"When you pray, say, Our Father in heaven . . ."
Luke 11:2
Prayer is not learning a formula nor simply repeating words. Prayer is never intended to be a vain repetition of memorized words. Jesus gave us a model prayer to understand. The key aspect of prayer is relational. It is fellowship with God. The believer who prays effectively has a personal relationship with God as Father. All relationships are built upon communication. So it is with God our heavenly Father. He speaks to us through the Bible, the Word of God. We speak to him in prayer.
When we no longer speak to him in prayer, nor listen to the Word of God, we are out of fellowship with God. That fellowship is restored when we confess our sins. He is more than willing to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:5-9). As he restores us, the communication continues. We hear his voice with our hearts as we read God's Word. Our prayer life is restored as well.
A group of young men were having a small group prayer meeting on a college campus in a dorm room. After the prayer meeting ended, one student said to another, "I never knew that you could pray like that." His friend responded, "I learned those words growing up in church. I didn't mean a word of it." We must remember that prayer is more than repeating words. It's a heart to heart talk with God our Father. Real prayer is a personal relationship with God.
Prayer: Father, teach us to pray from our hearts in a personal relationship with you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
