Jesus and Prayer
Jesus never allowed the pace of life to deter Him from spending time with His heavenly father. Mark wrote, "In the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to solitary place; and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35).
Jesus taught us the importance of daily prayer. He said, “Always pray, never lose heart” (Luke 18:1). He also said to converse with God day and night (Luke 18:7).
Jesus set an example of daily prayer by praying during all kinds of circumstances:
He prayed at His baptism (John 3:21).
He prayed as He faced His passion (Matthew 26:39) and on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Luke 23:34, 46).
Jesus prayed while in agony, He prayed all the more earnestly (Luke 22:44).
He prayed during sad times, like at the tomb of His friend Lazarus.
He prayed all night before He chose His disciples. (Luke 6:12).
He prayed when He broke bread and gave it to others to eat (John 6:11).
Jesus made it a priority to pray. "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16), or He sent the crowds away and “went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23). We also read that Jesus rose "very early in the morning" and "went off to a solitary place where He prayed" (Mark 1:35).
Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:1-4).
Matthew 6:5-15 "5 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. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 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. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses".
If you think about each phrase it will become more meaningful to you:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” At the beginning of your prayer, acknowledge that God is your Father. For example, you might pray, "God, thank You for loving me and adopting me as Your child, though I did nothing to deserve Your love."
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” These phrases are all about your desire to have God's ideals acted out here on earth. Ask God to show you what He wants done today and to give you the energy or courage to do it. Ask Him to show you any ways in which you might be unaware you are doing something that is less than His ideal and to help you change.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Ask God to provide for you physically today. Feel free to ask for other needs such as housing, clothing, a job, safety, etc. Get specific about what you need and thank Him for the ways He has provided in the past.
“And forgive us our trespasses even as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Ask God to forgive you for those things you know you have done wrong. You may want to pray for God's help in conquering a sin that keeps recurring in your life. Ask God for His forgiveness and thank Him. Then, think about whether there is anyone in your life who you have not forgiven. Take a moment to mentally forgive others. Ask God to intervene in those areas of your life.
“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” After praying for forgiveness, pray for protection from temptations and evil for self and family
“For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Amen.” Acknowledge that God has the power to answer your prayers and perform what He has promised.
The Bible tells us to pray on all occasions, making our requests known to God (Ephesians 6:18). Scripture tells us to pray without stopping (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It tells us never to worry about anything, and to thank God for what He has already provided (Philippians 4:6).