Teach Us How to Pray
Reality without relationship is meaningless
Prayer is a continual relationship. Praying is not a list of requests to fix this and that. Did Jesus pray for the Roman Empire to stop crucifixions?
When one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he said what is now referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer” documented in Matthew 6 and Luke 11.
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Then what comes next in Matthew 6:14–15 indicates a condition for forgiveness.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Forgive us
By asking for forgiveness as you forgive others, you are releasing yourself from the prison of unforgiveness. (Forgiveness takes only 1; reconciliation takes 2). Once you recognize that holding onto bitterness and revenge is a boomerang to keep you chained, you will let go of unforgiveness more quickly.
The prisoner of Chillon
Clinging to unforgiveness and letting go of hope can cause you to despair. Like the “Prisoner of Chillon” in the poem by Lord Byron, losing hope may create unrealistic chains, though you can be set free. In other words, you may unwillingly stay stuck in the dungeon.
On page 17 of Section 3 (in Google books) of this 392-line narrative poem, the prisoner is finally set free! Yet by page 21, he has given up, resigned to his familiar surroundings and circumstances. Like the little elephant chained to a stake, learning that it cannot move freely, this adult giant, now with extraordinary strength, falsely believes the previous state that the chain is of slavery is reality.
Unforgiveness is like that.
The purpose of prayer
In addition, one of the key purposes of prayer is to build your trust muscle, fixing your focus on THE God of the Universe. By first “hallowing” (revering, honoring) the character of God’s name, you are recognizing your dependence. When you communicate with God in prayer by saying, “Your will be done,” you are surrendering to His leading. God’s love and direction for your life is designed so that you can become the person that He created you to be.
Do you really mean what you just said? Are those words merely a repetition of memorized phrases — or do you authentically, transparently, desire that God’s will be done in your life?
Orla Kenny also concurs that
…some people are practicing a religion full of rules, regulations, and rituals. Jesus hated all that and the more you read the Bible, the more you will see this.
Next, “Give us this day our daily bread” is a request to be sustained physically. “Lead us not into temptation” is also a request to preserve your life to remain on the path that God has called you to walk.
Tragically, some prayers are only requests to give and for God’s intervention. Obviously, God asks us to ask, to request. However, these are only 2 lines. Prayer is much more. Maybe you have heard the ACTS acronym.
- A is for adoration (listing the characteristics of God, not praise)
- C is confession (naming sins, not the same as repenting — turning from)
- T is thanksgiving (not mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, but elsewhere)
- S is supplication (asking for yourself and for the needs of others)
Being expectant to pray is healthy for Christians. You do not “have to” pray even though you are commanded to pray. God sees your heart. He knows your desires. He already knows why you are praying like you do. Instead, come to God, wanting to pray — to communicate with Him as a Person — as a privilege that you get to meet with the Most High through His Son by means of the power of the Holy Spirit! Avoid viewing prayer merely as an obligation. The command to pray is an opportunity.
Pray without ceasing
So Jesus taught how to talk with God, how to listen to God’s leading. He demonstrated how to surrender to His will and respect His Father’s authority. Our Father knows best. “If you love Me, obey.”
