When I was younger and doing Bible studies to prepare for baptism, we covered the power of prayer.
I always knew prayer was an important part of having a relationship with God, but sometimes prayer can be overwhelming, and I didn’t know where to start.
My mother sat down with me one night and explained the different elements of prayer as explained by author Becky Tirabassi. She broke down prayer into the acronym PART — Praise, Admit, Request and Thank.
My mother then handed me my journal, and we wrote the letters down the page. We did an example together for each letter, and once we had completed that, we prayed together using those parts.
P is for Praise. Start off your prayer by praising God. For example, “God, You are all-powerful and all-knowing. Even when I am anxious, I know I can trust in You.”
A is for Admit. Admit your sins and recent transgressions to God and ask for His forgiveness. “I’m sorry I lied about cleaning my room today. Please forgive me and help me to do better next time.”
R is for Request. This is the section where you ask God for the things that are on your heart. “Please, Lord, help keep my father safe as he is traveling, and bring him home soon.”
T is for Thank. At the end of your prayer, thank God for the good things He has done in your life. “Thank You, God, for Your everlasting love. Thank You for healing my dog’s hurt leg and for helping my friend find her lost jacket at school."
You can close out your prayer however it feels best to you. I usually end mine with, “In Jesus’ name, amen,” however others like to just say, “Amen.” Do whatever feels personal to you and your walk with God.
If you want to practice this exercise for yourself, take out a journal or a piece of paper, use a pen or pencil to write out PART and get started. Or, use this PDF printable and get a parent to help you print it out at home.
