By Sarah-Kate Duran
I get it. You have good intentions. You want to be the person who has faith and who can pray effectively and often. You admire people who can spend time in God’s presence and pray for hours. But when you go to actually pray, you feel stuck. Speechless. Empty. Maybe even silly. Or maybe you prayed … but you were done in less than 60 seconds.
In Luke 11 Jesus’ disciples experienced Jesus praying; they either heard or saw Him praying. They must have seen results from His prayers to the Father as they asked Him to show them how to pray like He did. In Matthew 6 we also see it reiterated.
First, Jesus explains that you don’t pray to be seen, heard, or to show off. And when you do, that’s all the reward you get, not answered prayer.
Second, find a solitary place. Yes, God can hear your cries wherever you are. For example, you could spend time one-on-one time with a friend in a public place, but how much deeper you connect when it’s just the two of you having coffee at home. When you set a time and place aside to be alone with God, you can hear more clearly. (Side note: I don’t pray to be seen by my children, but I want my children to see me praying. They know when I was spending time with Jesus.)
Third, He tells them not to use useless rhetoric; it’s meaningless repetition that doesn’t move the hand of God or the Father’s heart. Prayers are not potions or magic spells. Rubbing idols or objects and repeating phrases is not found in scripture being done by Jesus when He prayed.
Fourth, He lovingly reminds us that even before we pray the Father already knows what we need. We are not a source of information that He needs. He already knows. I promise. You can absolutely pour out your heart to Him (Psalm 62:8), He should be your best friend and that’s what best friends do. But fight the urge to inform and explain to Him like He’s ignorant. Praying is a time to connect with the Infinite God, listen, get on the same page as Him, and give Him your needs. You are not reporting the news.
Fifth, Jesus said that when you pray, you “say.” Prayers are words, not just thoughts. Don’t be afraid to speak out loud.
Now let’s break down the famous “Lord’s Prayer” found in these two scriptures.
“Our Father who art in Heaven” — address Him as Who He is. Call on Him according to what You need. Acknowledge His authority.
“Hallowed be Thy Name” — come to Him with worship first. He is holy and worthy to be praised and adored.
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” — ask for His will, not yours to be done in your life.
“Give us this day our daily bread” – this is where you bring Him your needs, wants, desires, and petitions — for yourself and others. I’ve told you before — ASK big. God is not on a budget.
“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” — ask Him for forgiveness and also release all those who have wronged you.
“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” — ask for protection and guidance.
“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever” — end with more praise and gratitude.
Expound on these seven sections, and you’ll find yourself spending more time in prayer than ever.
Sarah Kate Duran is an independent columnist for The Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press; you can email her at alphabeth@tcsn.net