How to Pray

Most of us already know that prayer is important to our spiritual growth and relationship with God. So, in today’s video, we’re going to learn how to pray by looking at the example Jesus Himself gives us on how to pray, known as the Lord’s prayer. Watch until the end because I’ll then conclude today’s video with a simple 3 step prayer process you can use to enjoy the life-changing practice of prayer every single day. Enjoy!

I’ve been in ministry for over 15 years and most of that time has been spent serving here at Beloved Women. Our mission is to encourage, equip and empower women in the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word and we do so by providing free resources to help women grow their faith and relationship with God including a daily devotional, online videos, and Bible Studies. I spend a lot of time writing, filming, and editing videos to post online for our Beloved Women community. As a stay-at-home mom, my kids have seen me through this entire process from shooting videos to fixing the lighting.  If there is one thing I’ve learned about kids, it is that whether you realize it or not, they are paying close attention.

So, one day I happened to be looking through the pictures of my daughter’s iPad and saw a video of her. I pressed play and it was her shooting a Bible Study video of herself. I wonder where she got that from? Maybe from the countless times she’s seen me do the same. I, however, never really thought she was paying enough attention to me to know what I was doing, nevertheless emulating what I was doing. Oh, but she did. You should have seen that video. She was confident, clear, and talked about how God loves you. It was one of the most precious things I’ve ever seen, and it reminds me of the scripture we’ll take a close look at today.

As Jesus prayed, one of His disciples looked on and was inspired to do the same. But they didn’t just want to act like they knew what they were doing when it came to prayer; they wanted to pray just like Jesus. So, he asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. We read about it in Luke 11:1:

“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1 NKJV)

Now we know from the Bible that Jesus is often recorded taking off time to himself to pray. So, prayer was something his disciples had seen Him practice as a lifestyle, and after seeing Jesus pray, they too wanted to do the same. So, they ask Him how to pray. Jesus could have answered with a checklist of what to do and what not to do, and He does do something similar to this in Matthew 6:5-8, (which we’ll talk about more next episode) but to answer the disciples specific request which was “teach us to pray,” Jesus prays. He doesn’t tell them what to do, He shows them how to do what you may have heard called the Lord’s Prayer. It reads:

“So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:2-4 NKJV)

What a beautiful example Jesus set for us on how to pray. But I do want to clarify that this is an example, it’s a template that we can use to inspire our own prayers. Jesus is not saying that these are the exact words we have to use each time we pray. But each sentence highlights an important part of prayer that is beneficial for the believer to incorporate in their prayer life. So, let’s look at Jesus’ example in the Lord’s prayer to learn how we are to pray.

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Jesus teaches us to recognize Who we are praying to through worship. His words “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed by Your name” first acknowledge that He is talking to God. He’s not just speaking to the air, or to Himself. He demonstrated the faith it takes to pray and trust that there is an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God on the other end who hears and cares. Next, Jesus honors God. He praises God, “Hallowed be Your name,” He says. Hallowed here means Holy or set apart. Jesus is acknowledging that there is no other God like the One to whom He prays. When we start our prayers with faith and understanding, it affects what we ask for and in turn, what we receive.

A long time ago, I visited my bank to make a transaction that required that I go into the bank office. When I walked in, there was a huge reception desk in the middle of the office and offices with doors further behind. I approached the receptionist and briefly explained what I needed. I then asked to speak with someone in an office to help me. She graciously informed me that she was actually the bank manager and could help me with everything I needed. I’ll admit, I was a little embarrassed. I assumed that because she was not in an office and was sitting at a reception desk that she couldn’t help me. I was incorrect. Actually, she informed me that at this bank, branch managers sit out in the open to make themselves more available to customers, like me.

Had I known who she was from the beginning, I would have specifically asked what I needed and received services sooner. The same is true with our prayer. Our understanding and trust of God greatly affects our prayer lives, what we ask, and in turn, what we receive. So, Jesus encourages us to remember who we are praying to. I like to start my prayers with worship, thanking God for what He’s done and reminding myself what He can do. When we think we serve a small God, we pray small prayers and don’t live to the full capacity that God has for us.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.

Next, Jesus teaches us to be in alignment with God’s will. He prays “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth, as it is in heaven.”

Many people mistakenly think prayer is only asking for what we want. Now don’t get me wrong. The next thing Jesus teaches us is to ask, but we’re mistaken if we think that’s all prayer is. One of the most important aspects of prayer is that it draws us closer to God. It strengthens our relationship with Him and helps to ensure we are on the same page with Him. A major part of prayer is making sure our hearts are right. If prayer was only about asking God for things, we could pray “Lord, will you please hurt the person who cut me off this morning on my way to work?” I mean you can pray this but I’m certain this is not the prayer God is going to answer. Because His Word warns against bitterness. But when we know that it is God’s will for us to forgive and show grace, our prayer then turns to, Lord, I’m upset at the person who cut me off this morning. Please grant me the strength to overlook the offense so I may have your peace. God’s Word reveals His will to us, and prayer is one way we release His power in our lives to live His will out.

Jesus prayed to God to take the cup of crucifixion from Him in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22 where He prays:

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42 NKJV)

Jesus’ position in prayer was that God’s will would always be done. So, what do we do when God wants something that we don’t want? Like Jesus, we pray for the grace to accept God’s will.  If we really believe God is who He says He is, and that He is greater and all-knowing and all-powerful, then we trust Him. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God tells us:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV)

God is at a higher vantage point than us. He sees what we can’t see. So even when it looks like His plans are not what we would decide, we can trust His ways are better. Now I know you may be thinking well why pray if God’s going to do what He wants anyway, and I do have an answer for you. It’s actually the entirety of our next episode so stay tuned.

