How to Pray: Pray the Lord's Prayer

by David Chadwick

How do you pray? Jesus taught us principles in his Word and I want to share what I have learned from him with you. Keep a journal that reminds you of your history with God. Persist in prayer, even when it’s hard. Learn to wait and build your faith muscles. 

Today’s tip? Pray the Lord’s Prayer. 

This may sound simple, but Jesus gave us an outline in Matthew 6:6-12 for a reason. Because it works! He is the master teacher and he knows what we need to sustain us through this life. If he used this prayer to teach his disciples, surely we should learn from it, too!

Go through each line of the prayer. Start by greeting the Creator of the Universe as your Father. Spend some time praising him and acknowledging his holiness. His majesty. The wonder of his name. Pray for his will to be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven. Be specific about personal and universal concerns that exist here that you know don’t exist in heaven.

Then start to pray for your needs. Your daily bread. The things that are on the forefront of your mind that you need to sustain yourself on this journey. Maybe it’s the fruit of the Spirit. Maybe it’s a financial need. Remember, these are not your “greeds,” but your needs!

As you continue, take some time to forgive anyone you need to forgive, just as God has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). Forgiveness is a process and sometimes you have to work through various layers of emotions and grief to fully forgive. Take the time to do this in prayer. Release anyone who has offended you to Jesus!  Do it repeatedly if necessary.

Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to keep you away from the evil one’s traps. The enemy knows your weaknesses and wants you disabled. Ask God to give you discernment and a keen heart to know right from wrong. It’s not always obvious to see evil. Sometimes evil masquerades as good. And other times you may think something is evil that is good. Pray for your heart to always see things clearly just as he sees them. If you’re trapped in sin, ask for Jesus’s profound deliverance.

Finish by giving all glory and honor back to God. As you pray this way, you’ll be amazed by how quickly time flies by. And how much you’ve prayed for. The Lord’s Prayer was given to us by Jesus to help disciples pray more effectively. It’s such an easy way to pray and it works!