None but the WAY Himself designed the WAY for one to pray. Prayer in laymen terms would be making God known your needs. But the WORD (Matthew 6:8) makes it clear that God is very well aware of all our present and even forthcoming needs much before we ourselves realize it.
But JESUS has designed for us the skeleton of our prayers. The flesh (Words) for the same is to be put in from our end through none but the HOLY SPIRIT.
The skeleton & flesh: The Model Prayer.(Matthew 6)
- Our Father in Heaven – Know who you praying to. Your God is your Father. Approach Him like you would approach your earthly father; with the same freedom and liberty and love, rather much more. Remember He is the creator of the world around you. Whatever you are praying for, from wherever you are praying, whatever you have already when praying is all His.
- Hallowed be thy Name : Prayers are never complete without praising the very persona of GOD. Psalms 100:4 states ‘Enter His courts with praise’. It is the basic protocol to be followed when entering into the very presence of God. Also Psalmist reaffirms this in 22:3 ‘God dwells in our praises’.
- Let thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as in Heaven: Whatever is the need you might be praying about, it MUST be rooted in (Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above…). The sole purpose of the fulfillment of every need must be the glory of HIS name.
- Give us this day our ‘daily’ bread: Wow!! Daily!!! This hits the bull’s eye! We got to experience Him, His power, His providence everyday! Each day is packaged differently with different needs and circumstances. So is the Master’s love. (Lamentations 3:22-23). GOD’s love is never the leftover of what was experienced yesterday. It’s new everyday. Ask and receive it.
The bread also signifies the WORD. Listening and learning daily from HIM cannot be sidelined. Proverb 28:9 (He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.) That sounds scary, but so true. He who does not hear from God will never know what His will is and will end up making his prayer totally unacceptable and even detestable before God.
- And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: A man of God quoted thus once: What we do for GOD is not counted as credit. But it is a debit for what He has done for us.
This calls for the removal of every sort of self-righteousness when before the all righteous One. Also, forgive what others do unto you as we too, many-a-time, end up treating God the same way. (It can be other’s selfish attitudes, ungratefulness, cheating on you, door matting you, etc.)
- And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
This part of the prayer calls for being ready for the enemy’s attacks not on our own but in His grace. By including this statement, Jesus made it crystal clear that temptations and evil awaits to trap you, but the Lord is ever willing to keep you from temptations and deliver you from the same….only if you would ask!
Every statement in the skeleton of the prayer that Jesus laid before us is a promise. He asks us to pray this way as this is what He wills to do.
The Blood : Attitude & Faith
- But it does not end here. One question that fogs our minds at times when we pray is what’s God’s attitude when we pray? Acts 9:11 : ‘…for Behold he is praying’. This is what GOD says to Ananias when he finds Saul (Paul) praying. God has not changed since then. Even today when He sees you and I praying, this is exactly the way He reacts ‘(your name) is praying!’ His ears are ‘always’ open on our prayers.
- But what makes Him answer those? Rather what should be our attitude?
1 Chronicles 5:20 – “He heeded their prayer because they put their trust in Him”. Ohh!!! How He wants us to look to Him alone (not as the last resort but as the only resort), trusting Him that He is able to grant and WILL grant what we ask according to His will.
- His will is known from His WORD. Introspect your need with the WORD, whether it fits into the skeleton of the model prayer.
- Ask specifically, clearly; He is a God of specificity, clarity, simplicity.
- And if you don’t know what is the exact thing you got to pray, ask Him to show you what you ought to pray. (Acts 10) the God of Cornelius, will reveal what is it that you really ought to be asking, rather what is it that He wants to do with you , for you, through you.
The HEAVENS will definitely answer with an AMEN as you pray with the SON’s heart for the glory of the FATHER through none other than the loving HOLY SPIRIT.