God’s Pattern for Prayer

June 5, 2015

1. Start With Praise. “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). There are pools of wisdom and resource found in the presence of God. When you go to God, start out with praise first and focus on God before going into your petitions.

2. Pray for God’s Will. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus told us to pray not for our will but for God’s will to be done. If you’re not sure about God’s will, spend time in the Scriptures studying and finding out what God thinks about a certain area.

3. Pray Specifically. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Find promises in the Bible that correspond to your problems and believe for great results. As you study the book of Acts you will see breathtaking results to simple, faith-filled prayers.

4. Forgive. “Forgive us our shortcomings, as we also have forgiven those who have failed in their duty towards us” (Matthew 6:12 WEY). When you go before God in prayer, one of the first things He deals with you about is your attitude. We’ve all been hurt, and some of the offenders haven’t even acknowledged their wrong. But we are responsible to keep our hearts right before God and He will help us adjust our attitude.

5. Trust God Every Day. “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:13). With every temptation God provides a way of escape! You can draw near with confidence and find mercy and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Prayer is connecting and communicating with God. It’s not religious routine—so fight to stay real and keep your heart genuine when you pray. Stand on God’s Word and trust God for answered prayer!

hal·lowed, adj.
Holy or blessed. Highly respected. Sacred, revered.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff Perry

Copyright © 2015 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Hallowed.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 03 June 2015. Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech. Third Edition 1913.