How to pray

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.

In the Quiet Chamber

We should retreat to the quiet chamber for prayer. This means not making our prayer habits public but withdrawing into intimacy and solitude with God.

Not Using Many Words

We are not heard because we use many words, but because God knows exactly what we need, and we can speak to Him normally. Many words are a sign of unbelief toward God.

Content of the Prayer

Our Father in Heaven

Our address to God testifies to our position before Him: we are His children, and He listens to us as a father listens to his children.

In Heaven, hallowed be Your Name

God’s position before us: He is the Almighty in Heaven, and He is holy. We must have reverence for Him.

Your Kingdom Come

God’s kingdom in Heaven is united with the kingdom within us.

Your Will Be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven

God wants us to obey Him.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

We are totally dependent on God; everything we have, we owe to Him.

And Forgive Us Our Debts, as We Forgive Our Debtors

God forgives us our debts when we ask Him, but at the same time, we commit ourselves to forgiving our debtors. At the end of the prayer, Jesus emphasizes again how important this is.

And Lead Us Not into Temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil

We live in the hope that no greater temptation or evil will come upon us than we can bear.

For Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory

We must never forget to praise and glorify God.

Pray Without Ceasing

Paul says: Pray without ceasing. What does he mean by this?

We all have an inner dialogue in which we communicate either with ourselves or with another person.

We can set aside ourselves or the person we want to talk to and let God take their place.

He alone knows how we are, what we need, and He alone has the solution to all problems.

Therefore, Paul urges us to pray without ceasing and to get used to directing our everyday thoughts to Him.