Billy Graham Answers: Will God Be Angry if I Say the Wrong Things When I Pray?
Some Christians desire to pray more, but might be hesitant to do so because they simply don't know what to say. Not to worry, says the Rev. Billy Graham, just be open and personal with God. Believers can talk to Him even as they were little children.
In a recent post on his website on Saturday, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Graham urges readers to think back to when their children were small and first learning how to talk.
As parents, they weren't offended when their children made a mistake while trying to speak, or got their words confused, Graham explains. They were likely very pleased by their attempts to talk with them, perhaps rewarding their efforts and encouraging them to continue.
Graham says the same can be said about God. "In a far greater way, this is how God sees us. When we come to Christ and by faith commit our lives to Him, we become His children," he adds.
"He loves us and adopts us into His family, and we can talk with Him the same way our children talked with us. The Bible says, 'The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children'" (Romans 8:16).
As he often does, the 97-year-old evangelist urges those unacquainted with Christ to invite Him into their lives.
Graham then encourages these babes in Christ to read Scripture to learn how to hear God's voice as He speaks to them though His Word, and to "talk with Him as you bring your concerns to Him in prayer."
Graham adds that Believers need not worry about any issue in their lives, but should allow God to shoulder their concerns. "The Bible says, 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God'" (Philippians 4:6).