When we engage in formal prayers in public or in private, we may wish to follow the outline of the prayer Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount. He taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer in response to their request: “Teach us to pray.”

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
—Matthew 6:9-13, margin.

According to the pattern Jesus provided in His prayer, we are to come to God as our heavenly Father, asking that His will take charge in our hearts just as His will prevails in all of heaven. We seek Him for our physical needs, for forgiveness and for a forgiving attitude. We always remember that our ability to resist sin comes from God. Christ’s prayer concludes with expressions of praise.

On another occasion Jesus instructed His disciples to pray to the Father “in my name” (John 16:23)—that is, to pray in harmony with Jesus’ principles. That’s why Christians usually close their prayers with the words: “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Amen is a Hebrew word that means “Let it be so.”

Sometimes Christians refer to the Lord’s Prayer as a model prayer. They often memorize it and repeat it in public. Although the Lord’s Prayer gives guidelines on what to pray for and how to formulate a prayer, our communication with God works best as a spontaneous composition of the heart.

A look at the various prayers of men and women in the Bible teaches us one basic lesson: pray about everything. God invites us to pray about critical matters: forgiveness for our sins (1 John 1:9), increased faith (Mark 9:24), the necessities of life (Matthew 6:11), healing from suffering and disease (James 5:15). At the same time He assures us that we can take all our needs and cares to Jesus; nothing is too small to pray about.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:7.

Our Saviour is interested in every detail of our lives. God delights in our prayers. His heart warms when our hearts reach out to Him in love and faith.