How Should Christians Pray?
The Heart of the Question
Many people-especially new believers-feel unsure about prayer. Questions often include:
- Am I praying the right way?
- Do I need special words or a formal structure?
- Why does prayer sometimes feel awkward or ineffective?
The Bible presents prayer not as a ritual to master, but as a relationship to enter. Prayer is how God's children speak with their Father.
What Prayer Is (and Is Not)
Prayer is communication with God, grounded in trust, humility, and dependence.
Prayer is:- Speaking honestly to God
- Listening for God's instruction through His Word
- Expressing dependence, worship, confession, and requests
Prayer is not:
- A formula to control God
- A performance to impress others
- A way to earn God's favor
Jesus warned against prayer that is merely external or self-focused:
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…
Matthew 6:5
Jesus' Model for Prayer
When His disciples asked how to pray, Jesus gave a pattern-not a rigid script-often called the Lord's Prayer:
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…
Matthew 6:9-13
From this, we learn that prayer includes:
- Worship and reverence toward God
- Submission to God's will
- Daily dependence
- Confession and forgiveness
- Desire for spiritual protection and guidance
Prayer Is Relational, Not Formal
Scripture consistently shows that God values sincerity over eloquence.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Matthew 6:7
Prayer can be:
- Quiet or spoken aloud
- Short or extended
- Structured or spontaneous
God hears prayers offered in humility:
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psalm 145:18
Praying Through Jesus Christ
Christian prayer is uniquely offered through Jesus Christ, not because God is distant, but because Jesus is our mediator.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5
Jesus Himself said:
Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do…
John 14:13
Praying in Jesus' name is not a magical phrase-it means praying in alignment with who He is, what He taught, and what honors God.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer
Believers are not left to pray on their own strength.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us…
Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit:
- Helps when words fail
- Aligns our prayers with God's will
- Shapes our desires over time
Persistence and Trust in Prayer
The Bible encourages persistence-not because God is reluctant, but because prayer shapes us.
...men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luke 18:1
At the same time, Scripture reminds believers that God answers according to wisdom, not always according to immediate desire:
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us
1 John 5:14
Common Misunderstandings About Prayer
I must clean myself up before praying.
Prayer is often the place where repentance begins.
Prayer is often the place where repentance begins.
God won't hear me because I fail too much.
God invites the humble, not the perfect.
God invites the humble, not the perfect.
If God knows everything, prayer is pointless.
Prayer is not for informing God-it is for forming the believer.
Prayer is not for informing God-it is for forming the believer.
A Simple Biblical Summary
Prayer is:
- A daily conversation with God
- Rooted in humility and trust
- Made possible through Jesus Christ
- Guided by the Holy Spirit
- Focused on God's will, not personal control
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians 4:6