Jesus’ Pattern of Prayer

One of the most precious passages in the whole of the New Testament is the Lord’s Prayer. These words of Jesus, so seemingly simple, encompass every conceivable element in prayer and reduce it to a clearly understood pattern.

The Lord’s Prayer (or, more correctly, The Disciples’ Prayer) is, among other things, a miracle of condensation. In the short compass of sixty-six words, the Master presents a model of praying that touches on every major aspect of prayer. One writer says of it: “The Lord’s Prayer sets the standard for all praying. Everything every man ever needed to understand about prayer is latent in the choice disclosure of these words.” That might sound like an astonishing claim, but it is true. No set of theological volumes, no sermon, no series of writings could ever capture the fullness of everything prayer is, as does this simple yet profound model.

The more we understand this model, and the more we pray in line with it, the more powerful and productive our prayer life will become. Because this communication is so important, the enemy seeks to disrupt it. This is why we face the necessity to constantly refocus our thinking on the subject, and seek to deepen and enhance our prowess in the art of prayer. If the Lord’s Prayer sets the standard for all praying, then we must lay our praying alongside His pattern in order that our prayers might become more and more like His.

Further Study

1Tm 2:1-8; 1Ch 16:11; Lk 18:1; 1Th 5:17

What was Christ’s injunction?

What is Paul’s desire?