There is really no set formula in our prayer. However, when we pray, our heart, body, and mind should be in one accord (one unity). That is, we should fully devote our focus on God. Our prayers are like holy sacrifices offered to our Lord and Master, so in worshipping God, we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by worldly concerns. Rather, we should devote ourselves fully in prayer (Acts 6:4). Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth†(Jn 4:24). While praying, we may sit or stand (2 Sam 7:18; Jer 18:20), kneel (Acts 20:36), lie prostrate (Mt 26:39), lift up our hands (1 Tim 2:8), look up to heaven (Jn 11:41), cry out in a loud voice (Ezek 11:13; Acts 4:24), pray silently (1 Sam 1:13), shed tears (Heb 5:7), beat our breast (Lk 18:13), and rejoice in the spirit (Lk 10:21; Job 22:26). Whatever our form of prayer, we should always be sensitive to the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit and purpose. We should not lay down any fixed pattern for prayer. However, we should not deny the fact that speaking in tongues is essential evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. Prayer in the Holy Spirit is good and should not be forbidden. In fact, we must receive the Holy Spirit for our salvation (Jn 3:5; Tit 3:5). What we must be careful to avoid in laying down biblical guidelines on prayer forms is to turn prayer into a ritualistic formula. Prayer is not mathematics, so we do not follow some set formula or repetition of creeds. We should not chant things without purpose in our prayers. Prayers come from the heart and spirit, so we must pray with sincerity and truth (Mt 6:5). If we pray with the wrong motivation or attitude, we may well leave a foothold for Satan to work within us.
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