How Can I Pray?

 The Lord’s Prayer (or the Model Prayer or Disciples’ Prayer) is the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Notice that Jesus never said the words of the prayer itself is what we should pray. Rather, he says we should pray like the prayer he gives. Jesus also said we should not repeat words or be long-winded to sound more spiritual. Our prayers should be honest, worshipful conversations directed to God. There is no magic in the words of the Lord’s Prayer or any other prayer; what God looks at is the posture of our hearts. Here is an explanation of the Lord’s Prayer (ESV) and how to pray like Jesus teaches us.

 

Our Father in heaven

We start in prayer by addressing the One we are praying to. He is “Our Father” – the Father of all those who know Jesus. He is “in heaven” – he is greater and more majestic than us – and yet, we have the privilege of calling him “Our Father.”

 

Hallowed be your name.

We worship God and express our desire for his name to be honored in our lives and throughout the world.

 

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We submit to God’s rule and will and ask that he would work in us and in the world.

 

Give us this day our daily bread,

We ask for God to provide our necessities.

 

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

We confess any sin in our hearts and ask for God’s help to live a godly life.

 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We ask for God’s guidance and strength to hold to our faith and resist sin (1 Cor 10:13).

 

Many summarize the main points of Jesus’ model prayer and other biblical prayers  the ACTS acronym:

Adoration: Praise God for who he is.

Confession: Confess any sin and ask for God’s help in resisting temptation.

Thanksgiving: Thank God for the great things he has done.

Supplication: Ask for God’s help in various situations.

 

You can also find guidance for what and how to pray in the Scriptures you read. Let’s look at an example of how to pray the Bible based on Psalm 119:18.

 

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” – Psalm 119:18 (ESV)

 

Psalm 119 is a beautiful, poetic prayer of a believer who is filled with an intense longing to know, worship, and live for God. Every verse could be turned into an hours-long prayer. But verse 18 stands out as particularly helpful for any occasion in which a Bible is open or Scripture is read.

 

When you read your Bible at home, does it seem complicated, boring, or like “stuff I already know”? Then join the psalmist in a prayer of humility and ask God to help you understand his Word.

 

Are you struggling to find reasons to worship while reading about the judgement of Damascus? Pray that God would help you behold the wonder that you are not swept away like the wicked nations of old.

 

Are you about to share the gospel with someone? Pray her eyes would be open to behold wondrous things from the Scriptures and turn to Jesus as Lord and Savior!

 

Does a sermon or lesson based only on the Bible, without illustrations or acronyms, make you want to fall asleep instead of learn and worship? Pray that God would open your eyes to be satisfied with his Word alone.

 

The Bible is such a rich guide for our life and our prayers. Find a verse, pray it out, and behold what God does in your life for His glory!