Today, we're going to look at what I believe is the most life-giving aspect of daily time alone with God.

Prayer. There are so many ideas out there about what prayer should be.

Today, my hope is to clarify what prayer can mean

for you and me in this space we're creating

for God's presence by looking at Scripture together.

And then ultimately, making space today to really pray.

My hope is that today clarifies a pathway for us, that we can walk every day into deeper relationship with God.

Welcome to the First 15 podcast. Our scripture for today comes from 1st Corinthians 14 verse 15.

Scripture says,

What am I to do?

I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also.

I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

Prayer is one of the most fulfilling aspects of Christian spirituality. It's time set aside to simply listen to God,

to place our lives in his hands, and to pray in response to the desires of his heart.

In 1st Thessalonians 517, Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. In John 14,

verses 13 and 14, Jesus states, whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

But perhaps the most important scripture on prayer is when Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6,

verses 5 through 15.

Because 1st 15 is meant to stir your affections for God

and lead you to a transformational encounter with him,

I won't walk you through an exegesis of verses 9 through 15.

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