ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER

To whom should we pray? Jesus taught his followers to pray to "our Father in the heavens."  (Matthew 6:9)  Our prayers, then, must be directed to Jehovah God. However, Jehovah requires that we acknowledge the position of his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  As we learned in Chapter 5, Jesus was sent to the earth to serve as a ransom to redeem  us from sin and death.  (John 3:16; Romans 5:12)  He is the appointed High Priest and Judge. (John 5:22; Hebrews 6:20) Hence, the Scriptures direct us to offer our prayers through Jesus.  He himself said: "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) For our prayers to be heard, we must pray only to Jehovah through his Son.

Must we assume a special position or posture when praying?  No, Jehovah does not require any specific position, either of the hands or of the whole body.  The Bible teaches  that it is acceptable to pray in a wider variety of positions.  These include sitting, bowing, kneeling, and standing.  (1 Chronicles 17:16; Nehemiah 8:6; Daniel 6:10; Mark 11:25) What is truly important is, not some special posture that can be seen by others, but the right heart attitude.  In fact, during our daily activities or when we are faced  with an emergency, we may offer a silent prayer wherever we are.  Jehovah hears such prayers even though they may go completely unnoticed by those around us. -Nehemiah 2:1-6.

What may we pray for?  The Bible explains: "No matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he [Jehovah] hears us." (1 John 5:14) So we may pray for anything that is in harmony with God's will.  Is it his will that we pray about personal concerns?  By all means!  Praying to Jehovah can be much like talking  to a close friend.  We may speak openly, 'pouring out our heart' to God. (Psalm 62:8) It is proper  for us to ask for holy spirit, for it will help us to do what is right.  (Luke 11:13)  We can also ask  for guidance  in making wise decisions and for strength in coping with difficulties.  (James 1:5) When we sin, we should ask for forgiveness on the basis of Christ's sacrifice.  (Ephesians 1:3, 7) Of course, personal matters should not be the only subjects of our prayers.  We should broaden out our prayers to include other people-family members as well as fellow worshipers. -Acts 12:5; Colossians 4:12. 

Next time: Conclusion of: ANSWERING  SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER 

From the Book: What Does the Bible Really Teach? 2005 and 2006