How Should Christians Pray?
The Heart and Pattern of Christian Prayer
Prayer is a central part of the Christian life, serving as a vital means of communication with God. The Bible provides direct teaching and numerous examples of how believers are to approach God in prayer. Let’s explore what Scripture says about how Christians should pray, focusing on Jesus’ teachings, the posture and attitude of prayer, and the promises associated with it.
1. Jesus’ Instruction on Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer
The most direct teaching on prayer comes from Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount. When His disciples asked Him how to pray, He provided a model that balances reverence, dependence, confession, and worship.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. - Matthew 6:9-13 ASV
Here, Jesus emphasizes several key elements:
- Relationship: Addressing God as “Father” signifies intimacy and trust.
- Reverence: “Hallowed be thy name” calls us to honor God’s holiness.
- Submission: Praying for God’s will aligns our desires with His purposes.
- Dependence: Asking for daily bread acknowledges our need for God’s provision.
- Confession and Forgiveness: Seeking forgiveness and extending it to others.
- Spiritual Protection: Petitioning God to deliver us from temptation and evil.
2. The Attitude and Posture of Prayer
The Bible teaches that the manner in which we pray is as important as the words we use. Jesus warns against praying to impress others or using empty repetition:
And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men... But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. - Matthew 6:5-6 ASV
Prayer should be sincere, humble, and focused on God rather than seeking attention from others. The heart posture matters more than physical posture, though Scripture records believers praying while standing, kneeling, or even lying prostrate (Ephesians 3:14 ASV).
3. Praying in Faith and According to God’s Will
Effective prayer is rooted in faith and submission to God’s will. James encourages believers to pray in faith, without doubting:
But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. - James 1:6 ASV
However, our requests are to be made with a heart that desires God’s will above our own:
And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. - 1 John 5:14 ASV
4. Praying with Persistence and Thanksgiving
Jesus taught the value of persistence in prayer through parables such as the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8 ASV). Paul echoes this, urging believers to “pray without ceasing” and to do so with thanksgiving:
In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. - Philippians 4:6 ASV
5. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer
Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit helps believers in their weakness, even interceding for us when we do not know what to pray for:
And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. - Romans 8:26 ASV
6. Praying in Jesus’ Name
Jesus invites believers to pray in His name, which means praying on the basis of His authority and in alignment with His character and will:
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do. - John 14:13-14 ASV
Conclusion: The Privilege of Prayer
Prayer is both a command and a privilege for every believer. Through Christ, we have direct access to the Father (Hebrews 4:16 ASV). As we pray with sincerity, faith, persistence, and thanksgiving, aligning our hearts with God’s will, we experience deeper fellowship with Him and see His purposes unfold in our lives.