The disciples watched Jesus pray often, early in the morning and late into the night. One day they asked Him to teach them to pray. Matthew records Jesus’ teaching on prayer right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. He warns against showy prayers and endless words, then gives a short model prayer that believers around the world still pray. Many of us find prayer hard. We get distracted, or we are not sure what to say. Jesus meets us right here with simple, life-giving help.
Prayer Is Not a Show
Jesus warns against praying like the hypocrites, who loved to stand on street corners so others would see them (Matthew 6:5-8). Instead He says to go into your room, shut the door and pray to your Father in secret. He also warns against vain repetitions, thinking that many words will make God listen. Long prayers are not wrong, and Jesus Himself prayed all night. The problem is prayer aimed at people, or prayer used like a formula. Solomon advised that we should not be hasty with our mouths before God, so let our words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Jesus adds a comforting truth: your Father knows what you need before you ask. So we do not pray to inform God. We pray to know Him and depend on Him, just as the disciples longed to learn (Luke 11:1).
Where and when will you set aside a quiet place this week to pray to your Father with the door shut?
A Pattern for Every Day
Then Jesus gives a model for prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). It begins with worship: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Because of Jesus, we can call God Father. The Spirit of adoption teaches us to cry, Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). Next we pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our plans come after His purposes. Then we ask for daily bread, a humble request for what we need today. We ask forgiveness for our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Finally we ask for help against temptation and deliverance from evil. This prayer covers worship, surrender, provision, forgiveness and protection. Paul tells us that in everything, by prayer with thanksgiving, we should make our requests known to God (Philippians 4:6).
Which part of the Lord’s Prayer do you most often skip, and how will you include it in your prayers each day this week?
Forgiven People Forgive
Jesus ends by returning to one line of the prayer. If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive, neither will your Father forgive you (Matthew 6:14-15). This does not mean we earn forgiveness by forgiving. It means a heart that has truly received God’s mercy cannot keep holding others hostage. When Peter asked if forgiving seven times was enough, Jesus said seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). Unforgiveness blocks our fellowship with God and poisons our prayer life. Paul tells us to forgive one another, even as Christ forgave us (Colossians 3:13). Some wounds are deep, and forgiving may take time and many prayers. But we can start by telling God honestly that we choose to release the debt.
Whom do you need to forgive, and what words will you use to release them to God in prayer this week?
Conclusion
Jesus teaches us to pray in secret rather than for show, to follow a simple pattern that puts God first, and to forgive as we have been forgiven. Prayer is not a technique to master. It is a relationship with a Father who already knows our needs and loves to hear our voice. Jesus Himself opened the way to the Father through His death and resurrection, and He still intercedes for us today. So come boldly, and keep coming.
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