Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be revered as holy.
10 May your kingdom come.
May your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be revered as holy.
10 May your kingdom come.
May your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
A MODEL FOR PRAYER
Jesus's teaching on prayer shows that prayer is not about seeking attention or manipulating God into performing for us. Instead, Jesus teaches that prayer is a conversation with God who knows us and is for us. Prayer requires trust in a good God.
We go to God in prayer because we need help. We go to God because we recognize that some things are beyond our control.
A basic structure can be observed in Jesus's prayer. When we pray with our words we:
This is a simple structure to begin praying. If you are new to prayer, we suggest starting here.
You may also consider reciting Jesus's words in the Lord's prayer as a daily rhythm or routine practice for a season.
We go to God in prayer because we need help. We go to God because we recognize that some things are beyond our control.
A basic structure can be observed in Jesus's prayer. When we pray with our words we:
- Address God
- Acknowledge God
- Offer our concerns
- Ask for help
This is a simple structure to begin praying. If you are new to prayer, we suggest starting here.
You may also consider reciting Jesus's words in the Lord's prayer as a daily rhythm or routine practice for a season.