How to Pray
What do you say to the God of the Universe?
I was recently asked by a dear friend to share some insight on how we should pray. I love questions like this because they force me to slow down, examine what I actually believe, and try to articulate it clearly. Often, those conversations turn into Substack posts—like this one.
At its most basic level, prayer is simply talking to God—either aloud or in our hearts. Because of Jesus, we are invited to come directly to God, not as distant subjects, but as children approaching a perfect Father.
Think about how a child talks to their dad. They ask for what they need. They say, “I love you.” They thank him for what he’s given them. Prayer, at its core, is communication with our Father.
Prayer Is Not Meant to Be Mindless Repetition
Jesus is very clear that prayer is not about repeating pre-formulated phrases. In Matthew 6:7, He says:
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.”
Immediately after this warning, Jesus gives what we now call the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Ironically, many people take this prayer and do the very thing Jesus warned against: repeating it mindlessly.
The purpose of the Lord’s Prayer was not to give us exact words to recite. It was to give us an example—a model of how to pray, not what to pray.
Let’s look at it more closely.
“Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”
This teaches us to begin prayer with worship. Jesus shows us that prayer starts by acknowledging who God is—holy, set apart, worthy.
In our own words, this might sound like:
“Father, there is no one like You. You are good, perfect, and far greater than I can comprehend.”
Worship is simply declaring what is true about God.
The word worship can be thought of as worth-ship—declaring the worth or value of someone or something. If you bought a new $100,000 car, you’d probably tell your friends about it: the features, the sound system, the technology. You’d be declaring its value.
Worship works the same way with God. Worship doesn’t only happen through songs on Sunday morning. It happens anytime we declare God’s attributes. “Hallowed be thy name” is worship.
“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
This part of the prayer shifts outward. We are asking God to move in the world—to confront evil, to bring justice, to make things right.
This might sound like:
“Lord, please intervene in what’s happening in the Middle East,”
or
“God, bring peace and righteousness where there is suffering.”
We are asking God to carry out His will on earth.
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Now the prayer becomes personal. Jesus invites us to bring our daily needs before God.
That could be:
“Lord, help me pay my bills this month,”
or for some, quite literally,
“Lord, I need food.”
Nothing is too small or too basic to bring to God. He cares about what we need.
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”
Here, we speak honestly with God about our failures—our sin, our struggles, our resentment, our anger. We ask for forgiveness, and we ask for help to forgive others.
This alone could be an entire post (or several). Forgiveness of others can be very difficult, and we need God’s help to live it out.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”
This is a prayer for spiritual protection. The devil tempts us, and Jesus teaches us to ask God for help—to guard our hearts and minds, and to protect us from the schemes of the enemy.
The Pattern Jesus Gives Us
The Lord’s Prayer reveals principles—ingredients that should shape our prayer life:
Worship
Prayer for the world and God’s will in it
Prayer for daily needs
Prayer for forgiveness and the ability to forgive others
Prayer for protection from evil
Prayer Is Relational
In many ways, prayer is like talking to your spouse or your closest friend. You share what’s on your mind. You talk about what’s weighing on you. You say “I love you.” You say “thank you” when you’re blessed.
Scripture assures us:
“And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”
—1 John 5:15
God hears our prayers, and He answers them—sometimes through Scripture, sometimes through circumstances, sometimes in ways we don’t immediately recognize. Prayer becomes a rhythm, a cycle of communication.
Be honest with God. Tell Him everything—your fears and your triumphs, your joys and your sorrows.
He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
And He hears you.
What I love about the 'Lords Prayer' is how it pictures the righteousness of Christ. You can see so many parallels to this prayer in Christ's High Priestly prayer. He fulfills the life of prayer for us...freeing to pray In Him and with His divine aid!