A small child’s simple yet heartfelt prayer to God. The Lord’s Prayer. What makes a prayer so impactful? We explore this question as we continue the “Prayer Works” series initiated by Apostle Dzur, who shared insights on maintaining an authentic connection to God.
The New Apostolic Church teaches that in prayer, humans “bow before God’s majesty and love in humbleness.” (CNAC 13.1). It's the quality of our connection with God that counts, not the length of our prayers. After introducing the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus Christ taught to be persistent in prayer by using the example of seeking help from a neighbour late at night to feed an unexpected guest (Luke 11:5-8).
To remember the key elements of a prayer, the acronym “A TIP” can be helpful:
- A is for Adoration – worship God
- T is for Thanksgiving – express gratitude for God’s blessings
- I is for Intercession – pray for others that God can help them, placing our needs in perspective
- P is for Petition/pleas – pray for your own needs, recognizing God’s omnipotence
Covering all four elements can improve our relationship with God.
Focusing on a single component can enhance our prayer life. While we often petition God’s help in worldy matters, we perhaps could be praying for a stronger faith. Jesus underlined this when He said,
“I have pleaded in prayer for you…that your faith should not fail” (Luke 22:32 NLT). Jesus does not take faith for granted. Neither should we.
In prayer, with each heartfelt word, let us persistently draw closer to God in prayer through adoration, thanksgiving, intercession, and petition.