Seeking A Prayerful LifeНамуна

The Model Prayer

What is the Lord’s Prayer? Is it a prayer to be recited as it so often is—just by memory, or just as a form prayer? The Lord’s Prayer is a model prayer that is to be prayed through. It is “how you should pray,” in this way, like this, that a person is to pray. Christ was teaching the disciples how to pray. He was giving words, phrases, thoughts that are to be the points of the believer’s prayer—not a prayer to be repeated meaninglessly.

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us how to pray. We are to surrender ourselves to God—“your kingdom come, your will be done.” We are to surrender and set our minds and hearts on the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. 

We are to ask God for several things, including our daily needs, forgiveness, and deliverance from Satan and temptation.

Lastly, we give God our praise and commitment. Everything belongs to God. The fact that the Lord’s Prayer starts and ends with praise shows that He deserves our praise. He created us with the ability to praise Him. He desires our praise. A genuine believer is always praising God’s name before all. He is all in all and worthy of our every praise. 

Study Questions:

• Do you find yourself reciting the Lord’s Prayer without really thinking about it?

• Do you use the Lord’s Prayer as an example for how you should pray?

• Do you make it a habit to praise God every time you come to Him in prayer?

Begin thinking about the Lord’s Prayer when you pray. Surrender yourself completely to Him, request of His help, and praise Him both for who He is and for His goodness in your life.