Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we connect with God, yet many of us struggle with how to pray effectively. Even Jesus’ disciples, who witnessed His intimate relationship with the Father, felt the need to ask: “Lord, teach us to pray!” (Luke 11:1). What was it about Jesus’ prayers that made them desire to pray like Him?
The Disciples’ Desire to Learn Prayer
Jesus frequently withdrew to pray, setting an example for His disciples. They saw how deeply personal and Spirit-filled His prayers were. They wanted that same closeness with God.
We get a glimpse into Jesus’ prayer life in Luke 10:21, where He prays with joy through the Holy Spirit: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth…” His prayers were intimate, powerful, and Spirit-led. No wonder His disciples longed to learn from Him!
What Jesus Taught About Prayer
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them, He responded with, “When you pray…” (Luke 11:2), not “if” you pray. Notice He said prayer is not optional—it is essential for a strong relationship with God. Jesus knew that His followers, then and now, would need a vibrant prayer life to navigate life’s challenges.
Biblical Guidance on How to Pray
Pray with Pure Motives – Jesus emphasized sincerity and humility in prayer: “Go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father.”(Matthew 6:6). He wasn’t forbidding public or group prayer.
He was addressing our motive for prayer. Jesus sees through those who would pray more in public than in private. Their true desire in prayer was human praise.
Avoid Empty Repetition – “Do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” (Matthew 6:7). Jesus wasn’t forbidding long prayers either—He Himself prayed all night many times.
His point was to avoid meaningless, impersonal, lengthy prayer. Length does not give more authenticity to our prayers.
Our purpose in prayer is not to convince God of anything. Prayer is a way to communicate with him in a sincere, loving, genuine way.
He also warned against praying for human recognition- “And do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” Matthew 6:5.Our prayer “audience” has only one member- Jesus.
Be Persistent in Prayer – In Luke 18:1, Jesus told the Parable of the Persistent Widow, urging us to “always pray and not give up.” God desires a consistent, faith-filled prayer life.
Breaking Down the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
Prayer is a time to connect and draw close to Him. Jesus provided a model for prayer, not as a script to recite mindlessly, but as a guide to communicate with God in a sincere, genuine, and meaningful way:
This is not to say this prayer can’t be prayed in a Spirit-filled way. You may have times in your life where this is the only prayer you can pray… Jesus sees and understands our hearts and emotions.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” – Start with worship and acknowledging God’s holiness. It helps us focus on who God is and what He has done in our lives.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done” – Surrender to God’s plan, trusting in His perfect will.
“Give us today our daily bread” – Pray for a complete reliance on God for both physical and spiritual nourishment.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” – Pray an ongoing confession and seek forgiveness for sin. Having been forgiven, we extend unlimited forgiveness to others. To refuse to forgive is to refuse and deny how much it cost God to forgive us in the first place.
“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” – The Greek word for temptation here meant “trial” or “temptations from our own desires.” God doesn’t lead us into temptation, we go there of our own free will. Pray to recognize temptations that cross our paths and ask him to grant discernment to recognize them. Ask for strength to resist temptation and protection from the enemy.
The Radical Nature of Calling God “Father”
One of the most revolutionary aspects of Jesus’ teaching on prayer was calling God “Abba, Father.” This intimate term for God was shocking to Jewish listeners.
The religious leaders even accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming such a close relationship with God (John 5:18). Yet, through Jesus, we too are invited to approach the Creator of the universe as our loving Father.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Why We Pray
Prayer is not about convincing God to act—it’s about drawing near to Him. Revelation 5:8 describes our prayers as incense before the Lord, showing how precious they are to Him. Whether our prayers are long or short, eloquent or simple, God delights in hearing from us.
Strengthening Your Prayer Life
If you struggle with prayer, take heart! God doesn’t grade our heartfelt prayers, expect perfection, or brush any prayer away as too trivial!
Prayer is simply spending time talking to God, listening for his love and guidance, and growing our relationship.Even Jesus’ closest followers needed help.
Instead of focusing on technique, remember that prayer is simply a conversation with God. When you’re unsure how to pray, follow the disciples’ example and ask: “Lord, teach us to pray!”
Share this post with someone who needs encouragement in their prayer life! Let’s grow together in faith.
Blessings!
AnnMarie
All Scripture is taken from the New International Version unless specified otherwise.
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