Luke 11:1-4

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Over the last several weeks you have seen all kinds of requests for prayers. That’s nothing new. God’s people have been praying and asking for prayers from fellow Christians for as long as people have been around. I’m sure you have done those things several times in your life, too.

But then questions pop up, such as, how should I pray? What should I say? Does God hear my prayers, or do I need my pastor to pray for me? How often should I pray? And so many others.

Jesus’ disciples wanted to know how to pray. So Jesus gave them a prayer. We call it the Lord’s Prayer. It’s a prayer that serves both as a model for our prayers and a prayer we can use anytime.

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to teach you a variety of prayers I have learned over the course of my life. I hope you’ll take those prayers and incorporate them into your daily life. They have meant a lot to me over the years.

The first one is the Lord’s Prayer. Memorize it. Use it often. It’s a prayer Jesus taught his disciples so they would know how to pray when you don’t know how.