Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings…. Proverbs 22:29 (NLT)
When my house needs a renovation, I hire someone who is skilled in the trades. First, they come in to unload their tools. They might spend an hour setting up compressors, nail guns, different kinds of power saws and drills, but that setup time is well worth it. Once they’re ready, they get the work done well and they do it fast.
Because I’m not much of a handyman, I don’t have a garage full of tools, but I do own a hammer. If I were left on my own to put up a wall with only a hammer, I suppose I could get it done. I’d have to find a way to chip the boards and drywall to the right length using the claw of the hammer. Spreading on drywall mud would be a challenge, and sanding it down would be even more difficult. After a long time, I might put some sort of wall up, but it wouldn’t be pretty!
Unfortunately, this is the way many Christians treat prayer. We all have our favourite way to pray and we think that one tool or method is going to be the key to everything, when that’s not true. There are actually eight different kinds of prayer found in the Bible.
To be effective, we need to become skillful at each type of prayer, just as we grow our skills in other areas of life. Actually, it’s very simple. Don’t let the fact that there are eight kinds of prayer discourage you. Over the next few days, I’m going to give simple explanations of each type, and you will see how easy prayer is.
For now, I want you to realize that God is looking for a way to get involved in your life, home, marriage, family, career and finances. Start a conversation with Him today because prayer is powerful!