In assisting adults with intellectual disabilities to grow in their faith, one thing we have desired to do is to teach them to pray. Too often the prayers we hear from people are full of words, full of directions, as if God isn't really sure what to do so he needs us to tell him what to do.
There have been times in my life that I have been so desperate, the only words I could pray were "Help me!" But you know, that is all that is necessary. Matthew 6:8 says, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
So what might be a starting point to assist people to learn to pray? Teach them to say to the Lord, "Help me!" Teach them to pray for others saying, "Help Jeff" or "Help Mary!"
God not only know what your heart is in praying those prayers, but He also knows what the individual being prayed for needs. This is a good starting point in understanding prayer.
McNair
There have been times in my life that I have been so desperate, the only words I could pray were "Help me!" But you know, that is all that is necessary. Matthew 6:8 says, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
So what might be a starting point to assist people to learn to pray? Teach them to say to the Lord, "Help me!" Teach them to pray for others saying, "Help Jeff" or "Help Mary!"
God not only know what your heart is in praying those prayers, but He also knows what the individual being prayed for needs. This is a good starting point in understanding prayer.
McNair
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1 comment:
You know, it struck me that, we teach people to evangelise. We teach people to read the Bible. We teach people to serve. We teach people to teach. Yet in 22 years of being in the protestant church, I've never heard anyone teaching anyone else to pray. Encourage to pray? Yes! But teaching? No. Yet the disciples thought it was a big enough deal to ask. And Jesus thought it was a big enough deal to teach. So, why aren't we asking to be taught, and giving the teaching?
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