Three Kinds of Prayer

In his book, Prayer, Tim Keller said “There are three basic kinds of prayer to God.  There is ‘upward’ prayer—praise and thanksgiving that focuses on God himself.  We could call this the ‘prayer of awe.’  There is ‘inward’ prayer—self-examination and confession that bring a deep sense of sin and, in return, a higher experience of grace and assurance of love.  That is the prayer of intimacy.  Finally, there is ‘outward’ prayer—supplication and intercession that focuses on our needs and the needs of others in the world.  
This prayer requires perseverance and often entails struggle.” (page 189)

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to start with the prayer of awe, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”  Don’t rush this today…spend adequate time praising Him and seek to take that with you throughout the day.

The other morning, I was driving to work and notice the incredible colors of the sun rising.  I simply said, “God, thank you for that.  You didn’t have to make this world as beautiful as it is…you could have made it black and white, but you made it beautiful.  Thank you!”

It wasn’t a long prayer, but I’m pretty sure the Father delights when we praise Him.  And if we are careful, if we keep our eyes open, we can find ways to praise Him all day.