Becoming Like Jesus: PrayerSample

Pray Like This

It’s been said that following Jesus without praying would be like attempting to live without breathing. In other words, prayer is a really big deal. Throughout the ages, prayer has served as one of the most powerful practices to help people connect with God and grow in their relationship with Him. Jesus modeled this better than anyone. His life was shaped and fueled by prayer. His life was defined by intimacy with His Father.

So, how do we pray? What does this look like for us? That is the question this plan is designed to help you answer. And who better to show us the answer than Jesus Himself?

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells His disciples to “pray like this…” From there, He teaches them the most famous prayer in all of Scripture. A prayer some call The Lord’s Prayer and others the Our Father.

Each week of this plan will focus on a different part of Jesus’ prayer to help us learn how to pray prayers of adoration, intercession, petition, confession, and submission.

If you don’t know what any of those words mean, don’t worry. By the end of this plan you’ll know what they are and how they can shape your prayers to help you draw closer to God and become more like Jesus.

So, with Jesus as our guide, and His prayer as our map, we are going on a journey to become people of prayer.

Pray…

God, teach me to pray. I want to grow closer to you. Help me to be open to what you want to show me. Reveal yourself to me more than ever before. Help me to go on this journey with humility and curiosity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT

Consider…

The verses we just read can be found in the center of one of Jesus’ most famous teachings: The Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus is telling people what it looks like when God is in charge. He’s inviting them to change the way they think about themselves, others, and the world in light of the good news that God’s Kingdom is coming soon.

Why do you think Jesus included a prayer in the middle of this sermon? What role do you think prayer plays in Jesus’ mission?

How comfortable are you with prayer? Would you describe yourself as a newbie or a veteran? What do you think will help you become more confident in your prayers?

Practice…

The best way to become a person of prayer is to simply start praying. So, take those words of Jesus we just read, and make His prayer your prayer. Speak those words slowly. As you do, imagine you are talking to God face-to-face. Because, at its most basic level, that’s really what prayer is: talking to God.

When you’re ready, pray to your Father using Jesus’ words.

Listen…

Prayer, like any good conversation, is a give and take. We talk and we listen. That’s what this portion is all about. Creating space to experience God’s presence by getting quiet, getting alone, and asking Him to speak. Sometimes, the most impactful times we have with God are the ones where we just sit and give Him our attention.

Start by setting a timer for five minutes.

Next, ask God to speak to you.

When you get distracted, because you will get distracted, bring your focus back to God by repeating the first words of this prayer: “Our Father…”

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you got to spend with Him, then head into your day looking for opportunities to better serve Him and serve others.