I found my faith later than most, in my mid-thirties into a culture that was unfamiliar to me. What was expected of me? I quickly realized I had entered a new life where regular prayer was encouraged.How should I pray? This is exactly what Jesus’ apostles asked as written in Matthew 6:9 (NIV).
Jesus answered, “This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. “
In my previous post, “Prayer when the words won’t come” this is the prayer I found myself coming to over and over when I was a fledgling Christian. Later, when my mother passed a few short years ago, I found myself coming back to these comforting and familiar words.
Everything I need is there, fifty-three words—five stanzas that give us guidance on how to come before God.
We start with recognizing God as holy and in charge. We acknowledge our duty to grow his kingdom here on earth. We ask for our physical day-to-day needs. We ask forgiveness for our sins and promise to forgive others for their transgressions against us. We pray for deliverance and protection from corruption and evil forces.
Everything we need is there. Some scholars have said that Jesus has given us a template—one we can follow using our own words. Use our own words of praise, recognize God’s sovereignty, make our supplications, and ask for protection. We can customize for any situation, and make our needs known all within a framework people have used since the time of Jesus.