The followers of Jesus asked Him to teach them how to pray. He gave them this prayer as a tool, a pattern:
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13
“A Simple Way to Pray” – Martin Luther wrote for his barber, Peter, who was being sent away for drunken murder of his son-in-law.
1. Start with meditation on previously studied text.
2. Paraphrase the Lord’s Prayer.
3. Pray from the heart. This is where our thoughts and feelings converge on God.
If
prayer only starts from our thoughts and emotions, then it will be
limited by them. We will only ever enjoy part of the relationship with
God that He designed. “If God is not the starting point, then our own
perceived emotional needs become the drivers and sole focus of our
prayer. We cannot grow in a relationship with a person unless we learn
who they are.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
Both a definition of prayer and a set of tools for deepening our prayer lives. practices and experiences.
Luke 11 “Lord’s Prayer” gives us a few patterns:
1. Praise – prayer that lifts up God and describes Him
2. Intercession – prayer that asks for Kingdom of God in our world
3. Submission – prayer that puts His will above ours every day
4. Daily request – prayer that recognizes Him as our daily source, making request
5. Repentance – prayer that confesses sin, asking for grace and mercy
6. Forgiveness – prayer that asks for help in forgiving others
7. Protection – prayer that asks for help in avoiding temptation
8. Deliverance – prayer that asks for protection from evil
9. Priorities – prayer that declares “It’s not about me. It’s all about You God!”
“We must know the awe of praising his glory, the intimacy of finding his grace, and the struggle of asking his help, all of which can lead us to know the spiritual reality of his presence. Prayer, then, is both awe and intimacy, struggle and reality.” – Timothy Keller Prayer
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Rev. Dr. MLK Jr.