Prayer
Lord, Teach
Us to Pray
Have you ever sat down to pray and wondered where to begin? One of Jesus’ disciples asked Him for help. We can begin where that disciple did, by letting Jesus give us the words.
Matthew 6:5–8
Before you find the words
Before Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer, He told His disciples to go somewhere quiet and speak to the Father who sees them there. Then He told them something I find easy to forget when I’m worried. The Father already knows what we need. Take a moment to sit with that before you say a word.
Read Matthew 6:5–8 on BibleHub, opens in a new tabMatthew 6:9–13
Pray as Jesus taught
Open a section, read it slowly, and pause to pray in your own words. You can walk through the whole prayer or spend time with one line today.
Come to the FatherMatthew 6:9
Our Father in heaven on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Jesus gives us the word Father before He gives us anything to ask for. That word may take time to say with trust. Begin with what Jesus has already told us about Him. He sees us in secret and knows what we need. And because Jesus says our Father, there is room in this prayer for someone besides me.
Pause and pray. Father, here I am. You already know what I am carrying. Help me trust You with it.
Honor God’s nameMatthew 6:9
Hallowed be your name on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
The Greek verb behind hallowed, hagiazō, here means to regard as holy. When we pray these words, we ask that God’s name be honored. I find that a good place to begin is to name something I know to be true of Him. His patience, for instance, gives me a reason to be patient with the person I am about to see.
Pause and pray. Name one thing you have come to love about God. Ask Him to help you honor Him in one conversation today.
Ask for His kingdomMatthew 6:10
Your kingdom come on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
We ask God to bring His reign to fullness, and we begin to look for places where His rule can be seen today. Think of a family divided by a long disagreement. We can ask God for peace there and ask Him to show us a faithful part we can play.
Pause and pray. Bring one place of conflict or suffering before God. Ask what mercy or peacemaking might look like there.
Entrust your plans to HimMatthew 6:10
Your will be done on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
In Gethsemane, Jesus told the Father what He desired and entrusted Himself to the Father’s will. We can pray with that same honesty. Tell God how you hope things will turn out. Then ask for the willingness to obey Him in the next decision you actually have to make.
Matthew 26:39 on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Pause and pray. Father, You know what I hope will happen. Help me see the next faithful step and give me courage to take it.
Ask for today’s breadMatthew 6:11
Give us today our daily bread on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Jesus makes room for ordinary needs. Groceries, a ride to an appointment, and enough strength to get through the workday all belong in prayer. That little word us may also bring to mind a neighbor whose cupboard is running low. Perhaps there is something you can share.
Pause and pray. Name one thing you need today and one thing someone you know needs. Ask the Father to provide for you both.
Receive and extend forgivenessMatthew 6:12, 14–15
Forgive us our debts on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Jesus teaches us to bring our own wrongs into the open and to extend mercy to those who have wronged us. If you owe someone an apology, ask God to help you make it plainly. If someone has hurt you deeply, the first honest prayer may be for the willingness to forgive. You can seek that willingness and keep the boundaries you need for safety.
Matthew 6:14–15 on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Pause and pray. Tell the Father where you need His mercy. Ask Him to help you take one honest step toward extending mercy to someone else.
Ask for protection and deliveranceMatthew 6:13
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
I find it easier to see some temptations coming than to resist them once they arrive. Jesus teaches us to ask for help ahead of time. Name the moment when you are most likely to fall back into an old habit, and ask the Father to guide you through it and rescue you from evil. Think of one faithful action you can take when that moment comes.
Pause and pray. Father, You know where I am vulnerable. Help me recognize danger early, turn toward You, and ask for help when I need it.
How Prayer Changes Us
I can say every word of the Lord’s Prayer and hurry on before I’ve actually spoken to my Father. Jesus invites me to stay with Him long enough to tell Him what I’m carrying, to listen to what He has already said in Scripture, and to ask for help living it out.
The Father hears our requests. His character remains steady as He changes our hearts. As we spend time with Him in prayer, the Holy Spirit works in us, shaping us to become more like Jesus. I may walk away facing the same decision I brought to prayer, with a little more willingness to do what love requires.
Read 2 Corinthians 3:18 on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Bring one real concern to the Father. Open the prompt that speaks to where you are today, or work your way through the prayer with that concern in mind. Pause after you pray and ask what you can put into practice today.
Come as you areMatthew 6:9
Our Father in heaven on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Tell the Father one thing you brought into this moment. If the word Father is hard to say, begin with what Jesus tells you about Him. He already knows what you need. Pause there for a few breaths.
Begin here if you need words. Father, You see me here. Help me trust You with what I’m carrying.
Look beyond what is troubling youMatthew 6:9–10
Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Name something you love about God. If the same worry keeps coming back, bring it with you as you pray for His kingdom. Ask Him to show you one way His mercy or peace could take shape in the situation.
Begin here if you need words. Father, let Your name be honored here. Show me how to act with Your mercy.
Entrust the outcome to HimMatthew 6:10
Your will be done on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Tell the Father plainly how you hope things will turn out. Name one part of the outcome you cannot decide. Then ask Him what obedience looks like in the part you can act on today.
Begin here if you need words. Father, You know what I want. I entrust the outcome to You. Give me courage for the next faithful step.
Ask for what you need todayMatthew 6:11
Give us today our daily bread on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Bring tomorrow’s worry before God, then name what you actually need today. It may be a meal, some rest, or enough patience for a hard conversation. Receive that need as something you are welcome to ask about.
Begin here if you need words. Father, here is what I need today. Help me receive what You provide and ask for help where I need it.
Bring guilt and hurt into the openMatthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Name something you did that needs God’s mercy. Ask whether you owe someone an apology or can make a wrong right. If someone has hurt you, tell the Father honestly where forgiveness feels difficult. You can ask for a willing heart while keeping the boundaries you need for safety.
Begin here if you need words. Father, have mercy on me. Help me make right what I can and begin to extend the mercy I’ve received.
Ask for help before the hard momentMatthew 6:13
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Think of a moment when you are likely to slip into a harmful habit. Ask the Father for help before it comes. Decide what you can do when it arrives. You might leave the room, put the phone down, or call someone you trust.
Begin here if you need words. Father, help me see the danger early and take the way out You make available.
Make room for someone elseMatthew 6:9
Our Father in heaven on BibleHub, opens in a new tab
Say our slowly. Bring one person before the Father by name. If you have been carrying something alone, think of someone you could ask to pray with you. You can start with a simple message today.
Begin here if you need words. Father, care for us both. Show me how to share another person’s burden and give me the courage to let someone share mine.
Daily practice
Carry one line into your day
Choose the line you most need to pray today. Say it slowly once now. When you sit down to eat or have a quiet moment later, return to the same words and bring to the Father whatever has happened since you first prayed them.
Shalom,
Pastor Hogg