Teach Me to Pray

You can fold your hands and pray.
Or you can just talk to God...
like you would to any friend.
Eyes open - heart engaged.
PRAY - ACTS

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." Jesus said, "This is how you should pray: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation."  Luke 11:1-4 

Meditate on prayer.

 

Have you ever been “taught” to pray? Have you listened or read closely just what Jesus responded when His disciple asked Him to teach them to pray? This is part of the classic Lord’s Prayer that you may already know. If not, look it up. It is a good one to memorize.

Jesus made it a custom to go off by Himself regularly—usually early in the morning to spend time chatting with His Father. What a good example. The best way to start your day is to pray—but you may wonder just how to do that? There’re a couple of acronyms that might help you. One is ACTS which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplications. Another is PRAY for the actions of Praise, Repent, Ask, and Yield. Both are like the prayer Jesus taught in that the initial part is to give honor, adoration, or praise to our Heavenly Father. He is worthy of our praise and as Jesus taught, we should put the Kingdom of God first in our lives (Matthew 6:33). Repenting and confessing, are the same as asking for forgiveness, which will draw us closer to God, seeking His will and His Kingdom. Next, we are encouraged to ask and to offer thanksgiving, analogous to Jesus’ request for daily bread, which can be both physical and spiritual food. The yielding not to temptation and supplications are similar in that both are again focusing on God’s provision in our lives. Jesus has stated that God loves us, as we love our own children and families, and He wants what is best for us. Matthew 7:7-11 tells about giving what is requested, like bread, not a rock. Seek God, ask Him for what you need, and keep knocking and asking.

When are we to pray? Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to pray continually. Prayer is just talking to God—so keep a constant conversation going with Him. Through that prayer and scripture, the Holy Spirit can guide you as to what you need to do, show you where to go, and what to say. The Holy Spirit is amazing that way!

What do we specifically learn about Jesus in this passage today? How can you apply it to your life? Does it bring you closer to Jesus, or establish a relationship with the Holy Spirit?

 

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I worship You, as well as our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Forgive me for not praying continually…and even for getting side-tracked by thinking about things that could have been different. Thank You for all that You so generously provide to me, my family, and friends. We continually have a bounty of food and are grateful for the homes You have provided for us and spared in the recent fires. Please continue to prepare us for the coming cool days and nights ahead. Winter will be here soon. Help us all to be ready, not only for this change of seasons, but also for Your return. Please give us opportunities to share with others who don’t know You as their Savior. I feel so blessed to know You—and to have the assurance that I will be serving You forever in God’s Kingdom. Thank You.

 

Verses of Salvation ~ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News (of salvation) is for Jews and Gentiles alike. Ephesians 6:18-19

 

© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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