Scripture: Psalm 22:1
Additional Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 116:1-2; Matthew 8:25; Luke 17:15-16
One of the most common obstacles to praying is simply not knowing what to pray about – especially if you’re praying out loud with someone. The short answer is that we can and should pray about everything! But “everything” can be pretty overwhelming in the moment. The good news is that there’s not really a wrong way to talk to God, and there’s no topic that’s off limits. As an example, this is a prayer from the book of Psalms. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” Talk about an honest prayer! We can complain to God, we can cry out to him for help, we can tell him all of the wonderful things we love about him, we can thank him for how he has blessed us, we can ask him for direction, we can pray for ourselves, and we can pray for others. Nothing you say will surprise him, and nothing you say will drive him away. Seriously! He’s like a really good father, who just wants his kids to jump in his lap and talk to him about how they’re doing!
To help you think through what to say, consider the word CHAT. “C” stands for “confess”, “H” stands for “honor”, “A” stands for “ask”, and “T” stands for “thanks.” There will often be things in your life that you need to confess to God and simply say you’re sorry. Think through those areas and confess what’s going on to God and tell him you’re sorry! Take a moment while you pray to reflect on the things that you love about God and simply honor him by saying it. Next is the part that most of us are good at – ask God for the things that are on your heart! And finally, think through all the things in your life that you’re thankful for and tell God how grateful you are.