Lord, Teach Us How to Pray
A simple guide to prayer from Luke 11, where Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray, what to say, and why we can come to God as Father.
Luke 11:1-13Matthew 6:8-14Psalm 119:33John 16:24Psalm 123:1
Prayer can feel like the simplest thing in the world and the hardest. You kneel down, and the words stall. You wonder if you are doing it right, whether God is listening, whether there is a technique you missed. The disciples felt the same way. They had watched Jesus pray, and something about it made them ask for help. One of them said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). That is a good prayer, and it is still a prayer you can pray. Jesus did not scold them for asking. He answered them with a pattern, a few short lines that have shaped Christian prayer ever since.
So the answer to “how do I pray?” is not a secret method. It is a person. Jesus teaches us to come to God as Father, to ask for what we truly need, to seek forgiveness and give it, and to keep asking with confidence because God is good. The rest of this article walks through what He said, line by line.
What did Jesus actually teach His disciples to pray?
Luke records it plainly. Jesus told them to pray, beginning with “Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2-4).
Matthew’s Gospel gives a longer version, the one most of us know by heart:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. — Matthew 6:9-13 (BSB)
Notice how short it is. There is no long introduction, no special vocabulary. Every word carries weight. The Westminster Shorter Catechism calls this form “the special rule of direction” for prayer (Q. 99), not because it is the only prayer we may pray, but because it shows us the shape all prayer takes.
Why does prayer begin with “Father”?
This is the part that would have startled the first hearers. The God of Israel, the holy Creator, is addressed as Father. Jesus gives His followers that same access. The catechism puts it this way: the preface teaches us “to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us” (Q. 100).
Both words matter. Reverence, because He is in heaven and His name is hallowed. Confidence, because He is a Father who is able and ready to help. You are not approaching a distant official with a form to fill out. You are coming to a Father who already knows what you need before you ask (Matthew 6:8).
If you have never thought of God that way, start there. The first line of prayer is not a request. It is a relationship.
What should I actually say when I pray?
Jesus gives six movements, and they are easy to follow.
Hallowed be Your name. Before you ask for anything, honor God for who He is. This is worship. It reorders your heart.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done. You are asking that God’s rule would be real in the world and in your own life. It is a surrender, not a wish list.
Give us this day our daily bread. Now the requests begin, and they begin with ordinary needs. Bread. Food. Rent. The things you actually need today. Matthew Henry notes that asking for bread teaches us contentment: we ask for bread, not for what we do not need.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. This line is uncomfortable, and it is meant to be. You ask for mercy and you extend it. Jesus returns to this point right after the prayer: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. You are asking God to keep you. Prayer is not only about getting things; it is about being guarded.
You do not have to use these exact words every time. The pattern is the point. But using the words themselves, slowly, is a good place to start when you do not know what to say.
Why does Jesus tell a story about a friend at midnight?
Right after the prayer, Jesus tells a parable about persistence. A man has a guest arrive at midnight and no bread to serve him. He goes to a neighbor and knocks. The neighbor is in bed with his children and does not want to get up. But Jesus says the man keeps asking, and eventually the neighbor gets up and gives him what he needs, not out of friendship but because of his persistence (Luke 11:5-8).
Then Jesus says:
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. — Luke 11:9-10 (BSB)
This is not a formula for getting whatever you want. It is an invitation to keep coming. God is not a sleepy neighbor who has to be worn down. Jesus goes on to say that earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, and your Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13). The point is not that persistence earns an answer. The point is that God is better than the neighbor in the story.
What if I do not know what to say?
You are in good company. The disciples did not know, and they asked. The psalms are full of people asking God to teach them how to pray. “Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end” (Psalm 119:33).
A few simple practices help.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly, one line at a time, pausing on each. Let the words become yours.
Pray Scripture back to God. Read a psalm and turn its lines into your own words. Psalm 123 begins, “I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven” (Psalm 123:1). That is a prayer you can borrow when your own words fail.
Pray in Jesus’ name. He told His disciples, “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24). This is not a magic phrase added to the end. It means you come to the Father because of what Jesus has done, not because of your own worthiness.
Keep it short. Jesus warned against babbling and many words (Matthew 6:7). Prayer is not a performance.
How do I make prayer a habit?
Most people do not struggle with prayer because they do not believe in it. They struggle because they do not do it. The disciples asked for teaching, and Jesus gave them a pattern to use. Use it. Set a time. A few minutes in the morning, a few before bed. Pray with another believer. Pray out loud when you can, because it slows you down.
Do not wait until you feel ready. Prayer is not a mood; it is a conversation. And like any conversation, it grows with practice. The more you come to God as Father, the more natural it becomes.
If you are carrying something heavy, tell a pastor or a trusted believer. Prayer was never meant to be done alone. The church is where we learn to pray together.
A prayer you can pray
If you want to begin, you can pray something like this in your own voice:
Father in heaven, Your name is holy. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in my life. Give me what I need today. Forgive my sins, and help me forgive those who have sinned against me. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Teach me to pray, as Jesus taught His disciples. In His name, amen.
Then sit quietly for a moment. You do not have to fill the silence. God is not far off. He is a Father who listens.
Common questions
Do I have to pray the Lord’s Prayer word for word?
No. Jesus gave it as a pattern, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism calls it the special rule of direction for prayer, not the only prayer allowed. Using the exact words is good and helpful, especially when you do not know what to say, but the shape of the prayer is what matters most.
Does God always answer prayer the way I want?
No. Jesus teaches us to ask with persistence and confidence, but He also teaches us to pray “Your will be done.” God is a good Father who gives good gifts, and sometimes His answer is no or not yet, because He knows what we truly need better than we do.
What if I have not prayed in a long time?
Start where the disciples started: ask Jesus to teach you. You can pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly, or read a psalm and turn it into your own words. God is not waiting for you to have it all together. He is a Father who is ready to help.
Can I pray about ordinary things like money or health?
Yes. Jesus tells us to ask for daily bread, which means ordinary needs are fair to bring to God. Prayer is not only for spiritual matters. Bring Him what you actually need today, and trust Him with it.