips.
Confession. When our discipline of prayer begins with adoration, the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to reveal any sin in our lives that needs to be confessed. Confess these to your Holy Forgiver before anything else.
Thanksgiving. An attitude of gratitude before God for who He is and for the benefits we enjoy because we belong to Him, enables us to recognize that He controls all things – not just the blessings, but the problems and adversities that strengthen us as well. As we approach God with a thankful heart, He becomes strong on our behalf.
Supplication. Petition for our own needs and intersession for others is the whole reason for “asking” prayer. Pray your inner person may be renewed, always sensitive to and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. Pray for others – all those around you, those He has placed in your daily path – for their salvation, for daily opportunities to introduce them to Christ Jesus and to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send out workers into His harvest field.
And remember, our only concern is to do what God tells us to do.
God's Word on That 