Since the beginning of our church, we have set our hearts to be a people of prayer. Our rally cry has simply been,
“Prayer is the engine NOT the caboose to the Christian life.”
In every situation, whether good or bad, we try to pray before we act. Many times people act first and then want God to bail them out of that situation, but prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.
Understanding the necessity of prayer is not enough. In order for it to become a part of our life, it needs to become something we look forward to doing. I’m convinced most people don’t enjoy prayer because they have never been taught how to pray.
Using several prayer models out of the Bible and having some guides to make prayer more personal we want to bring joy into your time with God. When you discover the beauty of daily conversation with Him, you’ll experience the presence of God that will change your life.
Once you learn how to pray, prayer can become a part of everyday life. And then…
- Before the day begins
- Before you go to bed
- Before you go to work or school
- Before you send that text
- Before you eat, drive or travel
- When bad things happen
- Before bad things happen
- In every situation — PRAY FIRST!
Prayer changes everything!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
The Lord’s Prayer is often recited in churches or at religious events, but there’s so much more to this prayer. Jesus provided this model as an outline to teach us how to pray in a way that connects us to God and empowers us to accomplish great things through Him. This model takes us through each part of The Lord’s Prayer, showing us how to pray the way Jesus instructed.
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” – LUKE 11:1
“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 forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver
us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” – MATTHEW 6:9 – 13 NK JV
- CONNECT WITH GOD RELATIONALLY
“Our Father in Heaven”
PRAYER:
“Father, I come to You in prayer today thankful that I am Your child. I know I am a sinner, but You have forgiven me and adopted me as Your own, and I am so grateful to call you my Father. Thank you for loving me. I love you.”
- WORSHIP HIS NAME
“Hallowed Be Your Name”
PRAYER:
“God, I am in awe of You. Your Name is a strong tower, a place of protection and safety for me. I praise You as my Healer, my Shepherd, and my Banner of Victory. You are my Peace, my Provider, my Righteousness, and my Sanctifier. Your Name is great, and I worship You.”
- PRAY HIS AGENDA FIRST
“Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”
PRAYER:
“God, I recognize there is no better plan on earth than Yours, and I pray for Your will to be done in my life (name the areas of your life where you need more of God’s presence today) and in our world. This world is lost and needs You desperately, and I pray for every person to know You as their personal Lord and Savior.
I pray for the leaders in my life (pray specifically over parents, spiritual leaders, government leaders, employers, and any other leaders in your life), that you would give them supernatural wisdom and discernment as they lead. Give them a revelation of Your will and Your purpose for them. And I give my life to You again today; have Your way in my life! Anything Youwanttodoin me or through me, I will do. I ask today for wisdom and clarity as you show me my next steps.”
- DEPEND ON HIM FOR EVERYTHING
“Give us this day our daily bread”
PRAYER:
“Father, I acknowledge that everything I need today will come from You. You made the heavens and the earth; You are more than capable of handling any situation I’m dealing with, so I give it to You completely (specifically talk to God about what is on your mind and heart right now and give it to Him). I look to you to help me, sustain me, and give me Your peace. Remind me of Your hope and power today. Thank You in advance for taking care of my needs.”
- FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN
“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”
PRAYER:
“God, thank You so much for offering me the gift of forgiveness. Show me any areas in my life that I need to bring before You in order to receive forgiveness and healing. I confess that I have been struggling with sin (talk to God about any areas of sin in your life), and I know that You want me to be clean again. Please forgive me for my sin. Thank You for showing me unfailing grace. As You have so freely forgiven me, I also want to freely forgive others. Please help me let go of all of my offenses. I release to You those who have hurt me, and I trust You to handle those situations according to Your perfect will.”
-
ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE
“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”
PRAYER:
“God, I recognize that my struggles today aren’t against the people or circumstances around me, but against the enemy. Please help me to see how the enemy is lying to me. Help me to recognize his lies, take them captive, and make all of my thoughts obedient to the truth of Your Word (list out any specific areas God shows you where you have believed a lie that needs to be replaced with His truth). While the enemy wants to destroy me, I know that You came to give me life to the fullest. I speak the name of Jesus over my life and declare that no weapon formed against me will prosper. I don’t have to fear the enemy because the One who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world.”
7. EXPRESS FAITH IN GOD’S ABILITY
“For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”
PRAYER:
“Father God, nothing is too hard for You! Through Your great power, all things are possible. All authority is Yours, all might is Yours, and I know that Your victory will be complete. You are amazing, and I worship You. I praise You for Your power and presence in my life. You are my God, and You are worthy of all praise.”