When is the first time prayer is used in the Bible?
I bet you probably can't answer that. Some of you may even begin to search the concordances in the back of your Bibles or one that you have on a shelf.
I would say the Number one reason most people can't answer that is that they are looking for the first time the actual word “Pray”, “Prayer”, “Prayed”, “Praying”, is used in scripture. The Number two reason most folks are unsure how to answer that question is that they are looking through RELIGIOUS lenses. They are thinking when was the first time someone bowed their head, knelt down and recited a prayer like:
“now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
If I should live for other days, I pray the Lord to guide my ways.
Father, unto thee I pray, Thou has guarded me all the day,
Safe I am when in Thy sight, Safely let me sleep tonight.
Bless my friends, the whole world bless;
Help me to learn helpfulness;
Keep me ever in thy sight, So to all, I Say, Good Night.
Amen
` A Children's Bedtime Prayer~ Henry Johnstone1
The first time we are introduced to prayer in scripture it is found in Genesis 3:8-10.
8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." (Gen 3:8-10 NAU)
This isn't prayer you may be saying to yourself right now. This doesn't mention someone getting on their knees and reciting any ritualistic words and closing their eyes or anything of that nature. You're right. It doesn't. That is what makes prayer so unique and powerful and amazing. Prayer is simply talking to God like any other conversation you have had with anyone else on Earth. This passage represents the first recorded conversation between Adam and Eve and God. I am sure there were other conversations they had had, but this is the first one recorded for us to begin to understand how we should communicate to God.
Don't make prayer hard, or scary. It's simply talking to the loving God who created you, saved you, and empowers you. Why not start a conversation right now?
