A Pattern for Prayer

 

Reading: Luke 11:1-13. See also Matt 6:5-15.

 

1. Many Ways to Pray

There are many examples of prayer given in Scripture. The following list is just a selection from the many available.

• Confession prayers: Neh 1:4-11; Psalm 51
• Short prayers: Neh 2:4; 2 Ki 6:17,18,20
• Organised prayers: Dan 6:10-11; Lu 5:16; Ps 55:17
• Intimate prayers: 1 Sam 1:10-16; John 17
• Cries for help: 2 Ki 19:14-19; Lu 22:41-44
• Intercession prayers: Ex 32: 11-13; Dan 9:4-19
• Prayers for healing: 1 Ki 17:19-23; 2 Ki 20:1-11
• Praise prayers: Ex 15:1-18; Ps 65; Rev 15:3,4
• Thanksgiving prayers: Jonah 2; Ps 116
• Blessings: Eph 3:20-21; Jude :24-25

We are not taught to follow one pattern or another exclusively. Read what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus:

“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph 6:18)

Paul says to pray

1.      in the Spirit

2.      on all occasions

3.      with all kinds of prayers.

Praying in the Spirit means that we depend on the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness. He can bring to our minds those things for which we should pray (Jn 16:13-15). He can intercede for us in accordance with God’s will (Rom 8:26,27).

Praying on all occasions means that there is no situation in which we cannot pray and for which prayer is not beneficial (1 Thess 5:17,18).

Praying with all kinds of prayers means that on different occasions different types of prayer will be appropriate.

 

2. One Helpful Pattern

Many of us find organised times of personal prayer particularly difficult unless we follow some kind of pattern or structure. Bill Hybels, in his book “Too Busy Not to Pray” describes the ACTS formula for prayer.

1. Adoration – praise and worship God
2. Confession – confess and repent of all sin
3. Thanksgiving – thank God for all he has done for you
4. Supplication – bring all your requests to God

Formulas like this can be beneficial, however we must avoid mere ritualistic application. There is a story of a little boy who was taught to use the ACTS formula when praying. One evening he knelt religiously beside his bed, and said,

“A. Dear God, I think you’re wonderful.

C. I’m sorry that I broke that window today.

T. Thank you that I wasn’t found out.

S. Please don’t let Daddy notice.”

How do we avoid ritual? Pray in the Spirit. Depend on the Holy Spirit to guide and control your prayers (Rom 8:26-27).

 

3. The Pattern Jesus Taught

One day after observing Jesus pray, his disciples asked him to teach them to pray also. Jesus responded by teaching them the prayer that we call ‘the Lord’s Prayer’, but perhaps more aptly named ‘the Disciples’ Prayer’. What follows is a summary of Jesus’ teaching.

Find a Place – “Jesus was praying in a certain place” (Lu 11:1).

Choose a place to use for prayer. Jesus suggested going into one’s room and closing the door (Matt 6:6). Jesus himself would find a quiet place in the hills to pray (Lu 5:16). What is clear is that Jesus is speaking of deliberate, planned activity in a place that is private and free from distractions.

Speak Out – “When you pray, say” (Lu 11:2).

It is, of course, possible to pray internally without expressing any words audibly. But it is difficult to control one’s thoughts when praying this way. There are many examples recorded in the gospels of Jesus’ prayers. The fact that they are recorded is strong evidence that He spoke them out loud, indeed in many cases this is explicitly stated. (See Matt 11:25-26; Matt 26:39-44; Lu 10:21; Lu 23:34; Lu 23:46; Jn 11:41-42; Jn 12:28; Jn 17).

The Scripture says that when Hannah was pouring out her soul before the Lord, she prayed in her heart, but her lips were moving (1 Sam 1:13). It is a good idea to follow a similar practice. Pray out loud whenever possible. By so doing you can be quite definite about what you are praying, and your thoughts are brought under control. If you are concerned about being overheard then whisper. If you are still concerned then use Hannah’s method of mouthing the words without sound. Many times the Scriptures refer to the use of our lips when praying or praising. So David says, “O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise” (Ps 51:15). See also Ps 21:2; 34:1; Ps 63:3,5; Ps 71:23; PS 119:171,172.

The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to say has seven distinct elements to it.

1. Draw Near – “Our Father in heaven”

The manner in which we approach God and address him speaks volumes about our relationship to him, and the faith in our hearts. Jesus did not say, “come to God the Creator”, although God did indeed create us. He did not say, “come to the Lord our Judge”, although God is indeed the judge of all mankind. He did not tell us to approach an angel to carry our prayers to heaven, although the angels are indeed sent to help us. He did not tell us to ask this saint or that to intercede on our behalf. He said, come to Father.

Father is the one who runs down the road to embrace the returning prodigal. Father is the one who knows the number of hairs on our head. Father is the one who knows our needs before we ask. Father is the one who loves to give good gifts to his children.

God is the Father of all who receive Jesus. John, speaking of Jesus, said, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” (Jn 1:11-13). Those who receive Jesus and believe in his name are those who are God’s children and have the right to call him Father.

Can you call God Father? Are you his child? Have you received Jesus and believed in His name? You may have been a church-goer since childhood, and kept all church customs and practices, but you cannot depend on religious practices, ceremonies or observances to make you a child of God. Only God can make you his child, and he bestows this privilege only on those who receive Jesus and believe in his name.

Jesus said, “our Father”. The Father we approach is Jesus’ Father firstly, and ours secondly. After Jesus was raised he said to Mary Magdalene, “I am returning to my Father and your Father” (Jn 20:17). When we approach Father we do not go alone. We have Jesus with us. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us, “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb 7:25). When we come to the Father we find Jesus is already there, interceding on our behalf.

