What is the appropriate way to pray?

Question

According to Scripture, how should be pray? I have heard many different perspectives on this. Some say that the prayer that Jesus taught Matthew 6:9-13 is a model for prayer. Will the Lord not answer prayers if they are not done correctly? I understand that first we are to enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). Does this apply to how we should begin our prayers? Or is there no correct way except that we believe the prayer will be answered?

Answer 1

Hello there!

You are correct! There is an appropriate way that you should pray and it is GREAT that you concerned that you want your prayers to be heard.

Jesus’ disciples once asked him to teach them how to pray. So the Great Teacher did, and he showed them what were the most important things to pray for. Do you know what these things are?— Get your Bible, and open it to Matthew chapter 6. In verses 9 through 13, we find what many people call the Our Father or the Lord’s Prayer.

Here we learn that Jesus told us to pray about God’s name. He said to pray that God’s name be sanctified, or treated as holy. What is God’s name?— Yes, it is Jehovah, and we should love that name.

Second, Jesus taught us to pray for God’s Kingdom to come. This Kingdom is important because it will bring peace to the earth and make it a paradise.

Third, the Great Teacher said to pray for God’s will to be done on earth just as it is done in heaven. If we pray for this, then we should do what God wants.

Next, Jesus taught us to pray for the food we need for the day. He also said that we should tell God we are sorry when we have done things that are wrong. And we should ask God to forgive us. But before he will do so, we must forgive others if they have done something wrong to us. Is that easy for you to do?—

Finally, Jesus said we should pray that Jehovah God will protect us from the wicked one, Satan the Devil. So all of these are good things to pray to God about.

We should believe that Jehovah hears our prayers. Besides asking him to help us, we should keep thanking him. He is happy when we mean what we say in prayer and when we ask him for the right things. And he will give us these things. Do you believe that?—

More good counsel about prayer is found at Romans 12:12; 1 Peter 3:12; and 1 John 5:14.


Jehovah also requires that those who approach him in prayer do so with humility and sincerity. Do we not have reason to be humble when speaking to Jehovah? When people have the opportunity to speak to a king or a president, they usually do so respectfully, acknowledging the ruler’s high position. How much more so should we be respectful when approaching Jehovah! (Psalm 138:6) After all, he is “God Almighty.” (Genesis 17:1) When we pray to God, the manner in which we approach him should show that we humbly recognize our position before him. Such humility will also move us to pray from our heart in sincerity, avoiding routine, repetitive prayers.—Matthew 6:7, 8.

Another requirement for being heard by God is that we act in harmony with our prayers. Jehovah expects us to do all that is within our power to work at what we pray for. For example, if we pray, “Give us today our bread for this day,” we must work hard at whatever available job we are able to perform. (Matthew 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10) If we pray for help in overcoming a fleshly weakness, we must be careful to avoid circumstances and situations that could lead us into temptation. (Colossians 3:5)

A primary requirement is that we exercise faith. (Mark 11:24) The apostle Paul wrote: “Without faith it is impossible to please [God] well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Having true faith is more than merely knowing that God exists and that he hears and answers prayers. Faith is proved by our actions. We must give clear evidence that we have faith by the way we live every day.—James 2:26.


To whom should we pray? Jesus taught his followers to pray to “our Father in the heavens.” (Matthew 6:9) Our prayers, then, must be directed only to Jehovah God. However, Jehovah requires that we acknowledge the position of his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As we learned in Chapter 5, Jesus was sent to the earth to serve as a ransom to redeem us from sin and death. (John 3:16; Romans 5:12) He is the appointed High Priest and Judge. (John 5:22; Hebrews 6:20) Hence, the Scriptures direct us to offer our prayers through Jesus. He himself said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) For our prayers to be heard, we must pray only to Jehovah through his Son.

What may we pray for? The Bible explains: “No matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he [Jehovah] hears us.” (1 John 5:14) So we may pray for anything that is in harmony with God’s will. Is it his will that we pray about personal concerns? By all means! Praying to Jehovah can be much like talking to a close friend. We may speak openly, ‘pouring out our heart’ to God. (Psalm 62:8) It is proper for us to ask for holy spirit, for it will help us to do what is right. (Luke 11:13) We can also ask for guidance in making wise decisions and for strength in coping with difficulties. (James 1:5) When we sin, we should ask for forgiveness on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice. (Ephesians 1:3, 7) Of course, personal matters should not be the only subjects of our prayers. We should broaden out our prayers to include other people—family members as well as fellow worshipers.—Acts 12:5; Colossians 4:12.

Here is an article that I hope will help you that talks about everything that I just mentioned above... Please take out YOUR OWN copy of the Bible and look up the scriptures so you can see that what is being said is FROM the Bible. Enjoy!
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1996/7/15/article_02.htm

Learn More!
www.watchtower.org

Answer 2

Sometimes all we have is "Lord have mercy upon me." The Lord knows our needs before we ask, because God knows the heart of man whether it be good or evil. Matthew 6:9-13 and Psalm 100:4 are great ways to pray and worship together and admit that God knows your heart and wants and needs. He also tells us "Be still and know that I am God." To sit in His presence at the same time everyday and rising early to meet with God is a good idea. It gives a more fruitful day. Pray without ceasing, we are also told. I don't believe there is a wrong way to pray seeing that God knows the heart.

Answer 3

I don't think there is a correct or incorrect way to pray. My grandmother had 4 children and a husband in the military who was frequently overseas for extended periods of time, so going to church every Sunday wasn't a big priority for her. I remember her telling me once that God will hear your prays when you're standing at the sink washing dishes just as well as he will if you're kneeling in church.

Answer 4

There is no incorrect way to pray. We should try to pray according to God's will. Some people have suggested this way. ACTS :
A-adoration
C-confession
T- thanksgiving
S- supplication

Answer 5

With your body and clothes as clean as possible. Call upon God to hear your prayer, give thanks and ask for protection from the Evil One. then open your heart and make sure it's contents are for God only.

Answer 6

Eat lots of beans and boiled cabbage several hours beforehand. When you have enough gas, release it powerfully during the last few lines of the Lord's Prayer, then fan it towards the altar using a damp towel.

Oh, and always be sure to wear cheerfully coloured clogs, and when praying, replace every fourth word with the word "moose." It just gets funnier and funnier.

Answer 7

Well before you study on how to pray he definitely answers.
after you study how to pray from your pastor which is to the father and closing in the name of the son.....

Then you should do as you've learned.

Answer 8

We should give thanks to our Father talk with Him and ask the things in your heart, and all those should be closed in the name of He who is our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ.
We pray to our Father in Heaven and do so in the name of Christ... very simple

Answer 9

hmmm... thats a great question!! i believe that you can pray to GOD any way you want... i do know that he wants you to be peaceful with your brthers and sisters in chrsit before praying or giving offerings..... but i believe that GOD hears you no matter how you do it, as long as your e genuine....but, i do believe you should start with a praise and thanksgivng to him..

Answer 10

You would think that the christian god, wouldn't care "how" you pray, but just that you "do" pray.

Talk about picky, not good enough that you are praying, but it has to be done his way....

I would hope not.