Prayer Power Global Ministries
What the Bible teaches · A simple place to start
What the Bible says about how to pray, a simple pattern to begin with, and a free prayer sheet to keep you going.
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Prayer is talking with God, and listening. That is all it is, and it is also everything. You do not need special words, the right posture, or a quiet house. You need to start.
The disciples watched Jesus pray, and then they asked Him to teach them (Luke 11:1). He did not hand them a technique. He gave them a pattern, short enough to remember and deep enough to pray for a lifetime. Everything below begins there.
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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 · NIV
Jesus said “this is how,” not “say exactly this.” You can pray these words as they are, and you can also use them as an outline for your own.
Start with who you are talking to. Not a distant power, but a Father who is near, and also far above your situation.
Before asking, worship. Honor God for who He is. It puts everything else in its right size.
Hand over your plans. This is the hardest line to mean, and the most freeing once you do.
Ask for what you need, for today. Nothing is too ordinary to bring to God.
Confess, and let go of what others owe you. Forgiveness flows in and out through the same door.
Ask for protection and strength for what is ahead, and for rescue from evil.
These scriptures on how to pray say as much about the heart behind prayer as about the words.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 · NIV
Pray continually does not mean on your knees all day. It means staying in conversation, short prayers woven through ordinary hours.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 · NIV
Prayer is not a performance. The most important prayers are often the ones nobody else hears.
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 · NIV
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 · NIV
With confidence, not because you have earned it, but because it is a throne of grace.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 · NIV
Philippians 4:6Instead of worrying, bring every request to God in prayer, with thanks.
1 John 5:14–15When we ask for anything in line with God’s will, He hears us, and we can be confident He will answer.
If you have never prayed, or you have prayed for years and feel stuck, try these four movements. Give each one a minute or two, and you have prayed for five minutes without running out of words.
Tell God who He is. Name something true about Him: that He is faithful, that He is near, that He has not left you.
Be honest about where you have fallen short, specifically, and receive His forgiveness.
Name three specific things from the last day, however small.
Bring your needs and the needs of others: the appointment, the decision, the conversation you are dreading.
Fasting is setting aside something you normally need, usually food, for a time, so that the hunger turns you toward God. Jesus said “when you fast,” not “if,” and taught that it should be quiet and between you and the Father (Matthew 6:16–18).
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6 · NIV
Through Isaiah, God said the fast He wants is not about looking holy. It is about freedom, for yourself and for others.
Start small: one meal, or one day, with the time you would have spent eating given to prayer. Drink water. Decide beforehand what you are praying for.
A word of care: if you are pregnant or nursing, diabetic, on medication, or have ever struggled with eating, talk to your doctor before fasting from food. You can fast from something else instead, like your phone, television or social media. God looks at the heart, not the menu.
James 5:14–16 tells the sick to call the elders of the church to pray over them, and tells all of us to pray for one another so that we may be healed. Pray honestly and specifically. Pray with others, not only alone. Pray for the people treating you. And keep praying while you wait, trusting God with the timing and the shape of the answer.
A prayer journal helps you notice how God answers over time. Here is a prayer journal sample, one filled-in day laid out like the free Prayer Sheet (free PDF download).
Tuesday morning
Mom: her scan on Thursday, and peace while she waits. Daniel: wisdom about the new job offer.
A good night’s sleep. A text from an old friend. Sunshine on the drive to work.
The car repair cost half what I feared. Sarah and I finally talked, and it went well.
Help me rest instead of worrying tonight. Show me where I need to slow down this week.
Everyone’s mind wanders in prayer. It is not a sign you are doing it wrong. When you notice it, turn the distraction into a prayer and come back. Praying aloud, writing your prayers down, or walking while you pray can all help.
For more, read Overcoming Distractions in Prayer: 10 Tips from a Prayer Coach.
A prayer life grows the way any relationship does: with time, honesty and showing up again. These teachings go deeper, including why praying with someone else can change everything.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
