PRAYER AT APOSTLES
We believe that prayer is essential both to the life of every Christian and to the life of the church. Prayer is not simply a ministry of the church; rather, we seek to do everything by prayer.
That means:
If you're new to prayer, or are curious why Christians pray, we would encourage you to join us for a Sunday gathering, come to one of our community groups, or reach out - we'd love to talk more with you about it!
That means:
- we pray together during our Sunday services and in our community groups
- we set aside times of the year to devote to corporate prayer
- we equip our members to grow in their personal prayer lives
If you're new to prayer, or are curious why Christians pray, we would encourage you to join us for a Sunday gathering, come to one of our community groups, or reach out - we'd love to talk more with you about it!
WHAT is prayer?
At its core, prayer is simply talking to God. Throughout Scripture, we see several ways that God's people pray:
- Adoration: Praising God for who he is (Psalm 150)
- Confession: Confessing sin and turning from it (Psalm 51)
- Lament: Bringing God our sorrow and grief over suffering (Psalm 13)
- Thanksgiving: Giving thanks for all of God's gifts (Ephesians 5:18-20)
- Supplication: Asking God to meet needs - physical, emotional, spiritual (Luke 11:5-13)
- Intercession: Asking God to act on behalf of others (James 5:16-18)
- Listening: Silencing our hearts and listening to how God might respond (Psalm 62:5-8)
growing in prayer
The best place to start is by talking with God with your Bible open. Here's a way you can do it:
- Read God’s Word in God’s presence. Read a passage from Scripture - a paragraph, a sentence, or a phrase.
- Focus on understanding God's Word, asking questions and noting the truths that the passage communicates. Read it in a few Bible translations.
- Receive it as God's Word to you, putting yourself in the position of a listener. What is God saying to you personally through this passage?
- Pray God's Word back to him - Use the passage as a launching point to praise him for who he is, confess sin, receive his grace for you in Jesus, and ask for help.
- Pray your longings. Don’t worry about praying the wrong way or asking for the wrong things, just ask honestly - as a child would.
- Rest in God’s presence, enjoying him for who he is.
RESOURCES on prayer:
