When friends talk to each other, it's a conversation. When man talks to God, it is called prayer. As simple as it is, prayer is the manner of expressing your thoughts to the Lord. From a whispered wish for help, to a loud and brash cry for mercy, it is all one and the same, a prayer.
Casual talks do not require a handbook, nor does our Heavenly Father enjoy us reciting mechanical prayers or repeating somebody else’s prayer. The Bible is the guideline for prayer. The apostle Matthew records some pointers in Matthew 6.
a. Do not be a show-off when you pray. (verse 5)
b. Pray to the unseen God. (verse 6)
- This means, not in front of an idol.
c. Do not keep on babbling. (verse 7)
The following is a pattern of prayer. Jesus said that this is “how” we should pray. (A very short exposition.)
1. ‘Our Father in heaven.’ – Direct your prayers to God the Father. (Not to any other name that we are accustomed of venerating.)
2. ‘Hallowed be Your name.’ – Worship God. Tell Him how wonderful He is in your life.
3. ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ – Seek God’s will. Re-affirm your obedience to Him.
4. ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ – (our favorite part!) Notice that we only get to ask on the fourth protocol. The concept of a “daily bread” is a Roman military term. When the Roman soldiers in Jesus’ time went to war, they brought supplies that are good until tomorrow. God wants us to have ‘more than enough’ for today!
5. ‘Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.’ – Forgive people, by name, anyone who has offended us. Only then can we ask forgiveness for our own sins. Confess our sins one by one, and in faith renounce them. But in reality, we hold on to our pet sins. Then pray for God’s grace to just take away the desire for that sin. Likewise, pray for God’s grace to have a forgiving heart.
6. ‘For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory…’ – Worship God again!
7. ‘Amen.’ – In the original language in Hebrew, amen is ‘truly.’ It is like putting your signature in a written agreement, proclaiming, “So be it!”
- Addendum: Jesus said that whatever we ask in His name would be binding. And so, we properly close “…in Jesus’ name, amen.”