Prayer is talking to God. It is important for a new believer to learn to pray to God every day. Talk to Him about your plans for every day. Talk to Him about your concerns, your anxieties. Talk to Him about your needs. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us a model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13
“In this manner, therefore, pray: 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.”
In this model prayer the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to start by addressing God as your Father and beginning your prayer with worship, hallowing His name or declaring that He is Holy. At this point remember the names of God which declare His attributes in your life. It is easier to remember these names by their original Hebrew. These names of Jehovah or Jahweh declare what He wants to be to you, the attributes He desires to manifest in your life.
Hallowed be Your name Jahweh-Tsidkenu the Lord my Righteousness (He desires above all to manifest His righteousness in your life through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. 2Corinthians 5:21, Jeremiah 33:16).
Hallowed be Your name Jahweh-Jireh the Lord my Provider- He wants to be the source of all your provision (Genesis 22:14, Matthew 6:11).
Hollowed be Your name Jahweh-Shalom the Lord my Peace (He wants to be your giver of peace and total well-being Judges 6:24, John 14:27).
Hallowed be your name Jahweh-Nissi the Lord my Banner of Victory (He wants to be your source of victory, success and emotional satisfaction (Exodus 17:15, 1Corinthians 15:57).
Hallowed be your name Jahweh-Rapha the Lord who is my Healer (He wants to be your healer and giver of good health and emotional well-being Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 53:5, 1Peter2:24).
Hollowed be Your name Jahweh-Shammar the Lord who is Present with me (He wants to manifest His presence in your life, this will manifest as His goodness and His glory upon your life Ezekiel 48:35, Matthew 28:20)
Hallowed be your name Jahweh-Rohi the Lord who is my Shepherd (The Lord wants to guide, shield and lead you as you make important decisions in your life every day, to lead you in the paths of righteousness. Psalms 23:1, John 10:11).
Hallowed be your name Jahweh-M’Kaddesh, the Lord who Sanctifies me, who concencrates me and sets me apart for His purpose and mission. Leviticus 20:8, John 17:17.
Then asking for His kingdom to come, to be manifested and to take root in your life, in your family, community, country and Planet Earth. The main attributes of the kingdom of God are eternal life, power, righteousness, peace and joy. His word says in Romans 14:17:
“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
It also says in 1 Corinthians 4:20
“For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”
So as you pray ask for the manifestation of the attributes of the kingdom of God starting in your life and family and for the whole Planet Earth. Pray for righteousness, that people may be saved, come to know Jesus Christ, cry for the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement (John16:8, Joel 2:28-32).
Pray for peace and well being in the same manner starting with your life and family –remember specifically those parts of the world with unrest, wars and strife, disease hunger and starvation. Ask for peace from the God who makes wars to cease (Psalms 46:9). Pray for God to move the hearts of those who have the substance of this life, to give liberally to those in need and who suffer lack. Pray for the abolishing of poverty across Planet Earth through the manifestation of the love of God. (1 John 3:17).
Pray for the manifestation of the power of God in salvation of souls, deliverance from every manifestation of evil.
Pray for the will of God to be done in every facet of your life, family and ministry. This means you need to let go and let God accomplish His perfect will and purpose in your life.
Pray for His daily provision
Ask for forgiveness for the mistakes you have done and also for the things you should have done but did not do. Ask for the cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ your Saviour. As you do that you need also to forgive and release those who have wronged you.
Ask God, not to lead you into temptation, to grant you grace for the hour of temptation, trials and testing and for deliverance from the wicked one Satan.
Finally finish your prayer by worshipping Him- for His is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Declare that He reigns in the earth, He reigns in your life, He is all powerful, the Lord of Hosts. Declare that all glory is due to Him who reigns forever and ever. Amen.
The model prayer was not meant really to be recited and repeated verbatim day in and day out-no. It was meant to give you a guide.
In summary :
a) Address God as your Father.
b) Take a moment to worship Him.
c) Address His names which declare what He wants to be to you and claim the promises they make to your life.
d) Pray for the manifestation of the kingdom of God- righteousness, power, peace and joy and for the will of God.
e) Forgive and ask for forgiveness
f) Ask for deliverance from the evil one and that you are not led into temptation
g) Close with worship and adoration.
You will notice that from day to day you can vary all items on this prayer outline depending on the needs you are facing, so that no two prayer sessions need to be the same.
Set apart time for prayer every day. Aim for spending an hour in prayer every day. This may be first thing on rising or last thing before retiring or at any other time during the day.
Our Lord Jesus Christ who set us an example prayed. Mark 1:35 says
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed”.
Matthew 14:23 tells us:
“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”
In the garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26:39-40 tells us
“He went a little farther, fell on His face and prayed, saying ‘Oh My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’ Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The Lord Jesus also taught us in Matthew 6:6
“But you when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
We learn here that a) Prayer is individual b) God rewards prayer in various ways and openly. c)Prayer strengthens you for the hour of trials and testing. d) Prayer is preventative or prophylactic against temptation-that is, it stops you from being tempted in the first place. e) God answers prayer.
Also remember that prayer does not only give you the opportunity to talk to God, it also gives us the opportunity to hear back from our heavenly Father.
He says in Jeremiah 33:2-3 “Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name):
3‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know’”.
Here the Lord says I made you for my purpose and I desire to establish you so that you can accomplish that purpose. Before you accomplish that purpose however, there are things I need to reveal to you, to make you understand. Before I do that however I need you to call to me.
As we pray, we should expect the Lord to speak back to us through His word, to reveal things to us through His Holy Spirit and as these things are revealed we get better understanding of His nature and character as well as His purposes and plans for us. In the process we grow in the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer therefore facilitates spiritual growth.