Hello
Jesus spent a lot of time talking to his followers about prayer. He encouraged them to pray. He taught them how to pray. He told them parables about prayer. Praying is probably the most important thing a follower of Jesus needs to do. The first and most important command is that we love God (Matthew 22:35-38), and we do that in prayer.
Matthew 6:5-15
Jesus’ most concentrated teaching on prayer is found in these verses.
The first thing Jesus said is, when we pray, we must pray to God; we must not pray to impress other people (Matthew 6:5-6).
Jesus then warned his followers against using empty words when we pray (Matthew 6:7-8). What are “empty words”? Well, we can get an idea of what he meant by looking at how we use the Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s prayer must be the most repeated prayer in the Christian world, but it is so familiar that it’s easy to say the words without thinking about what they mean, so the words become empty words. The words of Jesus’ own prayer can easily become the empty words that he told us to avoid. We don’t use empty words when we talk to someone we love, so we shouldn’t use empty words when we talk to God.
Of all the things Jesus taught, I think his teachings on how to pray are among the most important and the Lord’s Prayer is absolutely central to those teachings (Matthew 6:9-13; See also Luke 11:1-4). But, today, we are not taught to take this prayer seriously. I take it very seriously.
Here is what Jesus says he wants us to pray to our loving Father:
- May you be honored and deeply respected.
- May your kingdom come.
- May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Do we really pray these prayers? Do we pray them from our hearts? Do we really pray that God’s kingdom will come? Do we plead with God that what he wants to happen on earth will happen, just as it does in heaven? Imagine what the world would be like if we really prayed these prayers and God answered them. It may be that these prayers will only be answered by the second coming of Jesus, but I think God is ready to answer these prayers today and, indeed, I think he is answering them. Whether I am right or wrong, we must continue to pray these prayers, really pray them, because Jesus tells us to pray them and because the world needs these prayers to be answered.
The rest of the Lord’s Prayer is concerned with our personal needs. (Jesus places God’s agenda before our agenda.)
- Give us today our daily bread,
- and forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors,
- and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ‘
(Matt. 6:11-13)
We need food. We need to be forgiven, but we must forgive others. (You might like to look at the article “What did Jesus say about forgiving others?” – Link below). And we need to be protected from the evil one (You might like to look at the articles “How does the devil attack the church?”. Start with “Introduction” link below).
Persistence in prayer
Luke gives us two passages where Jesus emphasizes that his followers should be persistent in prayer. In Luke 11:5-13 Jesus tells the parable of the man who wakes his neighbor at midnight asking to borrow some bread, and in Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells the parable of the widow who demands justice from a judge. In both these parables Jesus says that we should keep praying and never give up.
What did Jesus mean when he said we will receive anything we ask for in prayer?
Every gospel writer tells us Jesus told his followers they would receive anything they asked for: (Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 11:23-24; Luke 11:9-10; John 15:7). Jesus also said if two of his followers agreed about anything they asked, it would be done for them (Matthew 18:19) and if his followers asked for anything in his name, it would be done for them (John 14:13-14; John 16:23-24). Unfortunately many of us, perhaps all of us, have been disappointed when we have prayed for something and the prayer didn’t seem to be answered. I think a couple of clues may help us here.
Firstly, Jesus is talking to his followers. People who follow Jesus are committed to doing the things he has commanded and these are the people who will get what they ask for. Jesus says this clearly in John.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8).
The second clue is found in the words “in his name”. To do something in someone else’s name means acting according to that person’s instructions. In olden times, if someone banged on a castle door and shouted “In the King’s name, I demand entry!”, they meant they were on the King’s business and had the King’s authority. So, these verses do not mean we can just ask for anything we like, and we’ll get it if we add the words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of the prayer. They mean we will get what we ask for when we ask in accordance with Jesus’ will. (There’s a link to a good article on this topic below.)
So, what can we pray for in Jesus’ name? What can we pray for and be sure it is what Jesus wants us to have? The answer is simple – we pray for those things he has told us he wants us to have. These things include anything he told us to pray for in the Lord’s prayer, and anything he commanded us to do – for example, love God, love others, stop judging others, forgive others. So, if I pray that I will love our loving Father more, or love others more, or stop judging others, and I pray these prayers from my heart and keep praying them, our loving Father will answer these prayers and give me what I ask for. He may not make the changes happen immediately, but he will make them happen.
My own experience is that our loving Father always answers my prayer when I ask for something I know he wants me to have, even though it may take a while to see the prayer being answered. Here’s just one example: My prayer that I would love our loving Father more is still being answered, many years after I started praying it. I’ve known, since I was about ten, that the first and greatest commandment is that I should love God, but only after many years of praying that I would love him more did I first know that I loved him and actually told him that I loved him.
May our loving Father guide you as you learn to love him more and pray according to his will.
Jesus is Lord.
Peter O
Related Articles
“What did Jesus say about prayer (Part 2)”
“What does Jesus want his followers to do?”
“What did Jesus say about sin?”
“How does the devil attack the church? – Introduction.”
“What did Jesus say about Worship?”
“What did Jesus say about forgiving others”
“What did Jesus say about being humble?”
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Your thoughts on being asked to pray publicly in a group for another’s specific request. Since God knows the need of us all, why do I need other than their name to pray for them. I feel like this is a form of gossip. It makes me uncomfortable.
Hello Jackie
Thanks for your comment. You are raising important issues.
I empathize with the concerns you raise. Obviously, I’m not familiar with the group you belong to, so I don’t understand the group dynamics. But you are right, we don’t need to know anything about another person to pray for them. And, yes, prayer can be used as a form of gossip.
