The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or informal. All prayer must be offered in faith (James 1:6), in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 16:23), and in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26).

Prayer is described in the Bible as seeking God’s favor (Exodus 32:11), pouring out one’s soul to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15), crying out to heaven (2 Chronicles 32:20), drawing near to God (Psalm 73:28), and kneeling before the Father (Ephesians 3:14).

Prayer is the Christian’s way of communicating with God. We pray to praise God and thank Him and tell Him how much we love Him. We pray to enjoy His presence and tell Him what is going on in our lives. We pray to make requests and seek guidance and ask for wisdom.

Prayer is not about the posture of the body, but the posture of the heart. One can pray standing up, sitting down, kneeling, or bowing down. The best way to pray is to open our hearts, be honest before the Lord and pray with a heart of thanksgiving. It’s a place where we can pour out our hearts to the Father with sincerity and vulnerability. It is not a place to present a shopping list to the Lord. While we can can definitely make our requests know to Him, we don’t need to remind Him of our needs, as He already knows what we need before we ask Him.