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: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13(KJV)

Commonly called the Lord's prayer, many of us learned this prayer in elementary Sunday School. How many times now do we pray this prayer without thinking about the words? Jesus gave us this prayer as a model for prayer, the structure of prayer, to help us know how to pray.   There are 8 points in this prayer that help us know how to pray.

1. Prayer Requires a Relationship:   "Our Father"

Is God your father? 'But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name' John 1:12(KJV) Have you received Christ, trusting Him as savior and lord? If so, this prayer if for you; God is your father, if not, you are not a child of God.

2. Prayer Connects us with Power:   "Our Father, who art in Heaven"

God is over all and sees all and has ALL authority.   When I pray I take my nothingness and connect it with His almightiness. 'Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases' Psalm 115:3(NSRV), "I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me." Jeremiah 32:27(NCV)

3. Prayer Demands Reverence: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name"

God's name is Holy. When I pray I need to approach God with awe and respect. He is due reverence and when I flippantly approach the throne of God I do not honor him.   I do not need to fear God but do need to humbly bow before Him - He is God and I need to revere him.

4. Prayer Seeks His Will not Our Will: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven"

Whose will do you seek when you pray? When I pray I need to pray in the will of God. For example; if I pray for a friend who is going through some marital problems I need to pray for reconciliation and restoration for that is always God's will because God hates divorce. When I pray I am to pray for His will, not my will. I need to ask for guidance according to his will because He sees things that I don't see.

5. Prayer is a Daily Practice for Daily Needs: "Give us this day our daily bread"

A daily practice for daily needs, for God is a daily provider. God wants us to live in the day; Psalm 118:24 "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Lots of people live life with the regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow robbing them of the joy of today. Tomorrow isn't here, and yesterday is gone - pray for the needs of the day. Remember that nothing is too little or too big for God, feel free to take anything and everything to Him. He numbers the hairs on our head so you can be sure that he cares about the daily needs of your life; large or small.

6. Prayer is Hindered When We Won't Forgive Others: "and Forgive us our debts as we forgive others"

Forgiveness is key, for if you forgive others your heavenly father will also forgive you. We all fall and need forgiveness; once we have received Christ we are His and are cleansed from our sin but each day that we walk in this world we get dirty. We fall, mess up and need daily cleansing; not our whole bodies but just the dirt that accumulates.   Is there someone you are holding a grudge against that needs your forgiveness? Forgive them, let it go so that times of refreshing can come when you are before the Lord.

7. Prayer is Needed for a Life of Victory: "and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil"

We all face temptations in life. 1st John chapter 2 references three things that we all are tempted by: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. Eve was tempted by the forbidden fruit in these three areas; food (lust of the flesh), delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes), desirous to make one wise (boastful pride of life). Lord, help me with the temptations that the evil one puts in my path. God wants to help us with our temptations; be honest about the things that temp you - give them to him and let His strength provide you with the help necessary to overcome them.

8. Prayer should conclude in Praise and Anticipation: "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" Amen.

The Lord is the King and the king is coming again. No matter what is going on in my life I trust you and praise you because you are good and you are God and you are in control of all things!.

Prayer is essential for our spiritual health; use the Lord's prayer as a model in your prayers. We don't have to be thologians to pray. Talk to God, tell Him the needs of your heart, persevere, pray His word back to him, be connected and commune with God through prayer. Think about the model Jesus gave us when you pray and pray with expectation that God will do great things.