One of the greatest privileges of a disciple of Jesus Christ is the ability to communicate with the Almighty God of the universe through prayer.  

• How do you feel about prayer? 
• What is the first feeling that comes up?

 
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:11-13).

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jer. 33:3).

• What are some of the promises God makes to us in these verses?
• What is the role of prayer in our experiencing the fulfillment of these promises?

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:1-4).

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

• Who should we pray for?
• What should we pray for? 
• What is the outcome for us as we pray?

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1).

• What did the disciple ask Jesus to do?
• Who are you learning prayer from? 
• Who have you taken a prayer style from? 

The Lord’s Prayer is to be used as an outline for fellowship with the Father. Jesus did not intend for us to mindlessly and quickly recite it. We should pray it slowly, thoughtfully, and from our hearts. It provides a model for us to thoroughly and effectively communicate with our Heavenly Father.  

There are six types of interaction with God expressed in this prayer:

1. Worship: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
2. Intercession: “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
3. Petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
4. Confession: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
5. Deliverance: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
6. Declaration: “For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

• What questions do you have about these 6 areas
• Which one do you do the most? Which one do you enjoy the most? 
• Which one/s do you avoid? Which one/s don’t you like? 
• Which area can you focus on more or “try out” the next few days? 

Right now, as an expression of that commitment, take a moment to pray to your heavenly Father using The Lord’s Prayer.

1. Pray Knowing God is a Generous Father: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11).

2. Pray Abiding in Christ and His Words: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8).

3. Pray with a Forgiving Heart: “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25).

4. Pray with Persistence: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).

5. Pray with Other Believers: “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Matt. 18:19-20).

6. Pray with Faith: “And all things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive” (Matt. 21:22).

7. Pray in Jesus’ Name: “Jesus speaking…’Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full ‘” (John 16:24).

8. Pray with Confidence: “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (I John 5:14-15).

• Which one of these principles is familiar, which one is new? 
• Which one sticks out to you?
• Which two do you want to try out this season? 

Memorize the Lord’s Prayer & Pray each day.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6,7).