Model Prayer

Prayer is an important part of our spiritual journey. Every religion values prayer, but following Christ puts even more focus on it and teaches us how to pray.

Learning to Pray from Jesus – Step 1

In the early chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches His disciples and gives us a clear example on how to pray, during the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:6-8 (NIV) 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

There are many things we should learn from Jesus how we should pray

• Pray Early and Alone - Jesus Prayed very early in the morning (Mark 1:35) and he was spending his time solitude, We should also emulate this practice in our life. Mark 1:35 (NIV) Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

• Pray in Private - Jesus teaches us to seek personal, private time with God rather than making a public show of our prayers. Matthew 6:6 (NIV) – 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

• Avoid Repetitive Words - Jesus warns against using empty or repetitive phrases just for the sake of sounding spiritual. God values sincerity and clarity. Matthew 6:7(NIV) - 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

• Trust That God Already Knows Your Needs - Prayer is not about informing God of your needs—He already knows. It’s about seeking His will, building a relationship, and growing in obedience. Matthew 6:8(NIV) -8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Model Prayer – Step 2

Matthew 6:6-8 are basics to prepare ourselves to Pray. There is another set that Jesus Taught in Matthew 6:9-13 , This prayer is known familiarly as "The Lord's Prayer," but "The Disciples' Prayer" would be a more accurate title.

• Most often in the Christian world, we often recite this prayer and say we have prayed, Jesus did not give this prayer to us to be memorised and recited a given number of times.

• In fact, He gave this prayer to keep us from using vain repetitions.

• Jesus did not say, "Pray in these words." He said, "Pray after this manner"; that is, "Use this prayer as a pattern, not as a substitute."

• The purpose of prayer is to glorify God's name, and to ask for help to accomplish His will on earth.

• This prayer begins with God's interests, not ours: God's name, God's kingdom, and God's will.

• One Preacher said, "Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man's will done in heaven, but for getting God's will done in earth." We have no right to ask God for anything that will dishonour His name, delay His kingdom, or disturb His will on earth.

There are eight things we need to learn from this Model Prayer that Jesus has taught in Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

1. Our Father in Heaven Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven

   1. Jesus taught us to begin our prayers by saying, “Our Father in heaven.”

   2. In the verse before this, Jesus reminds us:  - Matthew 6:8(NIV) -8 .. for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

   3. What a great joy and honour it is to call God our Father. We don’t call anyone else in the world our Father—but Jesus invites us to call God our Father. He is our Spiritual Father. This shows we have a personal relationship with Him.

   4. In other religions, people don’t refer to God as “Father.” Only Jesus teaches us to do this, showing the closeness / intimacy we have through Him.

   5. When we say, “Our Father in heaven,” Jesus, the Son of God, intercedes for us. He speaks to the Father on our behalf so that our prayers are heard.

   6. You and I are sinners in his eyes, there is no way our prayers can reach him, but when we say “Our Father in Heaven” Jesus intercedes with the father who is in heaven to hear our prayer

   7. Though we may not be heard even a few feet away on earth, Jesus ensures that our prayer reaches heaven. When we pray, “Our Father in heaven,” Jesus makes sure our voice is heard by the Father.

2. Hallowed Be Your Name - Matthew 6: 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

   1. After Jesus says, “Our Father in heaven,” there’s a comma—and the next line is: “Hallowed be your name.”

   2. What does this Hallowed mean ?  Hallowed means holy, sacred, revered, or set apart. / “Be your name” refers to God’s character, reputation, and identity.

   3. So when we say, “Hallowed be your name,” we are praising God for who He is—His holiness, His purity, His righteousness. He is perfect, sinless, and worthy of all honour.

   4. This part of the prayer teaches us that before asking for anything, we should start by praising God. Worship comes first—thank Him, honour Him, and recognize how great He is.

   5. So use this to praise his name, praise him before you pray is an important lesson we need to learn from Model Prayer.

3. Your Kingdom Come - Matthew 6: 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

   1. We live in a world filled with earthly thinking, but God’s will is heavenly, not worldly. To follow His will, we need a heavenly mindset—to think the way people in heaven do (“Heaven dwellers”)

   2. When we pray “Your kingdom come,” we’re asking God to fill our hearts and minds with His heavenly ways.

   3. This prayer invites the Holy Spirit to guide us in living according to God’s will. [John 14:16-17 NIV] 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

4. Your will be done - Matthew 6: 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

   1. After Jesus says, “your kingdom come” He continues with “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

   2. What is this will ? It means His desire, plan, or purpose for us.

   3. He created everyone with a plan and purpose on this earth, that’s to fulfil what he planned in Heaven.  

   4. Where should His will be done? We are praying for it to happen here on earth, just like it already happens perfectly in heaven.

