Prayer is very essential in Christian walk. As a disciple prayer is not only your life line to God by it level of dependence and submission to the Master is weighed. However, there are all sort of prayer attitude which make prayer to no longer be acceptable. Mathew 6:5-6  pointed out some negative factors that must be guarded against in our quest to be prayer warriors:

1. The danger of hypocritical prayer. Whereby a disciple of Christ prays for the wrong reasons, with the wrong motives (Mt 6:5). Remember, beyond all else, God looks at the heart not outward shows, or demonstrations during prayer.

2.  The danger of making prayer our God. Prayer may be very good, great and wonderful but it is only so because God answers prayer. Therefore, our devotion to and love for prayer must not supersede that which we have for Christ (Mt 6:5). Do not hide under prayer to disobey the instructions of God. For by you may be praying amiss too.

3.  The danger of esteeming prayer places over God and Christ Himself. Although our great time of prayer may be connected to special places that does not mean that it was the place or location that made the prayer great. I think it is God’s presence not places that gives us amazing encounters during prayer. We should not substitute God’s presence for a place or locations thereby limiting God’s presence to a space or time. True worshipers must worship God in spirit and truth anywhere and at anytime ( Mt 6:5).

4.  The danger of vain repetition. Although in our walk with God as disciples it is possible to creatively seek God in different ways using different means but we must guard against empty swollen words or phrases that are dry and empty.  Although there is not among of words that are few or too much for God to hear us, yet we must not pray to impress people in anyway. Don’t make prayer too formal or too casual, too long or too short that its meaning is no more discernible by the people. We must discern the presence of God and approach him in awe. Don’t just say memorized prayer only, repeating yourself everyday and always. It is helpful to have conversational prayer with the father in heaven (Mt 6:7, cf. Eccl 5:1-6).

6.  The danger of sharing in the glory of God by feeling great and proud when our prayer is answered by God. Prayer should not result in self-glorifying or self-conceit. Do not create the attitude or atmosphere of super spirituality because of answered prayer or length of time spend in the place of prayer (Mt 6:8)

Finally, the best suggestion for how to prayer is found in the words of Jesus teaching to his disciples on how to pray and the acceptable things to pray for. In any case, do not forget your intimacy with God, his kingdom, his will for the nations, his worship etc. in your prayer experiences. May God answer our prayer in Jesus name.