What Is Prayer?

It’s easy to open a dictionary and find a definition of prayer. But when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders and a desperate need to connect with something bigger than yourself, your search for meaning requires more than a one-size-fits-all description. This email series will help you explore what prayer means to you specifically. With each installment, we’ll start with a simple question and look for answers together.

From the scriptures

This passage from the Old Testament can help you understand that prayer is a conversation between you and God.

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Jeremiah 29:12–13

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

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Within this verse is also a comforting promise: if you reach out to God, you will find Him.

Prayer is how God fulfills this wonderful promise we received from Jesus Christ:

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Matthew 7:7

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

As you pray

The best way to truly understand prayer is to actually do it. It can be rough at first. You might feel like you’re just talking to yourself. But just like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it gets. So as you pray, hang in there. Don’t give up. Keep going. One day, you’ll realize that God hears your prayers and, even better, He answers them. Not sure how to get there? Let's find out together.