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The most frequent thing that Jesus did during his three years of ministry on this earth was to pull away with God to pray. If Jesus needed to pray, we need to pray. Did you know that prayer is one of the most misunderstood concepts of Christianity? Yet, it is critical to our relationship with God and our most potent weapon. When Jesus was on the earth, he taught his disciples how to pray. D. L. Moody insightfully said, "We are not told that Jesus ever taught His disciples how to preach, but He taught them how to pray.”
Many of us may have memorized the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and recited it daily or weekly. Knowing the Lord's Prayer by memory is a great tool, but the use of the tool is often misunderstood. This prayer was not intended to be recited without thought but was to teach us the elements of prayer so we can be guided in how to communicate with God. I like to use the acrostic P-R-A-Y to summarize the components of the prayer. Below are the components and how I think these components fit into the Lord's Prayer.
P – Praise – “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”
Praise the Lord for Who you know Him to be (His attributes), and thank Him for how you've seen Him work in your life.
R – Repent – "And forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors"
Ask for forgiveness for those things I’ve not done that I should have or for the things I have done that I should not have. Psalm 66:18 tells us, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (New Living Translation). Isaiah 59:2 similarly instructs us, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." So, we ought to confess our sins before God to enter into a close relationship with Him so that He hears our prayers.
A – Ask – "Give us this day our daily bread" and "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."
These are the things I’m asking for God’s intervention in my life and in those of others. I can pray over my own concerns and the concerns of others in my life. I also pray for protection from Satan and the lies he will throw my way and at my family.
Y – Yield - "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
This is surrender. This reminds me that I will accept God’s will, but I also want His will done on earth and in heaven. It’s also reminding me that it’s about God’s kingdom and God’s purposes. I yield to His will and His empowerment to do the things God calls me to do.
I just use this to guide my daily prayer. It doesn't always have to look this way. "Help!" is an acceptable prayer, but this is a model to follow to help me share with the Lord my thoughts and hear His insights back to me.
Want some techniques for how you can incorporate more prayer into your day? Check out this post for 10 Creative Techniques for More Prayer.
Want to hear me teach on prayer? I offer a teaching on prayer called, "Using the Right Weapon" for women. Check out my speaking page for more information.
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