You asked me for my thoughts on “being asked to pray publicly in a group for another’s specific request.” I’d like to break that down into two issues. (1) Being asked to pray publicly and (2) being asked to pray for another’s specific request.
(1) Being asked to pray publicly.
Jesus’ instructions on praying privately and publicly are not completely clear. If you take his teaching in Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” and Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” This might seem to indicate that we should only pray when we are on our own. But Jesus frequently prayed when others were present. Also, the Lord’s Prayer is written in plural “our” and “us”, not “my” and “me”. My conclusion is that praying alone is most important, but that we should not avoid praying in groups too. Prayer as worship in groups can be very good, of course, when led by the Spirit.
(2) Being asked to pray for another’s specific request.
I’m not completely sure what you mean by this. Is the difficulty that another person is directing what you should pray about? If so, I would be concerned. It’s very important to be listening for the Holy Spirit’s leading when we are praying, and I would be very concerned if a member of the group was directing how others should pray. Of course, we might get together to pray for a particular issue or person, but how we pray is between us, as individuals, and God.
I was also wondering whether you might be talking about being asked to pray for a specific outcome. I would never do that because praying for a specific outcome is limiting God to one option. God will, almost certainly, have other ways of answering the prayer. Probably, ways we would never think of. And, you are right again, God knows our needs. God knows what is best for each of us, his children. I am convinced that it is best, when praying, to go to our loving Father with the problem, never the solution.
I hope this has been helpful. I’ve found it useful to think about your comment. I’m happy to continue the conversation, here or by email peter@followtheteachingsofjesus.com
Prayer is an important piece of our relationship with the Father. Many ‘called’ on His name from way back in Genesis 4:26 … At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. Yes, to call on God is prayer.
I really like the examples of how to pray in this article along with how you pieced it together, and I’d like to add a few comments to be considered on prayer.
Let’s look at a piece of the Lord’s prayer first to understand the will of God, and His kingdom come.
The Father’s will:
The Lords prayer speaks of ‘Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’.
Kingdom: Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; [21] nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
The will of the Father is for us to listen and believe in His Son, and abide the words he gave us in our hearts. Doers of the Word.
Then we can look at the prayer of sinners. Please read John chapter 9 to get the context of this verse in particular: John 9:31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
Some verses on sinners prayer.
Job 35:12 There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
Micah 3:4 Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.
Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts.
There are more verses that support God does not listen to the prayer of sinners. What are we to do? Are we worthy enough for God to hear our prayer?
I suggest reading Psalm 51 as a great example of being humble and honest with God and our sin. James also sums it up; James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
So we must be clean in order for God to hear us pray. How are we clean? John 15:3-4 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in Me, and I in you.
Lastly please read John chapter 17. Observe how Jesus prays and who he prays for. Very interesting!
Blessings in Christ,
Dave
Our father …( I.e. we all have the one giver of our lives and indeed the life of tthe universe) who art in heaven (I.e where everything is perfect)
Hallowed be your name ( not some king, or guru or high priest, or writer of clever stuff)
Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven ( yes, we like what you have provided, we want it to be your way , as perfect as it can be)
Give us this day our daily bread ( We look and trust to your bountious provision to provide or daily needs, but not to make us billionaires)
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us ( help us remember that we can only ask to be forgiven our blunders and worse to the extent that we do the same for others, even though you may still forgive us)
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ( you know and we confess that we are vulnerable to being tempted by our desires or opportunity and we seek and pray to be set free of those needy feelings and know your complete peace )
For yours is the kingdom ( and it belongs to No one else) ….
Thank you, Peter. Any attention to prayer is welcome, from my point of view. In my life as in my theology and ecclesiology, prayer is life – and is a verb, not a noun, an activity and praxis, not a topic. Jesus: ‘keep on watching/keep on praying’ -> to me, this is analogous to ‘inhale/exhale’ or systole/diastole – complementary aspects of one cycle that should not be paused if life is to go on. Surely prayer is not separate from worship – one prays anytime s/he seeks or seeks to affirm relationship with triune God. God is the End, the Purpose of prayer; knowing God in the intimate Biblical sense is a proper flow for praying. You highlight listening as an aspect of prayer; so did Teresa of Calcutta; you mention being in silence as one prays; so have all the contemplatives I’ve come across. Prayer is, as you’ve mentioned, a dialog of love; perhaps, then, any act springing from and aimed toward agape’ can be gathered under the rubric of prayer? What do you think?
Thanks Will. It’s been a while. Hope things are well with you and yours.
Good thoughts. Thanks again. “Prayer is… a dialogue of love”. You got to the heart of the matter there. Any act of love is, indeed, prayer. I think this is what our old mate Brother Lawrence was getting at when he said:
“Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?”
What do I think? I want my whole life to be a prayer. And, for me, the deepest form of prayer is communion with God. Just being with God. No need for words. Just being together. Being one.
Thanks again.
Seems to me that when Jesus encourages us to pray, it is not that we might use it a way of earning Gods favour, as if God is an insecure parent. Grace is never earned. Prayer is not a transactional relationship with God, whereby we use God to extrude our desired outcomes. Nor is it because God does not need of our worship. Prayer, I believe, is not a skill, where only the artful are honoured and the less competent are ignored by a God who will only accept our heart cries when we get prayer right.
I imagine that Jesus was admonishing those who touted prayer as a way of gaining status, because the sacred act of prayer is not performance art, not a show of literary prowess. It is a way of listening, and to listen well we are served well when we retreat into quietness of ourselves and our surroundings.
Thanks Ken. Good thoughts – as usual.
Thankyou very much Peter well said
Thanks Julie