Teach
Us to Pray: Lessons from the Model Prayer
There are five
distinct acts of worship in the New Testament:
prayer,
singing,
teaching,
communion, and
giving. Each of these
is vital to our worship of God, and this morning we will focus on one of
them—prayer. It has
been said that “the greatest tragedy is the un-prayed prayer.” Sadly,
many Christians feel unsure or even lost when it comes to this essential
part of their spiritual walk.
Today, we turn to two
key passages—Matthew 6:5–14
and Luke 11:1–4—to
learn what Jesus Himself taught about prayer. These verses include what
is often called “The Lord’s Prayer”,
though perhaps more accurately, it is
the model prayer—a
perfect example of what acceptable, meaningful, God-pleasing prayer
looks like.
1. Why Jesus Gave
a Model Prayer
In Luke 11:1, we find
something profound:
“Lord, teach us
to pray…”
The disciples did not
say, “Teach us a prayer,” but “teach us to pray.” Jesus wasn’t
giving them a script to memorize and repeat. In fact, in
Matthew 6:7,
Jesus warned against using
vain repetitions, as the heathen do. The prayer He gave was
never intended to be mindlessly recited. It is a
blueprint, not a
mantra. That’s why it is not repeated again in the rest of the New
Testament. The early church didn’t recite this prayer
word-for-word—they followed its
pattern.
2. What the
Model Prayer Teaches
Let’s walk through
Matthew 6:9–13 and uncover what each part teaches us about how to pray.
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name”
Prayer begins with
relationship and reverence. We are not speaking to a stranger—we are
coming to our Father.
But He is no ordinary father. He is
holy, set apart,
worthy of our worship. Jesus teaches us to approach God with both
closeness and
awe.
“Your kingdom come. Your will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
We must pray with
submission to God’s
will. True prayer isn’t about persuading God to do our will—it’s about
conforming our will to His. As Jesus prayed in Gethsemane,
“Not My will, but Yours be done”
(Luke 22:42).
“Give us this day our daily
bread.”
This is a prayer for
dependence. God
invites us to ask for our
needs—not just physical, but spiritual. Jesus said,
“I am the bread of life”
(John 6:35). So this prayer is also a plea for continual
spiritual nourishment
through Christ.
“And forgive us our debts, as
we forgive our debtors.”
Prayer is a time for
confession. We must
ask for forgiveness—and we must
extend it to others.
Jesus made it clear: if we refuse to forgive, God will not forgive us
(Matthew 6:14–15).
“And do not lead us into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
God does not tempt
(James 1:13), but He does allow trials. This is a request for
strength and deliverance
in the face of temptation. And God promises exactly that (1 Corinthians
10:13).
“For Yours is the kingdom and
the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
We end our prayers
where we began: with adoration.
We acknowledge that everything—kingdom, power, glory—belongs to God.
3. Faith: The
Foundation of Prayer
Hebrews 11:6 says:
“Without faith
it is impossible to please Him…”
Faith isn’t just believing that God exists—it’s trusting that
He hears and
He answers. His
answers may be yes,
no, or
not yet—but we believe
that He knows what is best. Romans 8:28 reminds us:
“All things work together for
good to those who love God…”
Like a loving parent who doesn’t give his child a snake when he asks
for fish (Matthew 7:9–11), God gives
what we need, not
just what we ask.
4. What’s
Missing from the Model Prayer?
There is
one thing not
included in the model prayer that
must be part of ours—praying
through Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 makes it
clear:
“No one comes
to the Father except through Me.”
Jesus had direct access to the Father, but we approach God through
His Son, our
Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Every prayer should be offered in
Jesus’ name, not
as a ritual phrase, but as a
recognition of our access
through Him.
5. When Should
We Pray?
There are
two answers—and both
are essential:
(1)
Pray Always
“Pray without
ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
In every moment, every joy, every sorrow—talk to God.
(2)
Set Aside Time for Prayer
“Jesus often
withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”
(Luke 5:16)
If Jesus made time for quiet, personal prayer,
so must we. Just
as intimacy in human relationships requires undistracted time
together, so it is with God.
John 17:22–23 shows
Christ’s desire for that intimacy between His people and the Father.
Prayer
builds that relationship.
6. Summary of
the Model Prayer's Lessons
From this rich text,
we learn that real prayer involves:
-
Drawing near to
God as our Father
-
Approaching Him
with reverence and worship
-
Trusting Him
with our needs and submitting to His will
-
Offering thanks
for salvation through Christ
-
Confessing our
sins and forgiving others
-
Seeking
spiritual strength and deliverance
-
Praising His
eternal power and glory
-
Praying
through Jesus,
our Mediator
Conclusion: A
Call to Prayer
Prayer is not just
an act of worship—it is the lifeblood of the Christian. It is how we
connect to our Creator, share our hearts, and strengthen our
relationship with the Father and the Son. Jesus didn’t give us this
model prayer to repeat mechanically but to teach us how to approach God
with faith, humility, and purpose.
If your prayer life
has been weak, now is the time to renew it. If you’ve never been taught
how to pray—Jesus just did. If your sins are many and your soul is
heavy—there’s a Father ready to listen and a Savior ready to intercede.
Invitation
If you are not yet a
Christian, come to the Father through the Son:
-
Believe
in Jesus (John 8:24)
-
Repent
of your sins (Acts 17:30)
-
Confess
Christ (Romans 10:9–10)
-
Be baptized
for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38)
If you are already a
Christian but need strength, forgiveness, or help restoring your walk
with God, we invite you to come forward as we stand and sing.
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