Psalm 100 reminds us of some effective ways to communicate with God.
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations,” King James Version of the Bible (KJV>)
In times of stress or urgency, we might simply pray, “God help!” In times of unexpected joys or blessings, we might pray, “Thank You, Lord, for your good gifts.” However, for longer prayer times, Psalm 100 offers this pattern:
Joyful songs – Singing hymns or making a joyful noise can be a way to pray. Music can change a person’s mood in a few minutes, so it makes a wonderful prelude to prayer.
Thanks – To come into God’s presence, we enter the gates with thanksgiving, thanking God for all the Lord has done for us and our loved ones.
Praise – Praising God for His goodness, love, mercy, forgiveness, and holiness elevate our prayers and draw us closer – into His courts.
Confession – Confessing anything we wish we had or had not done will remove obstacles between us and our holy God, making our prayers more powerful.
Petition – Our Heavenly Father encourages us to ask for anything and everything we need! If God knows something we want will contribute to our good or our spiritual development, our requests will be more likely to be granted.
Intercession – Is someone on your mind? Are you worried about a situation or disturbed by the news? Intercessory prayer calls us to pray for people, places, events, and whatever concerns us.
Meditation – Meditative prayer often centers on a phrase such as “God is love” or “The peace of the Lord is with me” or “Jesus redeems.” Bible verses also provide thoughts to meditate on as we replace self-centeredness with God-centeredness.
Silence– Prayer communicates our thoughts to God, but as we quiet ourselves and listen for His response or guidance, we’ll be more apt to hear. God will never lead us in opposition to His Word, so reading the Bible regularly will let us know more about Who God is and what He wants for His children.
Amen means “So be it” or “Let it be,” which is what God first spoke in the beginning, making the whole of creation His prayer for us!