Have you ever wished for a deeper, more vibrant prayer life? A key to that is learning to pray like Jesus. Here are two practical ways to do that.
1. Pray for Specific People in Trials
Jesus told Simon Peter, "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31–32).
We can create a prayer list of specific people we want to see follow Jesus, be baptized or be rebaptized, and we can join His final movement and mission. Praying for them throughout the day and celebrating as Jesus changes their lives is at the heart of praying like Jesus.
2. Pray Through the Ingredients of the Lord’s Prayer
When a disciple asked, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1), Jesus shared what we call the Lord’s Prayer. He didn't intend for us to recite it mindlessly but to understand how to communicate with our Heavenly Father through five core ingredients:
- Relationship ("Our Father"): This reminds us we are speaking to a loving Father who cares for our needs. Using "our" reminds us that when our relationship with the Father becomes healthier, it results in our relationships with others becoming healthier as well.
- Cooperation ("Your kingdom come; Your will be done"): We ask for Jesus’ return while surrendering control of every area of our lives to His will today.
- Request ("Give us this day our daily bread"): Having remembered who God is and expressed our willingness to follow His will, we present our daily needs. Praying for daily bread, rather than a lifetime supply, reminds us to trust His day-by-day provision.
- Forgiveness ("Forgive us our debts, as we forgive"): True forgiveness is supernatural. As we reflect on the immense grace God extends to us, we are empowered to extend that same grace to others.
- Victory ("Lead us not into temptation"): This is a request to be led away from temptation and into His protection. As Heb. 7:25 promises, “He is fully able to save those who draw near to God through Him because He is alive, always interceding for us.”
As the global Adventist Church embraces onevoice27.org and allthingsnew2027.com, may we increasingly focus on praying like Jesus, serving Jesus, sharing Jesus and following Jesus.
And soon, we will actually see Jesus, face to face!
