Many believe that they have to use many words and have a formal tone when they pray. But the truth is that God hears and responds to the groan and motive of your heart. The prayers that God has heard and answered the most is when I just cry out to Him – Help me!”

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What is prayer? It is a conversation with God. And the more you get to know the Lord through your devotions, the more your prayer with Him will really be more like a conversation.

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Matthew 6:9-13
(9)  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(11)  Give us this day our daily bread.
(12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

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All of us recognize this prayer. It is prayed everywhere and most people know it, no matter the denomination. There is an account of Billy Graham who had great meetings in stadiums all over the world. He once saw everyone who went to the front to receive Jesus and asked them, "Do you know how to pray? Then he looked up at the sky and said, "Father, I love you." Looking back from him to the people he said, "This is how to pray."

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Through prayer one can converse with God on any subject at any time in any place. Prayer is talking to God and also listening to God. Perhaps you have heard a Christian say that God spoke to him.

When God speaks, it is not a voice that we hear with our natural ears. He speaks to us through His Word. We read it and respond with our prayer and actions. And He answers our prayer with His actions.

We can also hear a voice coming from within. And this voice is always in agreement with God's Word. He never says anything against The Word. It will also be something that will never occur to you and brings peace.

Jesus Christ lived a life of prayer. He prayed in the morning.

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"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." (Mark 1:35)

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Jesus prayed constantly.

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"But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed." (Luke 5:15-16)

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More than anyone else, He was right to say that He was too busy to pray. People pressured Him and surrounded Him with their needs. But then He set aside times in the day to be alone with His Father.  Seeing how much Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to take that time to pray!

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Jesus also prayed intensely before making important decisions.

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"And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto him his disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles;" (Luke 6:12-13)

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The decisions that we encounter today require that we pray for them consistently and intensely. Jesus Christ did not always pray all night, but this time He was going to select men who would affect the destiny of Christianity and the salvation of millions of people in the future. It is important to note that if the apostles had failed in their mission, today we would be lost, spiritually empty and without hope.  So praise the Lord for choosing these men and women (also) faithful in their mission to share the Gospel from one generation to another.

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"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)

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Prayer is an alternative to anxiety. When we come into the presence of God, He Who is Peace gives us peace.

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"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)

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Prayer gives us a way to avoid temptation. Again – when our spirit increases it will influence our soul (mind, will and emotions) more and you will make a decision according to and in obedience to the Word of God.

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"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)

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You can achieve great success when you pray.

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"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Matthew 6:5)

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"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him." (Matthew 6:7-8)

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We must enter our room with the door closed to converse with our Heavenly Father. The heathen imagine that they will be heard for their many words. And they also repeat the same thing, phrase, or word as a mantra.

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"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13)

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Jesus gave us the pattern to pray. He did not say, "Pray this," but pray this way, glorifying the Father, praying for His kingdom to come and for His will to be done in specific situations, asking for our needs, asking for forgiveness, asking for help to live a holy life and asking for protection from the enemy and finish again praising and glorifying the Father.
It is important to note that Jesus told them to pray to the Father, not to anyone else, not even to Him.

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"And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you." (John 16:23)

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All this is so much important information. Prayer is important and it is necessary to know the best way to pray. The Word of God is specific in many things and if we pray, we want God to hear us and receive our requests. So remember the Lord's prayer is a pattern to pray. We will go over each part of the Lord's prayer next time and see how we can use that pattern in our everyday prayer.