Why Is Praying the Lord’s Prayer a Powerful Way to Pray?

Many of us have heard the Lord’s Prayer at some point in our lives. Some of us have even recited it a million times over. We would think that would engrave the power of it into our souls. But it doesn’t.

Don’t get me wrong. Repetition and memorization is a fantastic tool. But it’s not the final answer.

We easily allow the words we repeat to become another item on our to-do list without reaching below the surface to know the meaning or feel the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord’s Prayer once only represented a set of memorized words stored in my mind. The familiarity and tradition gave me comfort. Yet, I didn’t get it. I didn’t realize how profoundly powerful the words really were. And I didn’t really get that Jesus had actually taught me to pray this way. But one day that all changed and when it did I found much more than comfort in the tradition. Instead, I found soul-changing power in the Word of God.

Today, friends, I get to share with you another beautiful friend and prayer warrior in the world of ministry and blogging. Her words are filled with wisdom and give us hope. She is joining me for this series, The Way We Pray, and breaking the Lord’s Prayer down into bite size morsels. She shows us how Jesus taught us to pray and why He taught us this way. Please join me in welcoming my friend, Natalie from Milk & Honey Faith.

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Why Is Praying the Lord’s Prayer a Powerful Way to Pray?

There was a time that I doubted if God ever even heard the prayers I sent His way.  I had no idea what to say, and as I whispered my words, I felt as if my prayer life was all wrong.  It was years before I learned that it wasn’t that I was praying wrong, but that my perspective on prayer was skewed.  I fell into the trap of believing that God wanted fancy, articulate prayers instead of heartfelt ones and that He wouldn’t hear them unless I was wording them right.

He doesn’t desire long eloquent prayers from us, but instead asks that we genuinely come to Him with hearts ready and willing to be honest with Him.

The Lord simply wants to hear from us and He is waiting expectantly.

We all have to start somewhere…

It is so like me to try and overcomplicate things like prayer.  I am so guilty of this because my insecurities have resulted in me fumbling my words and sometimes has even caused my mind to go blank.

My overthinking can sometimes become a stumbling block to what should otherwise be sincere.

However, after reading His word and meditating on how Jesus says we ought to pray I realized that I didn’t need to worry, instead I needed to be intentional.

How Should We Be Praying?

In Matthew 6 Jesus gave an example of how to pray and gave us a guideline for what we should be asking and thanking Him for.  When I read these verses from the sermon on the Mount it clicked for me (thank you Jesus) and it was comforting to know that I wasn’t alone.  The disciples and crowds who sat and listened to Jesus didn’t yet know how to pray but the Lord knew they were willing to learn. Matthew 6 and 7 are instructions given by the Lord not only on how to pray, but what we can expect from Him when we do.  Get ready to be encouraged. Praying is easier than you think.

Get ready to be encouraged. Praying is easier than you think. #thelordsprayer #dailyprayer #momentsofhope Share on X

Jesus’ Instructions on Daily Prayer – The Lord’s Prayer

“Pray like this:  Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.  May your Kingdom come again soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.  And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” –Matthew 6:9-13  NLT

Father, may your name be kept holy

• We are to give Him the honor and glory He is due.

• We begin with praising His name as all powerful and mighty.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

May your Kingdom come soon

• Asking Him to return soon is something that will help us be ready for when He returns for His Church.

• Speaking this reveals a longing in our heart to be with our Creator and to be in our true home.

Give us each day the food we need

• We ask Him for the bare necessities and the things we need to get through our everyday life.

• We acknowledge that He is our provider and we thank Him for meeting our day-to-day needs.

And forgive us our sins

• This is an admittance that we fall short and are in need of His grace.

• Without a repentant heart, we might continue in our sin.  It’s important to ask the Lord to make us more like Himself.

As we forgive those who sin against us

• We ask for forgiveness for our sins but that means we should be merciful towards others.

• Pray for our enemies.

And don’t let us yield to temptation

• Keep us strong and guard our hearts.

• Ask to be kept from falling into temptation.

Rescue us from the evil one

• Safeguard us from attacks and protect us from evil

• Free us from bondage and break the chains that hinder us from growing spiritually.

More on Prayer

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Our God has graciously given us a blueprint for our prayer life and where to begin.  These are things that we should be in the habit of praying for daily but this isn’t where our prayer life ends.   What else does the Lord say about prayer?

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.  I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” -Matthew 6:5-6  NLT

God doesn’t want us putting on a show but instead wants our prayers coming from sincere hearts.

God doesn't want us putting on a show but instead wants our prayers coming from sincere hearts.  #dailyprayer #momentsofhope #thelordsprayer Share on X

Are we only praying in front of others at Church or are we praying behind closed doors? I believe there is a healthy balance.  It’s such a beautiful feeling to know that our Father wants to have intimate time with us.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do.  They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” –Matthew 6:7-8  NLT

What a comfort to know that I don’t have to repeat the same words over and over again and that He actually knows what I need before I even ask.  In fact, in Ecclesiastes 5:2 it says that we are to weigh our words and use few of them. Whoa…how many times have I let my mind wander during prayer?  How many times have I made a vow I haven’t kept? We should speak each word with meaning and special consideration as we speak to God in Heaven.  Let our words be spoken in reverent fear of Him.

Effective Prayer

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” –Matthew 7:7-8  NLT

The Lord wants us to keep praying, and there should be a continual conversation with Him because once in a while just isn’t enough.  There isn’t any need that we have that is too small, any request too large, any burden too difficult that He doesn’t want laid at His feet.  We can bring each and everything to Him and wait with expectant hearts that we will answer as a Father who answers His children. Sometimes that answer will be no, however, He will not let your prayer go unanswered.  Just keep asking, He hears and He cares. Never stop praying.

“Never stop praying.” -1 Thessalonians 5:17  NLT

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Meet Natalie

Natalie Venegas is a wife and mother who is devoted to her King.  She not only has a heart for Christ but a passion for writing about the challenges that Christian women face in this day and age.  Natalie’s story is not only one of spiritual growth but a determination to finish the race well. When she isn’t writing you can find her spending time with her family, sipping on coffee, and daydreaming about the sea.

You can visit her at her blog Milk and Honey Faith or connect with her on social media.

Facebook     Pinterest     Instagram     Twitter

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Finally, just in case you are looking for more resources on prayer, I have an influencer storefront on Amazon where you can find some of my favorite products. As you can guess, most are books! Any of the items listed there are ones I personally recommend. You can find me right here!