Lord, Teach Us to Pray

by: Pastor Jose V. Velasco

   Jesus’ praying must have impressed the disciples so deeply that one of them asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 11:1). Prayer is the human part in our conversation with God. In prayer we present to God our requests (Phil. 4:6). So, we begin considering some characteristics of prayer.

We will mention 3 types of prayer, but other types may be added also.

1) Individual personal prayer. You alone are with God. Jesus practiced this. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mk. 1:35). After feeding the 5,000 ”he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Mt. 14:23). Peter prayed alone (Acts 10:9). Jesus taught people to pray alone (Mt. 6:6). Here you may pray for things that are so personal and private. And no one will bother how long you pray.

2) Corporate/group praying. Jesus taught praying with others. Jesus promised that where several people pray together He will be in their midst and hear them (Mt. 18:19-20). Group praying is supportive and encouraging.

3) Casual praying. This is unplanned for praying. Out of the blue a very important concern pops up in your mind and you pray silently. You could be at home, on a train or bus, at work, but you pray silently. Surely God hears your prayer. Which type should we use? All these types, and others, should be used according to circumstances and needs. God hears them all as long as they come from a truly believing heart. Jesus promised, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt. 7:7).

Paul’s admonition was, “Pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17). Praying must be regular. To fulfill this it helps if you designate a specific time and place in your home to pray. Being alone it may be in your own bed room. As a family the dining room may do. It would be ideal for a family to pray together. The saying goes, “a family that prays together stays together.” If this is not possible each may pray individually according to the convenient time each has. I encourage praying daily. Some devotional pamphlets are helpful like the Daily Bread, Upper Room or Today.  In the home children and youths must be taught to pray.

 How do we learn to pray? The Lord’s prayer is our perfect pattern for prayer. What are some aids in learning to pray? We can learn from the prayers of others, written or spoken. We must actually pray to learn. Much could only be learned by actual doing. We do not learn swimming by just reading a book on swimming. You have to actually swim. Be simple in your praying. In public do not be shy. God looks at the sincerity of your heart, not how elaborate and polished you pray is. Finally, ask the Holy Spirit to guide and teach you how to pray. He is the best teacher. Prayer is the power line that connects us to the Source of power, peace, joy, guidance and all heavenly blessings. You must pray regularly.

Prayer: Thank you, dear God for the gift of prayer. Help us to love and learn how to pray. May we make prayer a very important and regular part of our daily lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks To Us

By: Pastor Jose V. Velasco Jr.

We speak to God in prayer and God listens to us. But God speaks also to us in various way. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways” (Heb. 1:1). He spoke through dreams and visions, through thunders and a burning bush, through angels like Joseph and Mary. God, with two angels and all three appearing in human forms, went to speak with Abraham (Gen. 15).

Photo by Jun Taccad

  In this reflection we will see how God speaks and reveals Himself in and through nature. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Ps. 19:1). Since this is poetry we will not take it literally that the heavens speak with audible words. But in their own ways the heavens, and all nature for that matter, tell us something about God. 

  What are some of the things God tells us about Himself in nature which is His creation? 1. He is a God of order. He perfectly organized His creation. The sun always rises in the eastand sets in the west. The planet earth rotates on its axis every twenty four hours, and orbits repeatedly around the suncompleting each orbit in exactly the same length of time.  The laws of nature are very precise and persistent. 2. He is a God of beauty. This is very apparent in the lovely mountains, rivers, oceans, shining stars at night, birds, butterflies, etc. 3. He is a God of great power and wisdom. The ever astounding magnitude of the vast universe and its operation is enough to prove God’s greatness in His wisdom and power.  

  Physically, humans are also a part of nature. Biologically they exist just like any other living creatures. Their physical components and systems are the same. Thus God reveals His great power and wisdom as well in humans. However, humans have a characteristic absent in other creatures that reveals a nature of God. This is the moral nature of humans. Humans have an instinctive sense of right and wrong, good and bad. And intuitively they feel they must choose and follow what is rightand good. Thus in their decisions and actions they are guided, not only by their biological instincts, but by their sense of moral obligations. If a person is hungry, he/she will not just eat any available food around. He/she asks, “Is it right for me to eat this food? Maybe not, because it belongs to someone else.” This moral nature must have been imprinted by God Himself in themwhen He created them. God did this because He Himself is a moral being. In fact, He is the one who determines what is good and bad, what is right and wrong. And God wanted humans to be like Him in this aspect. This distinguishes humans from other living creatures. 

  From nature we understand that God is supreme in power and wisdom. He deserves our praise and worship. We must humble ourselves before Him and honor Him as our Lord God.

Prayer: Our Lord God, we acknowledge that you are our great God. We humbly bow down before you and extol your Holy Name. Help us to show our worship, not only in words, but in a life that glorifies and pleases you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.