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Luke 11:1-4 “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

“And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (3) Give us day by day our daily bread. (4) And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”

How can a person learn God’s will about prayer? Go back to the Bible! Sometimes we need reminders! II Peter 3:1 “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:” A fresh look can be helpful – let’s look at some questions about prayer.

(Persevering in prayer) How Often Should I Pray? Rom.12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” (Persevering in prayer) Acts 2:41-42; I Thessalonians 5:17 Daniel (Daniel 6:10) & David (Psa.55:17) Each person has his/her own routine, different situations, personal prayer life.

Is There Any Required Body Position? Matthew 26:39 - Jesus prayed prostrate on the ground. (face to the ground between the knees) Luke 18:11,13 – Jesus told a story about two men who stood and prayed. Acts 20:36 – Paul kneeled and prayed. Luke 24:30 – “as He sat at meat with them,” He prayed; “sat” means “to recline” [Thayer, no. 2625].

Is There Any Required Body Position? Mark 6:39-42 – He prayed while about 5000 men sat. Ezra 9:5 – on knees, spread hands out to heaven. John 17:1 – lifted His eyes to heaven and prayed. Conclusion: there is no one required, “best” body position – the heart is what matters!

What Are Some Conditions Of Acceptable Prayer? Pray according to God’s will (Luke 22:42; 1 John 5:14). Be one who does/lives according to God’s will (Prov. 28:9; 1 John 3:22; 1 Pet. 3:12). If we make a request, ask in faith (James 1:6).

What Are Some Conditions Of Acceptable Prayer? Pray with a spirit of forgiveness (Matt. 6:14,15; 18:35). Pray with humility (Luke 18:9-14) Pray sincerely – express true sentiments which come from the heart (Matt. 6:5-7)

Do We Need To Recite Matt.6:9-13? Often this passage is called “the Lord’s Prayer.” In fact, it is Jesus’ teaching about principles of prayer. If you were going to dub one of Jesus’ prayers as “the Lord’s Prayer,” then John 17 would be a better fit (there we read Jesus pouring out His soul to the Father). Note some great prayer principles in Matthew 6:9-13

Do We Need To Recite Matt.6:9-13? Q: Once we get past Matt. 6 (and Luke 11), do we ever read that Jesus or a disciple of His prayed these exact words? A: No. We read several prayers, but never these words. Matthew 6:10 – “Thy kingdom come.” Q: Can we say today that Kingdom has come already? A: Yes – the saints in Colossae were in it, so it already existed in the 1st century (Col. 1:13,14). So, we do not pray for the Lord to establish His Kingdom: He already has.

What Answers Does God Give When We Pray? Remember, prayer is more than requesting, “Please, give me.” If, however, we are talking about our requests to God, how does He answer requests? In some cases, He does grant man’s request. “Yes” answer. Isaac prayed for Rebekah’s conception (Gen. 25:20,21). Hannah prayed for a son (I Samuel 1:27) Hezekiah prayed for the Assyrians not to conquer Judah (II Kings 19:14,15,19,20,35-37) The Psalmist prayed for deliverance (Psa. 86:6,7) Paul prayed that he might be able to go to Rome (Romans 1:9-11 vs. Acts 28:16)

What Answers Does God Give When We Pray? In other cases, He does not grant our request. That would be like a “No” answer. When David prayed for a child which Bathsheba bore, but the child died (II Sam. 12:15,16,19,20). His answer might be “Wait” (Jeremiah 42:4,7). Paul also got a “Not now” answer (he made it to Rome, but it was at least 3-4 years after he revealed such a desire). He may give something different than what we request. Paul asked the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh, but God told him that His grace was sufficient for him (II Cor. 12:7-9).

What Answers Does God Give When We Pray? At times, He gives more / something better than what we request. For instance, Solomon asked God to give Him wisdom, which He did, but He also gave him wealth (I Kings 3). God promises to answer His children’s prayers for forgiveness (I John 1:9; Acts 8:22). “Does prayer really do any good?” It is effective and helpful (Jas.5:16;Heb.4:14-16).

Another Lesson On Prayer? Is this really necessary? Declaring “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) demands it! II Peter 3:1 “stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:”

God’s Simple Plan ADDED TO THE CHURCH (Acts 2:41,47) HEAR (Romans 10:17) BELIEVE (John 8:24) REPENT (Luke 13:3) CONFESS (Rom. 10:9-10) BAPTIZED (Gal. 3:27) ADDED TO THE CHURCH (Acts 2:41,47)