Give us day by day our daily bread. 

Next, Jesus teaches us to make our requests to God as He prays “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Here Jesus is showing us to ask God for what we need. Although He already knows what we need, when we pray to God, we remind ourselves of where our provision comes from. It’s so easy to get caught up in thinking money, fame, opportunity or another person is our provider, and God will use those things to provide for us, but ultimately God is our provider. So, ask Him for what you need. When we’re praying to God and asking Him for what we need, that's an excellent sign that we’re not seeking worldly or superficial ways of trying to acquire our needs or trying to control matters on our own. Our prayer requires a necessary humility that places us in a position of need, recognizing our daily requirement for God to intercede on our behalf.

If you’re looking for a good example of a prayer of asking or petition, look no further than the Psalms. The Psalms are full of prayers to God asking and requesting God to meet needs, desires, and desperations. God wants us to pour our hearts out to Him because He wants us to come to Him. Now Jesus tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink, (in Matthew 6:25) but He doesn’t say don’t pray about it. Actually, Philippians 4:6 tells us instead of worrying, we should pray. Open your heart to God and tell Him what you need, want, desire, and think. He is a good God that we can approach confidently.

And forgive us our sins,

Next, Jesus teaches us to repent when He prays “and forgive us our sins.” Now Jesus didn’t need to repent, but He adds this to the prayer because He knows we need to. Repenting is our acknowledging our weakness and sin to God, turning from it, and seeking Him for the power to live right. We can’t do it without Him. Repenting is not only listing off all our faults and feeling bad about ourselves, but that is also self-pity and not the example Jesus sets. Repentance is recognizing our faults and turning to the only One who can empower us to overcome. So many people are subject to sin because they are trying to overcome it on their own. But our own strength is not enough to free us from the bondage of sin. But you know what is? Repentance through prayer. Inviting God into our brokenness, receiving His forgiveness, being motivated by His love and grace, and not guilt and shame.

For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

As we pray for and receive God’s forgiveness to us, Jesus also teaches us to forgive others when He prays “for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.” Forgiving others is an important part of your prayer life, because if we want to approach God to forgive us, we need to be willing to offer that same grace to others. Who are we to ask God for something that we are unwilling to give? In the account of the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6:14, Jesus adds:

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14 NKJV)

Unforgiveness is a choice that doesn’t hurt the one who’s offended us as much as it hurts us. When we forgive, we are free to receive God’s forgiveness. Now I know how hard it can be to forgive, which is why I believe Jesus instructs us to pray about this as well because Jesus wants us to be free from the anger, bitterness, and resentment that an unforgiving heart can cultivate.

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.

Last, Jesus teaches us to pray for the unseen when He prays “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Jesus is giving us insight into the truth that there is an entire unseen world around us that certainly affects us, mainly the enemy whose main purpose is to harm us. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us:

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10 NKJV).

The Apostle Paul also warns us about the spiritual battle we are all in whether we realize it or not. In Ephesians 6:12 he says:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)

Now, these warnings are not meant to scare us. These warnings serve as a reminder to use the power God has given us to overcome and one of the ways we access that power is through prayer. 1 John 4:4 encourages us: 

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NKJV) 

This world is full of distractions with the purpose of leading us away from God, but prayer is our connection to God that protects us from spiritual warfare and leads us in the right direction.

As we wrap up, I want to help you to remember how Jesus teaches us how to pray with my 3 R’s Prayer Process. The three R’s stand for Reverence, Repent and Request.

REVERENCE 

The first R stands for reverence. Like Jesus, we can start our prayers with reverence. This can be worshipping Him, listening to worship music, or simply thanking Him for who He is or all that He’s doing in our lives. This will start our prayer time off helping us to remember Who we are praying to and the power our God has. Reverencing God positions us to surrender to God and place His will above ours and approach Him with a heart of faith and trust.

REPENT 

The next R stands for REPENT. This is us asking for forgiveness and receiving the strength to turn from the things not of God. This sets our hearts to be in alignment with God’s will and gives us the power to live the lives He desires for us.

REQUEST 

And the last R stands for REQUEST. This is where we ask God for what we need. Like Jesus, we can ask for our daily needs, the strength to forgive others, direction, and protection.

And I’m going to give you a bonus “R” that stands for repeat. Keep praying. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing because it is pivotal to our spiritual growth and relationship with God. 

So, if you are looking for an easy framework on how to pray from the example of Jesus, we can use the 3 R’s prayer method which again stands for Reverence, Repent, and Request (and our bonus R, repeat). It’s super easy and not complicated at all, just as prayer should be. Of course, this is just a simple way for you to remember what we’ve learned today and is not the absolute standard for prayer. In truth, God really just wants us to come to Him with sincere hearts. Your prayer may be many words today and God will cherish each one, but it may at times, only be one word: Jesus and He still hears us.

Now, I would love to hear from you Beloved! What have you learned about how to pray from the Lord’s prayer that we looked at today? Let’s chat in the comments.

Before you go, I want to invite you to download my free 5-day prayer guide so you can put into practice what we’ve learned today about prayer and see how just like breathing, prayer can become a natural life-giving part of your everyday life. Simply click here to download. 

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Thank you so much for watching today and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and beloved.