Many people use prayer as a religious ritual to communicate with God. Regardless of your religion, prayer can be a means of thanking God for His goodness, asking for enlightenment or salvation, and praising His name. If you want to know how to pray by writing a letter, take the following steps. When you pray, you are actually having a conversation with God. To make it easier, start by writing what you want to convey.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Setting the Purpose of Praying
Step 1. Think about why you want to pray
Ask yourself what you are praying for. Is it to ask forgiveness from God? Praise the Lord? Give thanks? Whatever the reason, writing a prayer letter will be easier once you have set goals.
For example: if you are writing a letter asking God for guidance because you have to make an important decision at work, focus on that request that is the main reason you want to pray
Step 2. Write a letter with a sincere heart
Prayer is a way of communicating with God. Therefore, pray with all your heart sincerely.
Your prayers will be of little use if you pray with ulterior motives or insincerity
Step 3. Be patient
After praying, God doesn't always answer your request. God's plans are always better than our finite minds and only God knows if we really need those requests.
God always answers our prayers, but not always the way we want
Part 2 of 3: Creating a Letter Outline
Step 1. Take notes
Think about what you want to say when you pray and then write it down immediately. When writing a letter, use the notes as a guide. Outline the letter by writing out the issue you want to briefly discuss.
Writing can be a means to express feelings and recover. By writing down everything you want to say in order, it will be easier for you to address issues that are weighing on your mind
Step 2. Describe the issues one by one
When praying, our minds are easily distracted by passing ideas so that there are issues that are not conveyed. When you write a letter, you can focus your mind and note down everything you want to say in order.
- Think through the issues one by one and then write them down in a letter. Don't move on to the next issue until you've thoroughly explained what you want.
- The Bible says that we should pray without ceasing every day. This means we have to communicate with God throughout the day. Writing a letter is a great way of allocating time to discuss a particular issue, instead of thinking about everything that happens in everyday life.
- Focus on clarifying a specific issue, rather than trying to tackle multiple problems at once.
Step 3. Don't feel pressured
Praying to God is a very personal experience. During prayer, you can talk to God as you wish and discuss anything because there is no rule that says you have to pray in a certain way. So, there is no way of praying to God that can be considered the most correct. This also applies when you pray by writing a letter.
Part 3 of 3: Writing Letters
Step 1. Begin the letter with gratitude
No matter what you're going through, there's always something to be grateful for. Begin the letter by thanking God for all the blessings He has given you.
An example of thanking God: "Dear God, I thank you for _" and then write down what you thank God for
Step 2. Give praise to God
The next step is to praise God and give thanks for His love. Also say that you love God and appreciate His goodness.
Examples of praise to God: "God is perfect in every way. I will always obey Your commands and want to serve You as best I can."
Step 3. Explain your problem to God
Now, write down why you pray to God by writing this letter. Tell me about a problem or joy you experienced. Tell God everything you are feeling and experiencing through this letter. For example:
- If you want to thank God: "Dear God, I thank you for _ and I am so grateful to You."
- If you want to ask for forgiveness: "Dear God, I come to You with humility and regret to ask for forgiveness. I am a sinner, but You have saved me with Your grace and still love me even though I am not worthy of love."
- If you want to ask for guidance, briefly describe the problem you are having and ask Him for help. For example: "Dear God, I can't decide whether to accept a new job offer. This is a good opportunity for me, but I'm worried because it will affect my family. Guide me on the right path and show me what You want for my life."
Step 4. End the letter
When the purpose of writing the letter has been achieved and you have stated everything you want to convey, end the prayer by writing "Amen".
You may write your name and sign the letter at the bottom. However, God already knows who sent the letter
Step 5. Send a letter to God
You don't have to do anything after you finish writing the letter. However, if you want to send a letter to God, send it through the post office!
Write the address on the envelope: "To: God in Jerusalem" to have the letter sent to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the holy site where Jews from around the world gather to pray to God
Tips
- If you are lazy to pray, ask God to pray diligently.
- You don't need to use a pen and paper. Pray out loud and let the words flow naturally from your heart and mind.
