FAQs Mondays: How Do We Learn to Pray?

Last week, we began a series on prayer by answering the question, "What is Prayer?".  You can read that post here. Since "Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies," we need to know how to pray.

What rule has God given for our direction in prayer?

The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer, but the special rule of direction is that prayer, which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord's Prayer. Paul reminds us that, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  Jesus prayed:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we have also forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Summary

Prayer is talking with God, but it is also more.  When we pray we are to pray for God's will and in the name of Jesus' name.  Praying in Jesus' name means that we are praying in such a way that his name will be rightly represented and glorified through our request.  Scripture teaches how to pray by showing us God's will, showing us Jesus' character, and by showing us the prayers of others.  One one the most instructive prayer in Scripture is often called "The Lord's Prayer."  This prayer is model Jesus gave to his disciples to help them learn how to pray.  Over the next few weeks, we will look at each part of the Lord's Prayer.  Next week, we answer the question, " What does the opening of the Lord's Prayer teach us?"