7 Right Ways to Pray

The Lord’s Prayer begins with these words in Matthew 6:9: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,”. This opening acknowledges God’s holiness and power. When we pray, it’s essential to approach God with reverence, honoring the reality that we are talking with our Creator. A sense of awe for God is the beginning of wisdom, the Bible reveals in both Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10. By approaching God with reverence, we humble ourselves before him, as Psalm 95:6 urges us to do: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” We recognize God’s unlimited power, and allow ourselves to be inspired by the wonder of God’s work in our world and in our lives. We honor God by choosing to be genuine with him, expressing our prayers with truth. God accepts all truly heartfelt prayers, regardless of their form. As Psalm 145:18 points out: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” So, we should always be authentic and sincere when we pray. God searches our hearts and examines our minds (Jeremiah 17:10). Expressing our prayers with integrity is an important part of approaching God with reverence.

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Jesus continues his example prayer in Matthew 6:10: “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This phrase underscores the importance of aligning our desires with God’s purposes. True prayer involves surrendering our will to God’s will, and trusting that God will answer our prayers in the best ways and in the best timing. By seeking God’s will in our prayers, we invite God’s wisdom into our lives, allowing God’s kingdom to reign in our decisions. Jesus followed his heavenly father’s will completely, but that doesn’t mean that doing so was easy in his human life. Matthew 26:39 records the struggle that Jesus experienced before his crucifixion: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Jesus went through common human temptations, so he knows how hard it can be to choose God’s will over our own. But he encourages us in Matthew 6:31-33 to simply seek God first, and when we do, God will provide all we need: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Seeking God’s will requires lifelong learning. It involves laying aside our own agendas and preferences and submitting to God’s plan. As we align our prayers with God’s will, we position ourselves to experience God’s blessings and fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.

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Next, Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily needs, saying in Matthew 6:11: “Give us today our daily bread.” This part of the Lord’s Prayer reminds us to depend on God for all of our needs day by day. As we bring our concerns before God, we demonstrate our trust in God’s provision and care. Philippians 4:19 assures us: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” God appreciates us talking with him about every specific need we face, as well as the needs of people we know and the needs of our world. Asking God for our daily needs involves acknowledging our dependence on God and our willingness to rely on God – rather than ourselves – in every situation. A powerful way to rely on God is to ask the Holy Spirit to empower us every day. When we do so, we move from passively expecting God to meet our needs to actively cooperating with God’s work in our lives. God will give us all we need to do the good work he wants us to do. 2 Corinthians 9:8 points out: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 

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One of the most challenging parts of the Lord’s Prayer is the call to forgive others. Jesus says in Matthew 6:12: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” This highlights the importance of extending grace and mercy to others, since God has been graceful and merciful to us. Colossians 3:13 urges us: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Similarly, Ephesians 4:32 encourages us: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness immediately after the Lord’s Prayer, when he reveals in Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” When we hold grudges, we poison our souls with bitterness and distance ourselves from God’s love, which is meant to flow regularly through our lives. God calls us to love everyone – even to love our enemies – and forgiveness is a vital part of living lives of love. Since God has forgiven us for our sins, God expects us to be willing to forgive the people who hurt us. We don’t have to do that through our own efforts, however. God will give us the strength we need to forgive in any situation. Through forgiveness, we experience healing and peace of mind, as God’s love flows through our lives. As we pray, we should do so without resisting God’s love in our lives.

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Jesus then says in Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” This part of the Lord’s Prayer acknowledges our ongoing struggle against sin and evil spirits, which are led by the demon Satan that Jesus references in this verse. By seeking God’s protection and strength when we pray, we acknowledge our need for God’s grace to overcome temptation and live victoriously. We are constantly engaged in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). But with God’s help, we can overcome evil in any type of circumstances. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3, the Bible assures us: “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” James 4:7 advises us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the “armor of God” that we can use to fight evil with God’s power working through us. When we pray, we should always be aware that evil is around us in this fallen world. We should never be silent about evil, but instead ask God to empower us to overcome evil regularly. By relying on God’s strength, we can resist temptations to sin and experience victory over evil attempts to harm us. We can pray for deliverance with confidence, knowing that God’s power is much greater than any type of evil we may face. 

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Another right way to pray that Jesus points us to is expressing gratitude to God for hearing and answering our prayers. Jesus models the importance of expressing gratitude in prayer when he raises Lazarus from the dead. John 11:41-42 records: “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’” Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have been given, helping us appreciate God’s work in our lives. That appreciation helps us build closer relationships with God. As 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 exhorts us: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Expressing gratitude involves acknowledging God’s blessings – both big and small – in our lives. It’s an act of worship that honors God’s constant goodness toward us. Gratitude inspires us to trust God in all circumstances. Praying with gratitude is an important way of praying with the faith God wants to see in us.

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Finally, prayer is an opportunity to praise God for who he is and what he does. The Lord’s Prayer concludes in some versions of the Bible (such as the King James Version) with these words in Matthew 6:13: “… For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” This ending affirms God’s majesty by declaring God’s reign over all creation. It emphasizes how everyone and everything is in God’s hands for eternity. It also inspires us to approach God with awe and celebrate God with joy. As Psalm 145:3 points out: “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” As we praise God for who he is and what he does in our lives, we can notice God’s presence with us and be encouraged to keep communicating with God in prayer.

While God will accept any kind of authentic prayer we pray from our hearts, Jesus has given us valuable information about how to pray well. Jesus modeled the right ways to pray throughout his earthly life. He also gave us a powerful example of prayer, in what we traditionally call the Lord’s Prayer. By keeping those concepts in mind, we can build a strong prayer life that helps us enjoy close relationships with God.

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