How to Pray
Most people pray sometimes but not as much as they think they should. Prayer is not something we do to let God know what’s going on. He already knows. Prayer is something we need to do so that we can put our lives in His hands, giving Him our worries and frustrations and sadness and hopes so that we know that He is taking care of them, as He cares for all of us and loves us for the sake of His Son. We pray in His Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and know that He hears us.
Pray regularly. That means use some standard like “Brush your teeth twice a day” or “Change your oil every 5,000 miles.” Set the alarm on your phone for the same two times every day. Fold your hands and give thanks before every meal you eat. Make it a rule, set a standard, follow it, and that will make it easier to pray not only twice a day or at every meal but all the time since any time is a good time to pray.
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You can follow Martin Luther’s advice for prayer here.​​
​The Lord's Prayer
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus answered His disciples' question about how to pray. Today, Christ's words are recited in the Lord's Prayer, prayed every service at Immanuel:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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The pattern for all Christian prayer is set in the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray when they asked Him how to pray. You don’t have to pray only the Lord’s Prayer, but your priorities for prayer are set in the Lord’s Prayer.
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Above all things, pray for God’s Name, Word, and Kingdom to be honored and extended, in your life and throughout the world. Pray first for faith and for a holy life, for people to trust in Christ for their salvation, for the church to flourish everywhere.
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Then pray for yourself and your neighbors, for the things you need for this life, for forgiveness and the power to forgive others. Pray to be kept from temptations that seem too hard to withstand, and pray to be kept away from Satan and his evil work, from demons and their lies.
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Find out more about the Lord’s Prayer here.
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If you have a family, you should learn God’s Word together and pray together. Do this at least once a day to see the best growth in knowing the Lord and in blessing your lives with His peace and goodness that you’ll find through His Word.
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Sit down together, maybe at a meal, read a paragraph or a chapter of the Bible, starting with the Gospels, say the Apostles' Creed, and pray the Lord’s Prayer. This will change your family in ways you don’t expect but which will be wonderful to see and to live.
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You can find more about praying with your family here. Or here.
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