1. How to pray or What is prayer?

Prayer is the routine part of each and every Christians. Each and every group of Christians owns their own prayer system and style. Some of them are according to bible and some of them are not.  

We can classify prayer into two main categories:-

Scripted prayers: Often seen within the Catholic Church. This is a very orthodox service.

Non- Scripted: Often seen within Evangelical church, this prayer is often not scripted and would be more informal in structure.

Evangelical/Pentecostal believers always tease scripted prayers. However we have to think about why scripted prayers. These scripts where written for all people who ever don't know how to pray. Then it will be come the part of their tradition.These scripts were handed over to the generations and still following the same. I personally do not think those scripts are completely wrong. But Repeating the same script without understanding meaning or purpose is not at all good.

But when we are looking in to Evangelical/Pentecostal prayers, Those are Non - scripted verbal prayers. Just conveying their prayer requests to god. It is very practical and meaning full compared to scripted prayers. However when we are closely observe these prayers, we can taste many similarities and contradictions with the Scripted prayers.

Similarity: Both are so long and some times it feels like Scripted ones.

Contradictions: In Scripted ones, They have different prayers for both physical benefits as well as Spiritual benefits. They are using prayers written for physical benefits according to their personal requirements in their private prayers or various circumstances.  Most of their public and private scriptural prayers are mostly concentrated on spiritual improvements and prising the almighty god.

However, now a days, I have observed, All of Non- Scripted prayers which is happening in church, meetings and personal prayers are simply concentrated with physical needs. All those are taking the advantage of Matthew 7:7  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you and having long prayers for the benefits of their personal life. I Couldn't say that Total prayer contain only physical benefits. But You itself can estimate how long we are praying for eternal life and how much for physical. I am sure you cannot drive much percent for eternal life. 

These thoughts leads me to have a Biblical study regarding this subject.

But, What bible says about prayer. Lets look into one verse.

Matthew 6:7

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Some times I felt that, Our prayers are like babbling And many of us are still thinking that their many words will be answered soon. Evangelical/Pentecostal believers thinking that, Their long and loud Non - Scripted prayers will be answered. Jesus says that, Theses will not be answered and you will become similar to the Pagans. I am surprised about one thing that, I have not heard any preaches on this words in any Evangelical/Pentecostal churches. their leaders itself promoting  babbling .

Jesus clearly saying that, You father knows your needs before ask him.

Jeremiah 1:5 says that "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;". In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, " For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". 

We are singing these lines and we are quoting these verses between our long prayers, But let me ask,  

If god knows what we want, Then why should we ask repeatedly ? Are we reminding them? Do you think god will forget your needs as you forget the needs of your kids in your busy life? God is not you to forget, Our god is the god who counted and recorded our number of hairs in our head. And none of those will fall without his knowledge.  Does any one will ask repeatedly for the same thing that they are supposed to get on time and it is guaranteed? If you are doing so, There are two possibilities.

1. You need is not right and deserved according to the guarantor.

2. Guarantor might have some other plans for you. 

and you would like to obtain you need

The benefit of both scenario is  depending on the guarantor. If the guarantor is your well wisher, Then his plans will give you better circumstances than you expected. If he is your enemy, It will let you fallen. 

If your guarantor is your well wisher, He is your god and he should have planned for better life and you are not thinking about his dreams or ready to hear his words before you ask and would like to walk like your one plans. 

If your need is against his plans, Then you are deciding your future. I am sure if guarantor loves you,cares you, Then he will give up  his plans for your happiness and will let you walk in your ways. It might gives you happiness for a while, But don't forget one thing that you losing precious plan by your god and that was supposed to give happiness for whole life. This is what happening in your life. That Is the reason why your needs are never ending. You are a tough man.. You would like to walk as you wish. 

Still Your loving father never let you alone. He is watching over you. He knows that, Your ways are wrong,  you will struggle, Definitely you will come back with your another demand. Because All of your needs are for today. But His plans was for future. Your plans might give you happiness today, But Not tomorrow because you don't know about tomorrow. But His plans might hurt you today, But not tomorrow. It will give you happiness in whole life. Because he knows your today and tomorrow.  

Your lord knows that you are hungry, You are tiered. That is why, after Jesus said that in Luke 9:13, He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14:16, Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.". You have to note one thing here, None of from the crowd have not said, "We are hungry, we need food". But Jesus knows your thoughts and situation. He will give you on time. If he believes in him, Definitely he will never let you down. He will do everything on time.

Then why your prayers are so long? Why your list is so long? Jesus saying that, Matthew 6:26, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Your needs will answer you. Look into your "Requirement List". Tell me, How many of them are for today? And how many are for tomorrow? How many of them are for your physical needs? and How many of them are your eternal needs?

Hay Believers, You are saying that, YOU LOVE JESUS, But still you are worried about your physical life. If you really love  Jesus, I hope, You will definitely more worried about your eternal life.

1 John 2:15 says, Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

Now tell me, Do we love this world more or Jesus? Do we are in the love of our heavenly father or evil? One who love this world will always worried about tomorrow and one who love Jesus will always worried about eternal life.

In Matthew 6:31-34, Jesus clearly says that, So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Yes, Jesus clarify that, Do not worry about tomorrow, Because you are the children of heavenly father. Pagans have to worry about their tomorrow because, they do  not have a father who is planning about their tomorrow.

Now Tell me, Based on your prayers, Are you a pagan? or Children of god?

Hey believers, Jesus says that your father knows your need than you. If you still worried about tomorrow, definitely you are not an actual believer, According to Jesus,

James 2:14-26, ¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my^[b] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^{[c] 21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^[d] And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

These words reminding you that, Faith Without Works Is Dead. I would like to have a session about faith later. Hence for now I am leaving this topic here for a while.

Why you are praying loudly, I sense that, most of people are praying with full of their energy even they have MIC in their hand. Do you think that you god is dough? Do you wish , your neighbour should hear your prayers? If so Bible says about you in  Matthew 6:5, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full". 

I advise you, Don't  be like a hypocrites. Jesus teaching you about, How to pray. Matthew 6:6, Jesus says, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. I really do not know any other such clear statement is there in bible about prayer. I really do not know from where, these extra loud prayers are coming from. I really don't know bible categorize prayers are loud and secret. Its your turn to teach me that why our prayers are like this. As I mentioned in the introduction of this page, All these are my genuine doubts and I am submitting these are my challenges to get response from you at the earliest.

Now it is the time to go back to my previous quote James 2:14-26. It says that, Faith Without Works Is Dead. 

If so what is faith? Lets have a look