How do I pray? That’s a great question to ask since Jesus’ disciples asked Him as well! (Luke 11:1) Thankfully, Jesus answered it by giving us what is known as the ‘Lord’s Prayer’[1] in Matthew 6:9-13:

 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today 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 the evil one.’”

Now I’m going to go with my gut and presume that you are familiar with this passage. It is quite popular and perhaps you’ve even memorized it (in that case, I’d assume that you memorized it in the King James Version (KJV)). If Jesus tells us that we should pray this prayer, then why don’t we pray it all the time at every church gathering?

The reason Jesus gave us this short but impactful prayer was not to only pray the words He said verbatim, but to model to us what we should say to God. In other words, this prayer is not a substitute for our own prayers, but to serve as a guide. Jesus gave us a perfect example of how we should pray and for what things we should pray, and in what order.

As we go back and look at the Lord’s Prayer, we can see that it highlights 5 key points in how we should pray:

1. v. 9 – Praising God for who He is

2. v. 10 – Seeking God’s will for humanity

3. v. 11 – Petitioning for our personal needs

4. v. 12 – Asking for forgiveness against God and mankind

5. v. 13 – Protection from the enemy

It is true that you can pray however you want – the Lord is glad when you come to Him! Yet if the Son of God outlined the model of prayer that God is most pleased with, don’t you think we should try to follow it? Just as parents prefer their children to ask them in a certain manner when it comes to a request, so should we as children appeal to how God the Father wants us to pray to Him.

Therefore, I created a personal prayer based off the perfect model of Jesus prayed. Please read through it and see how I incorporated the 5 points listed above in my prayer:

Lord,

You are the Almighty Creator God – there is no one like You! You have the whole world in Your hands, You see all and know all things. Father, I thank you My God for being a holy God – No sin is allowed in your presence and you are the epitome of all purity and righteousness. I thank you that you are a mighty God – Nothing can thwart what you have thought of and have already decreed, for Your words and your purposes are true. I thank you that you are a compassionate God – loving me as your creation – you care and never leave me nor abandon me.

Father, I ask that Your will make itself known throughout all the Earth. There are so many people that need a fresh revelation of who You are and how much You love them. There are others who are held in bondage that need to break free from the power of sin and darkness. Yet still, there are others who are against You because they do not know You and I pray that Your love will abundantly overwhelm them. I pray that I can know what your will is so I can join You O Lord, in what You want to do to advance Your Kingdom. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to discern what You would want me to do on this day.

I ask that you would help me be faithful in my work and give me the wisdom to write the lesson for the young adult’s group for they need to hear it. Give Valerie and I the discipline to be wise with our finances. I ask that you will continually provide for Valerie and I, not just in our needs for the day, but also in our hopes and dreams for the future.

Father, forgive me of my sins as I have to struggle each day against my flesh and its desires. I ask for forgiveness for my state of selfishness, how I want things to go my way. When they don’t go my way, my thoughts and actions are not focused on You. Forgive me for giving into the temptation of the world, desiring things that are not mine and striving beyond what You have called me to. Forgive me for pride, for measuring myself against others when I should only measure to Your Word. Teach me Your ways and how to forgive others when offenses, sins, and hurts come against me.

You said in Your Word that You will provide a way out of temptation so I do not have to give into it; help me be attentive to the Holy Spirit so I can walk in step with the Spirit and not in the flesh. When I am feeling weak, remind me to run to You so that I can resist the enemy and he has to flee. When I sin, keep guilt and condemnation away from me, as I turn quickly towards You for healing and forgiveness. Help me keep on the armor of God so I can be protected against the schemes of the enemy. 

Thank you for Your bountiful grace, abundant love and the revelation of Your nature, for You are good, so good to me.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

I wrote out this prayer so that you can see how to model it for your own life. As you take a look at it again, what would you change to make it fit where you are at? Perhaps you would praise the Lord with different characteristics of who He is and what He has done. You could have a specific passion to pray for how you want to see God’s Kingdom come. It might be a different need that has to be met or something you may still need to give to Him when it comes to forgiveness. I’d encourage you to pray this week according to the model as customized for where you are. It might feel awkward at first, but with practice, it will become natural. I’m praying that the Father meets you as you pray according to what Jesus has represented for us.

Have a blessed week!

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[1] It should be more accurately described as the ‘Disciple’s Prayer’, but for familiarity sake, we’ll use the Lord’s Prayer