Learn How to Pray to Jesus

“Dear Jesus, thank you for this day, and…be with us…And…we just pray. Uh…pray for the missionaries. Amen.”

Does this sound kind of typical? It is a self-confession of what my prayers sometimes sound like. All too often, prayer degenerates into a recitation of cliché phrases, and thoughtless requests. Fervent intercession and passionate praying just aren’t the experience of the average Christian. Sometimes, a weak prayer life is simply due to the fact that we don’t know how to pray to Jesus. The best way to learn is by asking Jesus himself. Jesus’ disciples decided to ask him one day. “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Here is what Jesus taught them.

Understanding the Prayer
Luke 11:2-4, along with its parallel passage in Matthew 6:9-13, is commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Jesus was not teaching his disciples a strict liturgy to memorize and repeat, though there is nothing wrong at all with reciting the prayer. Rather, he was providing a pattern for how to pray to Jesus.

Father, hallowed be your name.
The prayer begins with a tender familial appeal to God as our father. Notice that the first request is not a request for health, or for earthly provision. It is a God-focused request, appealing that His name be honored and revered. The prayer is devoted to glorifying God.

Your kingdom come.
The request, “Your kingdom come,” has two meanings. In the first place, the request is that God’s sovereign rule be advanced in people’s hearts. After all, one aspect of Jesus’ kingdom was its internal reign—a kingdom that existed in people’s hearts. Second, it is a request for the ultimate establishment of the kingdom that Jesus inaugurated by His coming. Christians today still look forward to that day.

Give us each day our daily bread.
There is nothing at all wrong with asking Jesus for material provisions. “Daily bread” includes physical needs. Obviously, it does not confine us to praying only for literal bread. The request can be for a steady job, reliable transportation, a shelter over our heads, healing from sickness, a restored friendship, success on a test, or any of the other needs that we face.

Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.
Since Jesus is teaching this prayer to his disciples—people who had already accepted his forgiveness of sins—this request has to do with continual confession of sin. We recognize our propensity to sin and the constant temptations we face. Thus, we should ask Jesus: “Please forgive my sin.” The request regarding temptation can be interpreted something like this: “Jesus please keep me away from those circumstances that tempt me to sin.”

There is nothing magical, formulaic, or incredibly difficult about praying to Jesus. You can learn how to pray to Jesus by reading this prayer and by adapting it into your own daily life. He will answer your prayers.

The Healing Power of Prayer

She was two years old, and in a typical two-year-old fashion, had enough energy for three people. She loved to run around the house and spin in circles. But ever since she fell down three weeks ago in a full-speed run in the dining room, she hadn’t walked. There was no swelling of the foot. No wound. The X-rays showed no break. The doctor’s were as baffled as the parents. But the two year-old girl wasn’t walking—and she wasn’t faking it, either. For nearly three weeks, she resorted to crawling. She cried out in pain whenever she had to put on a sock or shoe. Something was wrong. Her parents asked the church to pray for healing. Thursday, the after that prayer meeting, their daughter started walking. It was a limp at first, but by the end of the week, she was running, spinning, and playing like she used to.

What happened? Coincidence? Chance? No. This is just one simple true-life anecdote that could be combined with hundreds more in which Christians have experienced God’s healing power in direct answer to prayer. Believers have experienced God’s amazing healing of cancer, disease, and other terminal illnesses. There is healing power in prayer. But it’s not just experiential evidence that proves this fact. It’s God’s Word.

What the Bible Says
James 5:14-15 tells us this: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

The Problem:  Sickness
The passage makes it clear that one problem people face is sickness. Not much has changed in the 2,000 years since James wrote his letter. We still experience sickness, even though modern medicine has been able to mitigate many of the diseases and symptoms we experience.

The Solution: Prayer
The spiritual advice the Bible prescribes for sickness is prayer. First, the sick person calls for the leadership of the church. The leaders attend to the sick person. The action that they take here is very important. The main verb is to “pray over him.” The anointing with oil, an accompanying action, is a recognized symbolic act. Based on other New Testament symbolism, we understand that the anointing oil symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38).

The Manner: Faith
Faith is an important component of prayer. Verse 15 tells us that “the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick.” Often, praying can degenerate into a mere wish list of what we want. Prayer is far more. Prayer is an act of faith in an all-powerful God. The prayer for healing is a prayer of faith.

The Result: Healing
What is the result of praying for the sick person’s healing? Answered prayer. The Bible states it in terms of a fact—“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

God does heal people. Prayer is the means. While we must not expect God to adhere to our desire that He heal every occasion of sickness that we experience, we must not neglect prayer altogether. The Bible commands it, and prayer does work.