How Do I Pray?

Posted by jared shingleton on November 29, 2011 · 5 Comments

So what is prayer? As a believer what should my prayer life look like? Often times we think of prayer as simple as something like the praying mantis. We can all look at the little icky green bug and immediately see why it is named the “praying mantis.” We look and see that it’s little bead of a head is slightly bowed, and it’s awkward hands in a “praying” position. But when we think of prayer do we only think of the things on the outside? Maybe you are a person who understands prayer to be nothing more than what we do before dinner. I know it may sound crazy, but did you know Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, showed us how to pray? We don’t have to wonder, or ask how to pray. We can simply look at the instruction Christ gave us. There are 5 steps in the way Christ showed us to pray. We see these steps in Matthew 6:9-13.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

   “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.” -Matthew 6:9-13

Step number 1, Acknowledge who God is.

Christ starts off by saying “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name.” Now, I know what you’re thinking, is God a hollow tree? NO! Hallowed is not the same thing as hollow. What Christ is getting at is that we should always start off our prayer confessing to God who He is! We are to always start off acknowledging who God is as YHWH, The great I AM, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Holy of Holy’s. Wouldn’t it be weird if I started a conversation with my dad by saying “Hey mom, can I ask you a question?” Yes! It would be so weird. Because that’s not who he is. He probably wouldn’t even realize I was speaking to him. In the same way, we are to acknowledge and praise who our God is before we come to Him.

Step 2 – Pray for His work on earth

As Christ continues He prays “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” You see when we read through the Bible we clearly understand that in Heaven God’s will is always done. Not only that but it is done with happiness, joy, and freedom. When we pray we should ask that God will do His will here on earth, just as it is done in Heaven. Now you could ask “How the heck do I know God’s will?” That question I cannot answer for you. God has a perfect plan for each person in our world. God also has His plan. We are so fortunate that God invites us to be a part of His work and what He is already doing. As you pray for God to reveal His will within your own life you will often find those answers through experience, the church, God’s word, and prayer. You will come to know and understand God’s will and tasks for you to accomplish through these things.

Step 3 - Ask for what you need

Christ then says “Give us this day, our daily bread.” Notice it doesn’t say “Give us this day a huge steak, with a baked potato and unlimited french fries and appetizers.” Christ does not want us to ask God to give us all things in abundance. Christ shows us that we are to ask God for the things we need, not all the things we simply want.

Step 4 – Asking for Forgiveness

“Forgive us of our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” We are to always go before God seeking forgiveness of the sins that exist in our life. While we have been forever forgiven of our sins we are still to go before the throne and confess our sins to the Father. God desires us to be reconciled to Him daily, not just when we start feeling bad about pushing down that kid at the playground.

Step 5 – Asking for ways to deal with temptation and the enemy

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us for the evil one.” We are on a constant fight against sin, temptation, and satan. God has given us power to defeat sin, and to forever defeat satan, but He wants us to seek Him first in how to do that. I believe for all of us there are completely different areas of sin we are weak to. But what I also believe is that often times those weak spots are areas of our life we have yet to notice. I believe that is why God asks us to seek him and His ways to fights off sin, for it is only Him who can reveal that.

So does this sum up EVERYTHING God ever said about prayer? Is this the answer to all things prayer? No. But I believe there is a reason that God, in human flesh, told us to pray this way. And so this is how I will prayer forever. And I encourage you to do the same.