Questions about Prayer

1. This morning I heard a message (talk) on prayer. *(1) I only understand a little about speaking to God. Can you tell me more?

2. I will try. For a Christian prayer is very important. To him it is like breathing. If a Christian doesn't pray, he will be very weak to follow Christ.

1. If a man wants to be a Christian, can he pray to God?

2. Yes. But there is a right way and a wrong way to pray. Jesus told us about two men who prayed in church (God's house). One man stood up and said, "God, you know I am a good man! I don't steal! I don't take another man's wife (commit adultery)! I give money to the church! And I am not a bad man like that man standing over there!" The other man stood with his head bowed (very low). Inside his heart he felt his sins to be very heavy. He said, "O, God, have pity on me. I am a very bad man!" Jesus said that the first man just spoke to himself, because he only exalted himself. God did not listen to him *(2). But God heard the second man because he truly repented. God forgave him. If a man wants to be a Christian his prayer should be like the second man. He should ask God to take away his sins. And he must believe (understand truly) that Jesus has died for him.

1. Tell me, should we only pray in church?

2. No, we can pray any time and any place. Jesus went to the garden and mountainside by Himself. He wanted to be alone and talk to His Father in heaven. At other times Jesus prayed in church. Jesus said it was also good for two or three Christians to pray together.

1. But how do we know that God will hear us?

2. Jesus told His disciples (learners) this story about prayer. If a boy asked his father for a piece of sweet potato (taro) *(3) would he give him a stone? And if he asked for a piece of fish (meat) would he give him a snake? If we who do bad things know how to be good to our children, how about God? God will do more in giving good things to them that ask Him.

1. What should we say when we pray?

2. We must ask God to teach us to pray. True prayer is talking to God from our heart. It is not asking for many possessions. A man who belongs to Jesus will not always be thinking of himself. He will think, "Is it fitting for me to have this? Will it exalt Christ?" True prayer is having one mind (heart) with God. The Holy Spirit will help us to pray. We should always finish our prayer this way: "I pray (ask this) in Jesus Name." It is Jesus Who brings us to God. The more we pray, the more we will learn about prayer.

1. Why don't people pray more?

2. I think there are many reasons. One man may hate (hold hard thoughts against) another man. He finds it hard to pray when he is living wrong. We must ask God to help us not to hate anyone. Another man is practicing sin. He is ashamed to pray because he knows God will not hear him. But if our lives are straight, God will hear us. One very important thing about prayer is this: We must believe God hears us and that He will answer us. We must not forget this.

1. Your words are good. I know I have much to learn about prayer.

*(1) If there is no word for prayer, the explanation being "speaking to God", then arrange the script to avoid clumsy repetition.
*(2) If easily discovered, use expressive idiom. Eg: "God's ears were shut to his words."
*(3) Use local food substitute that is common to the people.