We have access through Jesus into the very throne room of Heaven. What is amazing is that we are allowed to initiate this access. We are not told to wait, like Samuel of old, until we hear God call us. Queen Esther dared to enter the king’s presence without invitation, but she risked her life in doing so. But we, Jesus says, can immediately enter the throne room of our Father whenever we choose to. We approach the throne of grace boldly (Heb 4:16).

This throne is a throne of authority. Whatever God decrees from this throne will take place. He rules the universe from here. Angels fly hither and thither to carry out his commands. And we, weak and frail though we are, are welcome to come before him and present our requests.

2. Focus on His Name – “Let Your name be sanctified”

How can God’s name be sanctified when it is already holy? The answer is, in the hearts and minds of people. Firstly in our hearts and minds, secondly in the hearts and minds of those that do not yet acknowledge Him or give Him honour.

God’s name stands for His person, His presence and His power. We sanctify His name – set it apart as deserving special honour – when we have a true appreciation and wonder for His being and His ways.

I need to sanctify His name firstly in my mind and heart. Paul prayed, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” (Eph 1:17,18).

I need to sanctify His name secondly in my praise, ascribing to Him the glory due to His name. David wrote, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness” (Ps 29:2).

I also need to sanctify His name in my ministry, using the authority of His name fruitfully. Jesus said, “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (Jn 15:16).

Finally I need to sanctify His name in my mission, seeking above all for His name to be revered and glorified. Paul said, “God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11).

3. Seek His Kingdom – “Let Your kingdom come”

Jesus said we should seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, and all our other needs will be met (Matt 6:25-33). When you face a difficult situation and are not sure what else to pray, then pray, “Lord, let your kingdom come; come and exercise your kingly rule here in this situation.”

When we pray this prayer we can be confident that it is fully in the will of God. Paul said, “For he [Jesus] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25).

4. Desire His Will – “Let Your will come about, as in heaven so on earth”

We can pray for God’s will in our life. David prayed, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Ps 143:10). Jesus prayed, “Your will be done” (Matt 26:42). In fact he said that doing the will of his Father was his very food (Jn 4:34).

We can also pray for God’s will in the wider community. Paul urged Timothy to pray for those in authority so that we might enjoy an environment in which the gospel will flourish (1 Tim 2:1-4).

God guarantees to do what we ask. John said, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him”. (1 Jn 5:14,15).

5. Express Your Needs – “Give to us today our daily bread”

Remember that your needs are already known. Jesus said that we do not have to pray this prayer with great fervency, or with much pomp and ceremony, or some other way to convince God that we really mean it.  (Matt 6:7,8; Lu 11:9-13). He knows what we need, and we only have to ask. He guarantees to supply our need (Matt 6:25-34).

But actually, Jesus also taught that having your daily food provided is not the crucial thing. He said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). Hearing and receiving God’s word is much more important. Our ‘daily bread’ is the word of God, spoken by Him to us each day. Our spiritual lives must be sustained by His word to us.

6. Confess Your Sin – “Forgive us our debts as we indeed forgave our debtors”

If we confess our sins God will forgive us. John says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9).

However, it is possible for our confession to be negated if we refuse to give up the sin of unforgiveness. Jesus said, “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matt 6:14,15). Don’t cling to the sin of unforgiveness.

Sometimes the first thing we need to do when coming into God’s presence is to confess out sin, because we know we have disobeyed Him, and are far away from Him and out of fellowship with Him. But I think Jesus is speaking here of those times of prayer when we are not conscious of overt sin that needs to be confessed. In such times our priority is to focus first on our Father, His glory, His name, His kingdom and His will, and only after this on ourselves and our own needs. But although our needs may be secondary, they are nevertheless important to God, and He desires us to bring them before Him.

7. Seek Protection – “Do not bring us into testing, but rescue us from evil”

Asking God not to lead us into temptation can seem strange. Surely He would not lead us into temptation in any event, would He? We need to understand that the word translated ‘temptation’ can also be translated ‘testing’. It was used in this way by Jesus when, speaking to His disciples, He said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Matt 26:41). A time of severe testing was near; the extent to which the disciples suffered from it depended to some extent on their diligence in watching and praying. Many of us endure testing experiences that we could have avoided had we spent more time seeking our Father’s guidance in prayer. Clearly not all testing is avoidable, as is evident from Jesus’ own experience (see Matt 26:39). But we can fall into more than is needful if we do not watch and pray.

But whether the testing was avoidable or not, God always promises to deliver us. Paul said, “No temptation (testing) has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (tested), he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor 10:13). Moreover, we are continually protected by His power, as Peter said, we “through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet 1:5).

We also seek God through prayer to deliver us from evil. This could be translated “deliver us from the evil one”. When we are actively involved in bringing in the kingdom of God and driving back the kingdom of darkness then we will be attacked. This attack can take the form of temptation. It can also take other forms. Paul says that we struggle against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12). Consequently, we need to take our stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:10,11). Prayer is an essential part of our armoury and weaponry.

 

Every one of these seven elements God will respond to. To each of these requests, expressed by one of his children in the name of Jesus, He will answer, “Yes”.

When you draw near to Him He will draw near to you (Jas 4:8).

When you pray for His name to be sanctified He will do it (Jn 12:28)

When you ask for His kingdom to come it will happen (Phil 2:9-11)

When you pray for His will then it will be done (1 Jn 4:14,15)

When you ask for your needs to be met He will meet them (Matt 6:25-34)

When you seek forgiveness He will forgive you (1 Jn 1:9)

When you seek protection He will protect you (1 Pet 1:5)

 

 

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.