This question presupposes that we all have the same definition of God and pray to the same God. In answering this question, I will also assume that by God you mean the Judeo-Christian God who sent his son Jesus to save humanity. I believe that you pray because you ‘know’ this God and want answers to your prayers to Him.
The God of the Bible love all men and wants to answer our prayers even more that we can pray. In fact, he wants us to oversee our life to the extent that we can control and determine everything(according to his plans for our life) that happens in our life using his means and principles. He wants us to be so in charge of our lives that we become his extensions and our relationship with him cease to be the religious “give-me-give” type. Through having a deep relationship with him and praying effectively it is possible.
Prayer was instituted by God and there is an appropriate way to pray to God. The best person that presented this template to us is Jesus. He is the one who was with the Father (God), came from the Father, presented the Father to us and is the only way to the Father.
According to the Bible, the disciples saw that Jesus spent time praying. They observed that his prayers were effective and sought to know how to pray (Luke 11:1). Contrary to popular beliefs Jesus presented a prayer template in the Lord’s prayer and not necessarily a prayer to be repeated for generations to come. Let us look at the entire Lord’s prayer. I will pick verse 9 to explain few points and address the rest in a future post.
Mathew 6:9-13, After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Before we begin let us lay out few Biblical foundations:
- The word of God is spiritual law that he set in motion in speech and he respects (Psalm 138:2). Like gravity, you may not know God’s laws exists, its equation or relationship with other laws. But you know its effect if you jump off a building. Like all laws (natural or spiritual) it may work for you or against you depending on how you use it. So, accurately knowing and using the word of God wisely is critical to effective prayer.
- God listen to only petitions of citizens of heaven who are his kids (John 9:31): Citizens of any earthly kingdom have the right to make petition, requests, prayers to their King. Non-citizens are regarded as aliens (Ephesians 2:12). But aliens simply do not exist in the kingdom of God. You are either in or out. The only way in is through Jesus and it is free. Only one petition by an alien can reach the throne room of God – the salvation prayer. The rest are not heard. A citizen may intercede for an alien but an alien can not petition for themselves or intercede for a citizen. They may but it will have no legal backing. So until you are a citizen in his Kingdom, you have no legal stand except by his grace and mercy and they are freely given. To pray effectively you would want to change your status from foreigner to citizen by being born again (John:3:3, Romans 10:9).
- There are things God has already given us even before we prayed in Christ (2 Peter 1:3). We pray because we want God to answer and he answers. But when you pray for what is already yours in God’s Kingdom or outside his kingdom (his mercy, grace and forgiveness toward sinners for example) it becomes an anomaly. For example, Phil 4:19 states God’s response to a giving Church. It would be wrong for those that supplied Paul’s needs in that church to start praying for prosperity. All they have to do is to thank God for prosperity and go start or grow a business using God’s established means and principles and he will bless the works of their hands.
Having established the preceding let us look at verse 9 in depth. Note that I am forced to use certain phrases to really simplify certain points. For example, once in Christ you have 24/7 access to God because He is in you and you are in Him. But for the sake of this article I made it look as if you only enter God’s presence when you pray and you are out when you are not. If you are born again, you have 24/7 access to God (Hebrews 13:5)
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“After this manner therefore pray ye”: This verse can be paraphrased like this “when you pray follow this protocol, format or method”. Notice that the word manner emphatically points out the way, method, and format we should pray. This is important because God is supreme. There are protocols to gaining the attention of a King, or Sovereign. God is not like your next-door neighbor you (even some neighbors require you to call first before coming). This may be exceedingly difficult to understand for people who have lived in a democratic system all their lives and never experienced kingly rule. In a democracy, the majority holds sway even though they can all be wrong as we see in many democracies. You may hold strong views about democratic rule but it still does not negate the fact that God is a King and there is a manner, order, protocol to getting his attention in any matter regarding human affairs. It is noteworthy that he cares and has demonstrated his love towards us profusely. But you must understand that it his will and not your will that is done.
If earthly kings and queens require protocols to see them, talk to them, stand and minister in there presence how much more the King of the universe – seen and unseen? You pray correctly when you follow the format laid out by Jesus. You do not have to repeat this prayer itself. You only have to stick to the rules of engagement.
The main attitude is reverence. Your guide is the Holy Spirit and his word. You must understand that the spiritual realm knows when you are reverent and when you are not. No lies or subterfuge in that realm.
“Our Father which art in heaven”: It starts with a relationship. “Our father” is relational. Is He your father? Do you recognize this? Do you believe he is? This is where certain people fall off. They assumed they can scam God, play religious, cite their charitable deeds, or scream at God to get answers without first understanding that it is first a relationship before a request or a request leading to a relationship. God answers prayers but why should he answer yours or mine? What is your legal hold or stand in his Kingdom?
You and I have no right to make a petition before the King unless we have a relationship with him and live in his domain. There is one exception though. The prayer of salvation (Acts 2:21). If you do not have a relationship with the King, the only prayer that will pass through to the King is the prayer of salvation – to change your status from a sinner (alien) to a righteous citizen of heaven and the son or daughter of the Father who is in heaven.
Notice also that this Father is not on earth (your biological father) or under the earth (Satan) but in heaven. You must accept and locate where this Father you have is. Now, you do not have to say this all the time because the moment you are born-again (John 3:3), your spiritual Father is God and his seal is stamped on and in you. So, when you pray and just say “Father”, “Lord”, “Jesus” this protocol is affirmed, and ‘access granted’ (Recall, if you are born again – you have 24/7 access).
“Hallowed be thy name”: To hallow is to treat reverentially, to bless or considered sacred. In our world today people choose and pick what they revere and disregard. They disregard the holy name of God and think they are right. Raining profanity on God may be popular but disrupts your prayer even before you start. Using the name of Jesus as a curse word is sacrilege that stands against the speakers when they pray. You cannot bless and curse God at the same time and pray correctly. If you have never blessed, worshiped, revered God then the first thing to do is to repent and ask for forgiveness before you pray. But even then, if you are not a citizen of God’s kingdom, your prayer, petition never gets through unless you are asking for salvation.
If you are already in His kingdom, the reverential use of his name comes natural to you. You are already used to or getting used to phrases like “Heavenly father, Gracious father, Holy Father, Precious Jesus, Dear Holy Spirit” just to mention few. It is noteworthy that your words must align with your heart. If in your heart you are saying ‘fck????’ but while praying, you say “Heavenly Father”. You just wasted your time because in the spirit realm you are who you are. No fakery gets through.
I will conclude with this. God is not a man. You may think he is and indeed he came as a man, but he is not. Your revelation knowledge of who God is will determine your relationship with him. It is akin to our relationship with our earthly fathers. The more we intimately know our earthly fathers the better we relate with them. The one who through study, and a genuine relationship seek to know God better will be satisfied. It is more of what we do than what God does when it comes to praying correctly. When you know and have a relationship with him it will affect the way you pray positively. For, He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Part 2 of this will include:
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. – praying according to his will for the earth and you.
11 Give us this day our daily bread. – making a definite request.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. – Asking for forgiveness even as you forgive others in words and deeds.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: – asking for guidance and protection in the evil day.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. – making faith proclamations in worship.
Praying persistently and more.
Would you like to pray the prayer of Salvation today?
