We should pray from the heart. It is not learning a formula nor simply repeating words. Prayer is never intended to be a vain repetition of memorized words. Jesus gave us a model prayer to understand our personal relationship with God our Father. If we only say memorized words, without considering their meaning, our hearts are not in it. Prayer must come from our hearts before it is spoken from the lips.
We should pray from the heart in our relationship with God. It is fellowship with God. The believer who prays effectively has a personal relationship with God as Father. Through faith in Jesus Christ, our hearts are open to God as our heavenly Father. Jesus said, In this manner, therefore pray, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (Matthew 6:9). A personal relationship with God as our Father is the heart of prayer.
All real relationships are heart to heart. So it is with God our Father and prayer of the heart. God's Spirit works in our hearts. Prayer becomes more than words from our lips. Our hearts are open to God. The heart includes our mind, will and emotions. We share our thoughts, desires and emotions with God our Father.
God speaks to our hearts in prayer. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:15). He often brings Bible verses to our attention. He may bring people to mind, because we need to pray for them. That's how we should pray from the heart.
