The Master’s Class on Prayer, Pt. 1

Prayer is one of the basic disciplines of the Christian life and something every Christian must learn how to do. One time after listening to Jesus pray, His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray like He prayed. In response to their request, Jesus provided them with a simple yet profound prayer. We know it today as the Lord’s Prayer, which is by far the most beloved and most often quoted prayer of all time. Sadly, however, it is probably the most misunderstood and misapplied portion of Scripture. Jesus never intended this prayer to be something we parrot mindlessly and mechanically. Rather, it was meant to be an example of the kind of conversation a believer should have with God in prayer—a model, guide, pattern, blueprint, or template for us to follow. In this sample prayer, Jesus gives eight essential elements of the kind of prayer God desires to hear from His people.

Eight Essential Elements of Biblical Prayer

• Accessing God’s Presence (v. 9a) — “Our Father who is in heaven”
• Revering God’s Person (v. 9b) — “Hallowed be Your name”
• Pleading for God’s Program (v. 10a) — “Your kingdom come”
• Submitting to God’s Plans and Purposes (v. 10b) — “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
• Depending on God’s Provision (v. 11) — “Give us this day our daily bread”
• Seeking God’s Pardon (v. 12) — “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”
• Requesting God’s Protection (v. 13a) — “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil”
• Praising God’s Preeminence (v. 13b) — “Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”