“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Jesus responded with a pattern of prayer we know as The Lord’s Prayer. It has seven basic steps to connect with God:
- Recognize God, the Father as Almighty God and Creator of the universe.
- Give reverence to His name. These first two steps fulfill the first and second commandments to worship only God and keep His name Holy (Deuteronomy 5:8-11).
- Honor His ways. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
- Make your requests to God, but do not make them your priority.
- Reflect on your life in light of God’s ways. Confess sins that come to mind and ask God for His forgiveness only as you are willing to forgive those who sin against you.
- Ask God to lead you in His ways and not into temptation.
- End your prayer “In Jesus’ name.” “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).
THINK ABOUT IT
When I first began to pray, all I knew to say was, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus,” so thankful that the God of the universe loved even me, a sinful woman. It’s a powerful prayer. The more I prayed, “Thank you, Jesus,” the more things I became thankful for. And then my prayer grew to, “Help me, Jesus,” knowing that a God who loved me would be willing and able to help me. Like the disciples, I wanted to learn a more systematic way to pray, and I began to pray as Jesus taught them.
PRAY ABOUT IT
Thank you, Father God, for your amazing love and for helping us find our way to connect with You every day. Be in us more and more. Help us to be more like Jesus. It’s in His name, we pray, Amen.
Tell Me the Story 