Learn to Do, Do to Learn

 

We learn to pray by praying! Books are fine, lessons are helpful, but nothing helps us learn to pray like praying.
I’ve been preaching for over 32 years now.  Yes, I studied homiletics (the art of preaching) in Bible college, but I must say I’ve learned most by just preaching over and over again, sermon after sermon.  I’ve been told more than a few times, “you keep preachin’, you’re gonna get the hang of it one of these days.”
Pilots are not made in the classroom, they are made in the air!  Flying time or “flight time” makes a good pilot.  It’s facing various weather conditions, learning to adapt to the various challenges of actually flying the airplane – that’s how good pilots are made.
You remember taking Drivers Education in school?  You can only get so much from books or an instructor.  You have to get behind the wheel, that’s where you learn to drive on the highway.  You learn to drive by driving.  This concept is true for almost anything; athletics, soul-winning, parenting, etc.  
The disciples once said, “Jesus, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).  The Lord taught the disciples a lot about prayer.  He modeled principles of an effective prayer-life in front of them.  But the bottom line is this; they got better at prayer as they themselves prayed.  Remember, we learn to pray by praying, crying out to God, pouring out our heart before the Lord.

Pastor Bruce Freeman

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