01/31/2025
What does your prayer life look like?
Throughout the Bible, we see various types of prayers that serve as great examples for us. These include prayers of adoration, lament, thanksgiving, petition (asking for things for ourselves or others), deliverance (asking God to save or protect us or others), and contrition (a prayer of repentance when we recognize our need to turn away from sin). Honestly, contrition should take up a large part of our prayer life.
For instance, in Psalm 51:1-4, David offers a powerful prayer of repentance after his sin with Bathsheba. He cries out for God’s forgiveness:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.”
Lastly, there is the prayer for guidance. In praying for guidance, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and express our trust that He knows best. We can surrender our own understanding and ask Him to direct our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, not leaning on our own understanding, but allowing Him to make our paths straight.
Jesus also offers the perfect example of prayer. In Luke 11:1-4, after Jesus finished praying, one of His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus responded:
“When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
If your prayer life feels weak or you feel distant from God, remember His promises. Come to Him in repentance and praise, asking for a soft heart and for whatever might be going on in your life. He is unchanging, even when we change constantly. He knows us better than we know ourselves—He even knows the number of hairs on our heads.
“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12:7)
