“Lord, Teach Us How To Pray”
 
This was the request by Jesus’ disciples before His death and resurrection.  Jesus responded with what is best known as “The Lord’s Prayer”, a prayer that most of us (and even non-Christians) can recite from memory. 

Matthew 6: 9-13KJV, as follows:
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us no into temptation, but deliver us from evil (or “the evil one”). For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever, and ever.  Amen.”
 
Too often Christians over the centuries have believed this prayer must be prayed verbatim, almost as if its exact words were intended by Christ to be prayed repeatedly,  just exactly as He spoke them, in order to invoke the power of God.  However, our Lord did not instruct  His disciples (or us) that we must pray His exact words  In order to pray properly, or suggest that verbatim repetition of His words had some  super-natural  power or significance, in and of themselves.  In fact, a closer look at the Scripture (Matthew 6:9-13  KJV)very  specifically  quotes Jesus’  response  as saying: “After, or in this manner,
 pray . . .”.
 
Most modern translations now refer to this as “The Model Prayer”, recognizing that Jesus was giving us an outline or format for things we should always include in our prayers to the Father, not a mandatory word-for-word script.  There is certainly nothing wrong with reciting the Lord’s Prayer verbatim, so long as you are not just speaking His words by rote, without thinking about 1: - who you are praying to, or 2:- the actual meaning and significance of the words you are praying.
 
I have found it very helpful to break this down into its’ key component elements:
 (1) “Our Father who art in Heaven” – We are praying directly to our Heavenly Father who loves us. (2) “Hallowed Be Thy Name” – The name (names really) of God are powerful and Holy: “The Great I Am”, “Yahweh”, “The Creator”, “the Eternal God”, and the Great Provider of all good things we have and need.  We should be in awe of the Living, All Powerful, All Knowing, Perfect,, Infinite, and Eternal God,  to whom we are praying. (3) “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on earth as it is in Heaven”.  While God invites us to pray for our needs and the desires of or hearts, He wants us to always recognize, and desire, His Will above all else, even our most heartfelt wants and desires. (4) “Give us this day our daily bread” – asking God to provide for our essential needs, to provide the things we require each day  in order to do His Will.  (5) “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Forgiveness of each other is a command, not a request or an option.  Since He gave His Son’s life (blood and body) to forgive us, we must forgive others. (See: Matt.6:14-15 if you doubt  this). (6) …And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”  I personally feel a better rendering is “help” or “empower” us to resisttemptation, since God never directly tempts anyone (that’s satan’s tactic).
 
By focusing on these key elements, you can use whatever words you feel best express these concepts and your needs and make you feel closer to our Father, and add whatever other things you wish to lift up to the Lord for His grace, mercy, healing, guidance, wisdom, and love, in your own words, and thoughts.
 
I encourage you to try this and see if it deepens your prayers, as it has mine, and keeps me more focused on who God is, and what He thinks is most important for us to pray.
 
God Bless,
John Adams