How to Pray
God has wired us for prayer. Prayer is prevalent in every culture, every religion. Who people pray to may differ, but there is an internal desire in every human being to communicate with the divine. In fact, it’s part of what makes us human. Animals don’t pray. Cows don’t pray. Birds don’t pray. Dogs don’t pray. Worms don’t pray. The reason is they are not made in God’s image. But
you are. There is something about you as a human being that corresponds to God, that mirrors God, that reflects God. This reflection brings with it a desire to connect, to connect with God. Pray is part of that connection.
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
ut by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
hen the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
nd ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
o that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
gain, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
nd serve only him.’ ”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
