Prayer life Stink? A short guide on how to talk with God, not to God.

Summary

This script explores the dynamics of prayer, comparing it to a conversation where one party dominates, leaving God feeling unheard. It categorizes prayer into four types, emphasizing the importance of genuine connection over empty words. The speaker suggests techniques to deepen prayer, like mutual heart pouring and trusting God completely. They propose a structured approach to prayer, starting with acknowledgment of God's presence, followed by confession, intercession for others, and personal requests, always ending with gratitude. The script encourages viewers to try this method to foster a more intimate relationship with God.

Takeaways

• 📞 The script compares one-sided phone conversations to how people might pray, where they only communicate when they need something, leaving little room for a reciprocal relationship.
• 🍞 Prayer can sometimes feel dry and stale, repetitive, transactional, or like an annoying chore, leading to a cessation of prayer which can cause one's faith to wither.
• 🌱 The speaker suggests that prayer is like watering a plant, essential for the growth and life of one's faith.
• 💬 The speaker emphasizes that prayer is not just about words but about the mutual pouring out of one heart to another, including God's.
• 🔑 The script introduces 'PHT' as essential ingredients for prayer, where 'P' stands for the awareness of God's presence.
• 💔 It's important to recognize and express our hearts' true feelings to God, including our shortcomings and sins, rather than focusing on the right words.
• 🤔 Listening to God involves discerning subtle inspirations and movements within our hearts, which requires mastering a delicate language of the heart.
• 🧘‍♂️ The speaker recommends preparing for prayer by finding a quiet, dark place, adopting an open posture, and focusing on inner presence.
• 🚫 Before praying, one should clear their mind of worldly concerns and distractions to create an 'inner room' for meeting with God.
• 🙏 Prayer involves expressing apologies, asking for guidance, praying for others, and finally, for oneself, with sincerity and trust in God's understanding and provision.
• 🙌 The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of gratitude in prayer and the belief in God's ability to fulfill our needs and desires.

Q & A

What are the four categories the speaker mentions that prayer can fall into?

The four categories are: prayer being dry and stale like an old bagel, repeating the same things over like a broken record, treating God like a vending machine, and seeing prayer as an annoying chore or obligation.

Why does the speaker compare prayer to a person who only calls to complain or when they need something?

The comparison is made to illustrate how one-sided and self-centered some people's prayers can be, similar to the person who only communicates to vent or ask for help without reciprocating or showing interest in the other person.

What is the speaker's definition of prayer?

The speaker does not provide a traditional definition but instead offers a picture of prayer as the mutual emptying or pouring out of one heart into another until the two hearts become one, with one of those hearts being God's.

What does the speaker suggest are the three necessary ingredients for prayer?

The speaker uses the acronym PHT to remember the three ingredients necessary for prayer, though the specific components are not detailed in the transcript.

How does the speaker describe the importance of being aware of God's presence in prayer?

The speaker emphasizes that being aware of God's presence is the starting point of all prayer, comparing it to being aware of another person entering a room you are in.

What does the speaker mean when they say 'God hears our hearts, not our words'?

The speaker is suggesting that the sincerity and intent behind our prayers are more important than the specific words we use, as God understands the heart's language.

What is the analogy the speaker uses to describe the trust we must have in God during prayer?

The speaker uses the analogy of an old diving suit where the diver at the bottom is completely dependent on the person at the top for air, illustrating the radical trust we must have in God for every aspect of our lives.

Why is it important to prepare before praying according to the speaker?

Preparation is important because we are in the presence of God, and the degree to which we make ourselves present to God is the degree to which God will make Himself present to us.

What is the 'inner room' the speaker refers to and why is it significant in prayer?

The 'inner room' is a metaphor for our hearts, which is the spiritual doorway through which we meet God. It is significant because it represents the private and personal space where we can focus on our relationship with God.

How does the speaker suggest we should pray for others and what should we consider?

The speaker suggests that when praying for others, we should think big, consider those who are suffering, and think about the overall balance of good and evil in the world and in our hearts, emphasizing the importance of sincerity and faith in our prayers.

What is the final step the speaker recommends in the prayer process and why is it important?

The final step is to say 'thank you' to God, which should be done sincerely and from the heart. It is important because it acknowledges God's ability to do all things and expresses gratitude for His presence and actions in our lives.