How to Pray to Jesus

This is a Christian's guide on how to pray and to be sure to learn to pray effectively to God; one of the most important things that Christians can do every day--at least say thank you to express your gratitude. If you are new to Christianity, this article will be especially helpful. Remember: God loves you, and loves to hear from you.

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Steps

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Act upon your faith so you can believe whether or not you understand that God is the creator of the universe, is your Heavenly Father, and is an important part of your daily life. It is essential to develop effective, regular prayer habits so you can be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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You can begin your prayer by saying "Dear God", "Dear Lord", "Heavenly Father". From here, begin thanking and praising God for all of the good things in your life, be specific.

Here is an example: "Dear God, Thank you for my family; that my Dad is doing better and will soon be out of the hospital and thank you for helping me make it on to the varsity volleyball team."

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Say whatever is appropriate for you and your situation. There are no specific words or prayer that you have to say. You can thank Him, you can ask Him for things, but you do not have to say any specific words! Say what expresses your praise, your needs, desires and ask for the will of God to be done.

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Ask God to forgive but first forgive others so God can forgive your sins.Unforgiving of others may prevent the Lord from honoring your prayers for forgiveness. First ask yourself, "Do I have anything against another that I need to settle?" Make it right, and confess the wrong deed. Again ask yourself, "Was I mean to anyone, did I lie, cheat, steal, or disobey my parents?" Ask God to forgive you for anything that you did wrong that day.

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Pray in the Spirit and in the understanding -- 1 Corinthians 14:14. Praying in the Spirit is a great way to pray to Jesus.

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Name the sins you know that you have committed, and then ask forgiveness for the ones you've forgotten or omitted. Ask the Lord to reveal your sins to you. Remember that confession is your agreeing with God that you are a sinner. So it is not just about saying, "Lord I am sorry or I confess that I stole such and such." It is also necessary that you confess that you stole because you are a thief. It is about putting yourself in a place of humility where God can change your character and make you like His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. His character is the one that satisfies the requirements of the Law of God.

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Tell God how much you love and adore Him. If you are new to being a Christian, this may seem hard for you to do and will take time; it is OK to feel uncertain during this part of the prayer. You may sing a song of praise. Thank Him everyday for saving an undeserving person as yourself... Thank Him for the cross, thank Him for sending Christ to die for us and make us right with Himself.

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Ask God to help you with things that may not be going well in your life (i.e., help Jane to stop fighting with Amy, and please help Joe to come and learn about your kindness and forgiveness." (remember that praying for Grades and money and other unnecessary stuff is considered to be a selfish prayer. Grades can be achieved through self motivation and being diligent. )

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Ask Him for his guidance and protection throughout the day and night, thank Him for every day and you will start to recognize when He is blessing you, e.g. giving you more patience or supplying your daily needs.

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Ask Him for wisdom and discernment. The Bible says "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:5-8 NIV) If you don't understand His word, the Holy Spirit will help you. Read the Bible in context; remember, our own personal interpretation doesn't matter... What matters is what the author intends for it to mean.

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End your prayers possibly by saying, "Thank you God, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.", "In Jesus' name, Amen" "Thank you" or just any way you believe appropriate. He will answer them whether or not you end your prayer, i.e.: Pray without ceasing... Be in a spirit of prayer... When you don't feel like praying, pray (more).

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Talk to God just as you would your earthly father; it is important to God for you to remember that -- He is easy to talk to. He is Supreme and He is owner of all things, but He remains your Heavenly Father who "will deny you no good thing". He knows His own and enjoys listening as: "He is that He is!" Moses said that: "'I am that I am' has sent me." "He is all and in all..." -- nothing is beyond His reach.

Then you and your friends can tell unbelievers about the Christ and the Father toprove God is real to them by the Holy Spirit so that you yourself and they can preach the message of forgiveness in Christ and being made right with God by grace through faith, not of yourself. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one can come to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)

Most importantly, remember that God's will be done. Have the attitude of a servant, and desire God's will and not your own. He is not a "genie in a bottle".

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Consider this acronym for prayer "A.C.T.S.": Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

So, ACTS means: Talk to him, telling him how much you love him; confess your

sins, and thank him for what he has done for you that you could never repay, and pray for the needs of others.