Day 191 - What to Pray - Pt.1

Cathy Anderson

“It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.’ 2 And He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.”’” - Luke 11:1-4 NASB

Father, hallowed be Your name.

Have you ever wondered what to say when you pray? You’re not alone! The disciples had the same question and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray….” (Luke 11:1). Prayer didn’t come naturally to them either.

The disciples knew that scripture often emphasized prayer and that Jesus often went alone to pray, but they didn’t know how to pray or what to say. Jesus responded in Luke 11:1-4 with an outline for prayer. Obviously, God knew we would need to learn how to pray, too, because this outline ended up in the Bible!

When Jesus answered the disciples, He gave them a recipe for how to pray called “The Lord’s Prayer.” Some people recite The Lord’s Prayer verbatim, while others use it to outline how to pray for their specific needs. Over the next few days, we will study The Lord’s Prayer and find out what to say when we pray!

The first part of The Lord’s Prayer tells us that God loves for us to greet Him in recognition of who He is to us. The word “hallowed” means sanctified or holy. He wants us to recognize that He is God and our Father. By identifying who God is when we begin to pray, we are “entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4).

Next Steps

  • Think about it: When was the last time you referenced God as “Father”?

  • Action Step: When you begin praying, start by telling God how amazing He is. Thank Him for all His creation, the oceans, the mountains, and life itself! Recognize the things that only He could do. Notice things intentionally to thank Him for. Nature, especially items that God created, is a great place to start to become more aware of just how creative, magnificent, and supernatural God is. Then begin by praising Him for those things. Give Him glory and honor by thanking Him for something in your life that only He could do.