This week I read the account of a conversation Jesus had with one of His disciples regarding prayer. In this familiar narrative, Jesus had just finished his personal prayer time alone with his Father when one of his disciples approached him with a request, Lord, teach us to pray…. (Luke 11:2) I find this of particular interest, because this disciple, as were all of the first disciples, was Jewish and as a result would have been raised in a traditional Hebrew home. This means he would have been well acquainted with the daily traditional morning, afternoon and evening prayers, which were a regular routine part of the Jewish culture and community. I think it’s crucial to consider this when reading this narrative, as the request this disciple was making of Jesus was not, teach me prayers, but of much greater significance, teach me how to pray. Jesus responded to this request not by revealing a formulaic prayer to be memorized and recited, but rather with a method of prayer that was both personal and relational.
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 NKJV
This beloved prayer, widely referred to as The Lord’s Prayer, is actually much better realized as a framework revealing spiritual principles that guide prayer, rather than a manual containing procedures that direct prayer. Moreover, this is not a lofty, theologically profound prayer guide, but is rather straightforward and adaptable. The underlying message that Jesus appears to be conveying through His instructional model was simply that effective prayer is not at all determined by impressive speeches, repetitive words or lengthy narratives.
“And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
Matthew 6:7 NASB2020
In the very same manner that Jesus spoke openly and communed authentically with His Father, He desired for his disciples to do likewise. For this reason, He introduces a prayer model that is authentic, practical, clear and concise. While it is true that the model prayer is commonly known and regularly recited, there is actually nothing at all common about this simple prayer. For starters this is Jesus’ prayer and there is absolutely nothing common or simple about Him. In addition, contained within the body of this concise, sincerely stated prayer, are practical, yet profound applications revealing pathways to powerful communication and communion with the Father.
After careful study of the model that Jesus has set forth, I perceive there are five distinct categories contained in the body of this prayer, which I’ve practically (and not super creatively) appropriated as The Five P’s of the Model Prayer.
Beginning with….

1. Praise…

The model prayer begins with praise.
Hallowed be Your Name… Luke 11:2 NASB
To pray ‘hallowed be Your name’ means to ask God to let His name be worshiped, exalted, honored, and adored on earth as it is in heaven. It is to ask God to so move and act in the world, that people will worship and treasure Him above all else.
Pastor Collin Smith
Beginning prayer with praise is powerful as praise is both the protocol for meeting with God as well as the password to His Presence.
“You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise. Come right into his presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to him and affectionately bless his beautiful name!”
Psalms 100:4 TPT
As we praise God with declarations of who He is and what He has done, we are reminded of His greatness, faithfulness and love. In addition, initiating prayer with praise also provides a proper perspective, as we see our need, however great it may be, as paled in the light of God’s super abounding ability to appropriately care for us.

2. Posture…

The next section of this prayer involves rightly aligning with God’s perfect will. This is an intentional, spiritual posture of the heart resulting in humility, acknowledgment and reference for Yahweh.
“May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 NLT
The demonstrated posture revealed throughout this entire prayer is one of submission. However, when praying this specific portion of the prayer, we are additionally echoing the words of Jesus as He submitted Himself to the Father’s will…
…not My will, but Yours be done.
Luke 22:42 NASB2020
As we grow in our comprehension of what it truly means to delight ourselves in the Lord ( Psalm 37:4), we begin to experience the gradual transformation of His desires now becoming our own. And this results in a further longing for God’s will to be accomplished in and through every aspect of our lives, providing direction and focus to our prayers. When God’s perfect plans and higher purposes become the passion of our hearts, it is then we are able to echo the words of the psalmist…
“I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”
Psalms 40:8 NLT

3. Provision…

The model prayer reminds us to trust God for daily provision.
“Give us today the food we need,”
Matthew 6:11 NLT
God has revealed Himself in scripture as Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. This is not simply an action God takes or a decision He occasionally makes, rather this is an integral part of Who God is. He is the ultimate Provider. The same God who provided a ram in the thicket for the sacrifice (Genesis 22:13) is the same God Who went ahead of the Israelites providing them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21) and is also the same God Who sent manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4) and miraculously provided water from a rock! (Exodus 17:6)
And this very same God, El Shaddai, the All Sufficient One, is our awesome God and King who promises to provide for us today. He absolutely never changes. He provided in the past. He is providing for us in the present, and He will provide for us in the future.
A Word of Encouragement from the Teacher….
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:31-33 NLT

4. Pardon

Jesus invites us to seek forgiveness and spiritual cleansing through the discipline of confession.
…forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
Matthew 6:12 NLT
By the grace of God, and through the completed work of Jesus on the cross, we have received eternal forgiveness. The very moment we professed Christ as Lord, embracing the gift of salvation, the work of transformation in our spirit was set in motion. While the transaction of our old life for a new one is immediate, the transformation of our former self to a new creation is a process that takes place over a lifetime. The good news is The Potter is committed to completing the good work He started. However, reality is that none of us is yet perfected, and sadly we still make mistakes. Because of this, God in His grace invites us to cleanse our hearts and renew our minds through regular and heartfelt confession. In addition, we are called to extend the same undeserved grace we’ve received from Christ to one another. God has liberated us from the bondage of sin, and has called us to live in freedom with Him and together with one other. This means to the extent we have been forgiven, we also must forgive.
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 NLT

5. Protection

Finally, the model prayer reminds us to pray for protection.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6:13 NLT
I find it incredibly empowering that Jesus ends his instructional prayer with a sober reminder to pray for protection from temptation. The truth is we actually do have an enemy, identified in scripture as the Tempter, who is persistent and relentless in his mission to deceive. We are however exhorted throughout God’s Word not to fear him, but rather to remain alert and resist him. Our consistent, faith-filled prayers to God further serve as a hedge of protection guarding us from evil and surrounding us with peace
One of the most powerful and effective methods of praying for protection is to respond with God’s Word. Jesus demonstrated this perfectly when he was subjected to temptation in the wilderness by the devil. Following a forty-day period of fasting, physically hungry, yet spiritually strong, Jesus faces his accuser in the desert. On three separate occasions, the enemy hurled weapons of mass deception at King Jesus, and each time He simply answered his attacker by stating, it is written, and every time the devil left him. The Word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4: 12). The Word of God is The Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). The Word Of God never returns void (Isaiah 55:11), and the Word of God never fails (Luke 1:37)
On our own, we are helpless against the enemy, but when we pray the Word of God we are emboldened to pray confidently and effectively.
“Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it.””
Jeremiah 1:12 AMP
In closing, although I do find these designated “P” categories helpful in my personal prayer time, I am also fully aware that the content of my prayer is not nearly as significant as the object of my prayer.
The Father is seeking true worshipers that seek Him in Spirit and Truth, (John 4:24).
And sincere worshipers of Yahweh, following the example of Jesus, also pray in spirit and truth. God isn’t moved by religious piety, but He does respond to true humility, sincerity, and authenticity. Because He loves us so dearly, our gracious Father invites us to come to Him with our every need, fully assured that he loves us, is for us, and is ultimately working all things together for our good and His greater purpose (Romans 8:28).
What an absolute privilege and extreme blessing to realize that the God of the universe invites us to know Him personally, welcomes us into His Presence, listens to our prayers, and responds to us as a loving and all wise Father. He really is an amazing God!
God bless you my friends!
I am praying for you…..

Carol