Prayer

Learning to Pray Differently

A Pastor’s Story

I am a pastor —and yet, I have had to learn how to pray.

Not how to speak beautifully.Not how to sound spiritual.But how to stop trying to control everything.

Recently, a friend taught me a simple way to pray — one that changed how I approach God.I want to share it with you.

A Simple Prayer Practice

This prayer has three movements. It is not about getting the words right. It is about becoming honest before God.

1. Identify — Clenched hands

Put your hands out in front of you and clench your fists, palms down. As you do, name the things you are holding tightly —the worries, pressures, fears, and situations you are trying to control.

Speak them honestly to God.

2. Release — Open hands

Now open your hands.

Name them again, but differently:“God, I release these things to you…_____ , _____.”

This is the moment of surrender —not because everything is solved, but because you are choosing trust.

3. Receive — Palms up

Turn your hands so your palms face upward.

Ask God for what only He can give:His presence.His guidance.His strength.

This is not about forcing change —it is about making room for God to work.

Why Christians Pray

I meet many people from cultures where prayer exists —even where belief in God does not.

People visit temples or sacred places because they want something:health, success, protection, victory.

This kind of prayer treats the spiritual like a transaction:“If I do this, then you must give me that.”

Christian prayer is different.

We do pray for needs.We do ask God for help.

But the goal of prayer is not to get something from God —it is to receive God Himself.

Prayer is not manipulation. It is relationship.

Not seeking God’s handout —but seeking God’s presence.

Shared Wisdom

“Prayer didn’t change my circumstances overnight. It changed what I was holding — and what I was willing to release.”