I have used bread and wine here as a metaphor for the two sides of our relationship with God. Bread was covered in the previous section. It represents the Bible. In this section I talk about wine as a metaphor for prayer, praise and presence.

Prayer

In its simplest form, prayer is just talking to God.

God knows what we need before we ask but He wants us to come to Him and ask for the things we need. When you ask God for something, write it down. Some prayers are answered quickly. Some answers take time and we may have forgotten what we asked. Some things we ask for may not be in God's will. As you get to know God better through His Word, the Bible and come to see what prayers are answered you will learn more about what you should be praying for. Don't forget to thank God for prayers He does answer.

Prayer is not just about asking for things for yourself. We should be praying for others as well. This type of prayer is called intercession. You should pray for things other people in your small group need. You should also pray for those who do not know Jesus, especially family and friends. If you do this, you must be ready to explain to them how to become a follower of Jesus when the opportunity presents itself.

Types of Prayer

As a new believer, I learned there were five types of prayer:

Praise

extolling the wonders of God

Intercession

praying for others, especially the lost

Petition

asking for what I need

Thanksgiving

thanking God for all He has done, is doing and will do

Confession

telling God about how I messed up

These turn prayer into a specific activity. God is with us all the time even if He seems far away. He wants us to talk to Him all the time, not as a friend but as a loving father. He is more interested in us than we can imagine. He wants us to share all our deepest desires with him. He is also interested in all the mundane issues of our lives. He wants to be in constant communication with us.

I now believe there are three ways of prayer, in addition to the five types.

Continuous prayer

We have a continuous conversation with Him as we go about our daily lives. If I have truly been crucified with Christ then I am His and I will be in constant communication with Him. This way of prayer tends to be unstructured.

Personal prayer

This is when we set aside a specific time to meet with Him in prayer in our secret place. This way of prayer should incorporate the five types of prayer listed above.

Corporate prayer

This is when we come together with others in a prayer meeting. When organising a prayer meeting, I try to arrange a time for strategic (big picture) prayer first, then a time of tactical (small picture) prayer and finally a time of personal prayer. Strategic prayer is the heavy artillery that is essential for any ministry to survive. This is why I put this first. Praying for a sick person is personal prayer. It is important but must not be allowed to push strategic prayer aside.

dominate the meeting.

Praise

Praise is one of the five types of prayer but it is much more than that. Singing Christian songs is sometimes referred to as praise and worship. This can be as part of a church service. We can also praise and worship God by singing on our own. God is all powerful. He does not need our praise and worship. We praise Him as a response to His goodness. As we praise Him, we come to understand His goodness more and more.

If we let thankfulness and praise flow freely through us then the peace of Christ will be ours. Do not underestimate how important this is. You were bought with a price. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us by being crucified for us so we could live in close relationship with Him. This peace, that can reign in our hearts comes from Him. We cultivate it by allowing praise and thanksgiving to flow freely through us. Lack of peace is a big problem in the twenty first century. It causes a wide range of medical problems as well as a poor quality of life. Praise is the solution. As I said, God does not need our praise but we need to praise Him.

Types of Praise

Praise can be a type of prayer where we extol the love and goodness of God. In this type of praise, we remind ourselves of how great our God is. Many people blame God for all the evil in the world, ignoring the fact that man has control of this world and man's decisions are responsible for this evil. Once we see that God is good, we can enter into a relationship with Him and do our part to stem the tide of evil.

Praise and worship is what we do in church and in our small groups when we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Such songs should awaken a desire for greater connection with God. They can also create an atmosphere within which we can feel the presence of God. Within such an atmosphere, we are more open to hear from God and be touched by what He has to say to us. Note that music can have a very powerful impact, both for good and for evil. The wrong type of music can open us up to all sorts of evil. Many pop groups are influenced by evil spirits and their music can have serious consequences.

Praise can also be a lifestyle. If I am close to God, I will constantly be praising Him for everything around me.

Once we know that God uses everything that happens for our good, we can continue to praise Him even in the most difficult circumstances.

Praise, worship and music

Christian songs are a specific act of praise and worship. The Bible has a lot to say about music and worship. King David, among other things, was a gifted musician. This led him to write many songs, inspired by God. These songs are found in the book of Psalms. As far as music itself is concerned, everyone has different tastes in music. It is not the tune that is important, it is the words and the message they convey. Listen carefully to the words. Music that you like has a very powerful way of implanting the message of the song into your brain. Make sure the songs you listen to contain messages that you want incorporated into your life. In the day of the iPod, we can carry good or bad music with us wherever we go. Music WILL mold us to whatever message is being conveyed. Choose your music well and use it as a tool to help you grow closer to Jesus.

Presence

Once we have made a decision to follow Jesus, God is with us at all times, whether we feel His presence or not.

When you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is present with you, living inside of you. There are times when you can feel His presence and there are times when you cannot. He never leaves you. Feelings can be deceptive. Just because you cannot feel His presence does not mean He is not there.

When Jesus left Earth at the completion of His ministry, He told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come and be with all His disciples. The Holy Spirit gives us power to live the new live we are called to live. He helps us to turn away from our old life so we can truly follow Jesus. As we grow in this new life, the fruit of the Spirit will grow in us.

If you are filled with the Holy Spirit then the characteristics highlighted in green above will be growing in your life. If the characteristics highlighted in red are prominent in your life then you either do not have the Spirit or you have quenched the Spirit. It takes time for the fruit of the Spirit to grow but if it is not growing at all then you need to consider whether or not you have truly repented of your old life.

There are certain times when the presence of the Holy Spirit feels very tangible. These are usually times entered into via praise and worship. Such times can be of great benefit, especially during difficult times. However, wanting such times rather than the fruit of the Spirit can be a trap. Read I Corinthians 12 to 14. Seek for the Holy Spirit to fill you with faith, hope and love rather than good feelings.

All followers of Jesus can expect all the fruit of the Spirit to grow in their lives if they are truly following Him. The Holy Spirit will also give gifts. Each person is given the gift or gifts they need to fulfill the purpose God has for them. This is a very big topic, far too big to be adequately covered in this site which is only covering the basics.