Praying Through the Lord’s Prayer - John Houston
Our God is relational, so we may often approach prayer casually. Pastors often say we can talk to Jesus like we would a friend. I’ve often heard (or even said) “I’ll pray for them” when we hear someone is sick or going through trials, or a “Lord help me please,” when we are going through something, or even the old, “Lord if you get me out of this I promise I’ll never do it again,” when we end up caught in something we didn’t see coming.
It’s true: prayer is how we communicate with God. In Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing to be in constant communion with God. It is how we build our relationship with Him. He cares about us and our lives, calls us friends, and wants us to come to Him about every problem, question, and step in our lives.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
But what does it look like to pray? Well, Jesus gives us an example of prayer in the book of Matthew. He instructs us to pray without making a public show of it. Those who desire public affirmation get that as their reward, but God rewards those who pray privately.
Jesus says,
Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:9-13 ESV
So what do we see?
● Recognition of God and who He is (Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name)
● Praying that God’s will be done in our lives above our own
● Asking for provision (spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional)
● Forgiveness for our sins
● Offering forgiveness to others
● Deliverance from evil and temptation
It can be easy to feel unsure about what to say or how to pray. Jesus knows this, so He’s given us this simple outline. But hear me – it shouldn’t be a formula, and you can begin or end with this prayer or add your own words. What’s important is that you connect with God. Hopefully, Jesus’ words encourage us that our Heavenly Father isn’t looking for perfect words. When we come to Him and honestly bring all of who we are, we’ve done enough.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6 ESV
Many scriptures emphasize the importance of prayer, and Jesus set a great example of going off by Himself to connect with His Father. God wants us to come to Him often – whether we’re happy, sad, stressed, angry, confused, heartbroken, or afraid because only He can truly help us and give us the wisdom we need. No problem is too big or too small for God, and He loves it when we reach out to Him.
