“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for today. Bless this food to our bodies. Thank you for our family. Heal those we know that are sick. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Have you ever prayed this same prayer before or a variation of it? I have, more times than I can count. There is nothing wrong with these words, but I realized that more often than not, I would rattle off this prayer with little to no thought—taking all reverence and intimacy out of my prayer life, thereby turning it into a ritual.
To put this into perspective, it would be like if every time my husband texted me, I went to my notes and copied and pasted a prewritten statement. At first, the statements may sound nice and were even genuine, but over time my husband would recognize the copy-and-paste pattern.
If we are not intentional with our prayer life, then our prayers may begin to take the copy-and-paste approach. So, how do we combat this?
We ought to take a page out of the disciples’ book and ask the Lord to teach us to pray. These twelve Jewish men grew up in a culture of prayer. They knew the rituals and Scripture to pray, but they wanted to embody their teacher. They desired to emulate Jesus’ intimate prayer life. In order to do this, they knew they needed to be taught.
Before giving a model of prayer, Jesus warned against certain prayer lives in Matthew 6.
Jesus Warnings on Prayer
“You must not be like the hypocrites.” (v. 5) Prayer should not be used as a means to make someone look good. Praying the longest or most eloquent prayer in public is not a sign of mastering prayer. Jesus said it is better to have a conversation with God in private. This isn’t because public prayer is wrong; rather, it is to teach us to have a personal conversation with God. Prayer ought to come from an honest and humble heart.
“Do not babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.” (v. 7) Have you ever had a conversation with someone who has to use as many words as possible to explain one point? Perhaps you are that person (I can be). Then the other person sums up everything you said in a short statement. God enjoys listening to His people pray, but He is God. He knows your heart and mind better than you do. It’s not necessarily the way you say it or the amount of words you use. The point is that you are conversing with the holy God of the universe.
So, how do we approach prayer in light of these warnings? Jesus graciously gives us a model of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13.
“Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
— Matthew 6:9-10
The Three Elements of Adoration
The foundation for Christ’s model prayer is adoration. The act of adoration is accomplished by giving praise, showing respect, and deferring to another. It is complete awe displayed through love and worship.
Jesus communicated adoration by first addressing the person of God: Father. Father is a personal name deferring to God as authoritative and lovingly involved in a person’s life. Second, Jesus recognized the character of God: holy. This recognition of God’s character places God in His rightful place as the subject and recipient of our prayer. Acknowledging God’s character shifts the focus from man-centric to God-centric.
Finally, Jesus acknowledges God’s authority and power. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” God is sovereign and in control of our lives. We cannot manipulate God nor bargain with Him. However, we can humbly lay our requests at His feet and give unrestrained thanksgiving for the works He has done.
Jesus’ method of prayer was not new. The Psalmists had written many prayers of adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving. Jesus solidified the importance of standing in awe of God, intentionally admitting our sin, requesting help, and giving glory where it is due.
Psalms to Guide Your Adoration
If you desire to deepen your prayer life, practicing adoration is the first step to take. Praying through the Psalms can be helpful to guide you as you focus on this mode of prayer. Below is a list of the three examples Jesus gave, along with Psalms that will help direct you.
Address the person of God
- Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd
- Psalm 5: The Lord is my King
- Psalm 84: The Lord of Hosts
- Psalm 95: The Lord our Maker
Recognize the character of God
- Psalm 7: Righteous judge
- Psalm 18: Rock and deliverer
- Psalm 136: God is steadfast in love
- Psalm 27: God is my salvation
Acknowledge God’s authority and power
- Psalm 93: God is mighty and powerful
- Psalm 97: God is ruling and reigning
- Psalm 135: God has full authority
- Psalm 145: God is working on your behalf