   5. In heaven, God’s will is always followed. But here on earth, we face temptations, sin, and selfish desires that often go against His will.

   6. When we pray “Your will be done,” we are saying: “Jesus, help me to live according to Your plan. I give You my heart, soul, and body. Help me to do what You want—not by my own strength, but with the help of Jesus.”

5. Give Us Today Our Daily Bread - Matthew 6: 11 Give us today our daily bread

   1. Just like we need food every day for physical energy, we also need spiritual food—God’s Word—to give us strength to do His will.

   2. When we say “daily bread,” we’re asking God to give us what we need today—both spiritually and physically.

   3. The focus is on “today”—this reminds us to seek God daily, depending on Him one day at a time.

   4. In our lives, we often put food and physical needs first. But in God’s eyes:

      1. First, we give praise and honor to Him,

      2. Second, we seek to do His will,

      3. And then comes our need for food.

   5. Without the Word of God, we can’t live the life He has planned for us. His Word is like a lampthat guides us each day.

   6. This prayer also reminds us that God will provide our physical needs.

   7. Jesus promises in  [Matthew 6:25-26 NIV] 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

6. Debts & Debtor Matthew 6: 12  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

   1. Because of Adam’s sin, we are all born with sin. To save us, Jesus became our guarantor, taking the punishment we deserved and setting us free from sin. [Hebrews 7:22 NIV] 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

   2. Our sins are like debts we owe to God. Even though we may appear debt free in the world, in God’s eyes, we are in spiritual debt because of sin.

   3. We cannot keep all of God’s laws perfectly, which means we are debtors before Him.[Galatians 5:3 KJV] 3 .. he is a debtor to do the whole law.

   4. So when we pray, “Forgive us our debts,” we are asking God to forgive our sins.

   5. But there’s a condition: this forgiveness is tied to the second part of the verse—“as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

   6. This means we must forgive others if we want God to forgive us.

   7. So its important to show mercy to others and forgive them for us to receive the mercy from God as the promise is [Matthew 5:7 NIV] 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

7. Lead Us Not into Temptation - Matthew 6: 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

   1. Jesus teaches us Pray “Lead us not into temptation”

   2. Jesus tells us to ask God, “Lead us not into temptation,” which means: “Lord, protect me from the traps of sin.”

   3. Temptation never comes from God—it comes from Satan, who wants to make us fall.

   4. Temptation often comes through: [1 John 2:16 NIV] 16 For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.

      1. Lust of the flesh (wrong desires)

      2. Lust of the eyes (greed or envy)

      3. Pride of life (wanting to be above others)

   5.  Why does Satan tempt us? He wants us to sin, because when we sin, we step out of God’s grace and will and miss His purpose for our lives.

   6. If we keep falling into temptation, sin takes over. It separates us from God, just like it did for Adam

   7. That’s why we also pray: “Deliver us from the evil one.” This means: “God, save me from Satan’s plans and keep me from falling.”

   8. We live in a world full of temptation. But when we pray this, God helps us escape those traps and keeps us on the path to holiness.

   9. God doesn’t just forgive sin—He helps us avoid it when we trust and depend on Him daily.

8. For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory [Matthew 6:13 KJV] 13 … For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

   1. This closing line is found in the King James Version (KJV), but not in some modern versions like the NIV.

   2. When we say this, we are giving praise to God—not just for today, but forever

   3. It’s a reminder that God’s Kingdom rules, His power never ends, and His glory is eternal.

   4. Just as we start the Lord’s Prayer with praise (“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name”), we also end it with praise—acknowledging God’s rule and greatness.

   5. Saying “Amen” means: “Let it be,” “So be it,” or “It is true.” It’s our way of saying we fully agree and trust in God’s power and plan.

Next time you say the Lord’s Prayer, don’t just repeat it out of habit or memory. Don’t make it a ritualistic practice to say and feel you have prayed.

Instead, think deeply about each word Jesus taught. This isn’t just a prayer to memorize—it’s a model for how we, as His disciples and children, should pray.

When we truly understand and practice what Jesus taught in this prayer, our prayers become meaningful, effective and powerful—they draw God’s attention and he answers our prayers.