Guides · A guide for beginners
How to Pray the way Jesus taught
Short answer: Prayer is talking with God. You come to Him as your Father, through Jesus, and tell Him honestly what is on your heart: praise, sorrow for sin, thanks and requests. You don’t need special words or a special place. Jesus gave a pattern, the Lord’s Prayer: begin with God’s name, His kingdom and His will, then ask for today’s needs, for forgiveness and for protection from evil. Start with five minutes a day, in your own words, and keep going.
One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
— Luke 11:1 (BSB)
Jesus’ disciples watched Him pray, then asked Him to teach them. He gave them no technique, just a Father to talk to and a few short lines to show the way. Whether you are new to prayer or feel stuck, start where they did.
Who do Christians pray to?
Christians pray to the one true God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Most often we pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, as Jesus taught: “Our Father in heaven.” We can also pray to Jesus directly, as Stephen did (Acts 7:59). No other go-between is needed: “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Let us then approach the 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 (BSB)
How do I start praying? Five simple steps
- 1
Find a quiet moment
Five minutes without interruptions: before the house wakes up, in the car, on a walk. Jesus did this Himself.
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
— Mark 1:35 (BSB) - 2
Talk to God as your Father
Use plain words, the way you would talk to someone who loves you and is listening. God is not impressed by many words. ‘Father, thank You that I can come to You because of Jesus’ is a perfect start.
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
— Matthew 6:7-8 (BSB) - 3
Praise Him, and be honest
Tell Him something true about who He is. Then be honest about where you have fallen short. He already knows, and He promises to forgive.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
— 1 John 1:9 (BSB) - 4
Thank Him, then ask
Thank Him for specific things from today. Then bring your requests, for others and for yourself. Nothing is too small or too big.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
— Philippians 4:6 (BSB) - 5
End in Jesus’ name, and leave it with Him
Asking in Jesus’ name isn’t a password; it means you come because of what He has done. Say Amen (‘so be it’), and leave your requests with God instead of carrying them out the door.
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 (BSB)
A first prayer, in five sentences
Prayer
Father, thank You that I can talk to You because of Jesus. You are good, and You have been so patient with me. I’m sorry for the way I spoke to my sister today; please forgive me. Thank You for this morning’s sunshine and for the friend who checked on me. Please help Mom in her new job, and help me trust You with tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
How did Jesus teach us to pray? The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus gave a prayer that is short on purpose: in Matthew 6 it comes right after He warns against babbling on with many words. Pray it word for word, or use it as a pattern, letting each line open a door to pray about in your own words. Notice the order: God’s name, kingdom and will come before our needs.
So then, this 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 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)
| The line | What it means | Pray it in your own words |
|---|---|---|
| “Our Father in heaven” | You come as a child to the King of all. | Thank Him that through Jesus you belong to Him. |
| “hallowed be Your name” | You ask that God be honored as holy, starting with you. | Praise Him for His mercy, power or patience. |
| “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” | You ask for God’s rule and will, not only your plans. | Hand Him today’s plans, at home and at work. |
| “Give us this day our daily bread.” | You depend on Him one day at a time. | Ask for today’s needs: rent, strength, wisdom. |
| “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” | You need His forgiveness, and you pass it on. | Confess specific sins. Name anyone you need to forgive. |
| “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” | You ask to be kept from sin and rescued from the evil one. | Name the temptation you will face; ask for protection. |
The Lord’s Prayer page reads it aloud so you can pray along. For another pattern that puts praise before asking, try the A.C.T.S. model.
A simple daily rhythm of prayer
Paul says, “Pray without ceasing,” and Daniel knelt to pray three times a day (Daniel 6:10). For most of us, praying through the day starts with a few fixed moments. Begin with one and add the others once it sticks.
| When | How long | What to pray |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 5–10 minutes | Read a few verses, praise God, and hand Him the day ahead. |
| Through the day | A sentence | Quick prayers on the spot: before a hard talk, at bad news. Nehemiah prayed between a king’s question and his answer (Nehemiah 2:4). |
| Meals | A few seconds | Thank God for the food and the people at the table. |
| Evening | 5 minutes | Look back over the day with Him: thanks, confession, and tomorrow left in His hands. |
| Once a week | 15–30 minutes | Pray through your prayer list and look back at answers in your prayer journal. |
How do I pray Scripture?
Praying Scripture means letting the Bible give you words. It keeps your prayers rooted in what God has said and carries you when your own words run dry. Start with the Psalms, many of which are prayers already, or with Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1:16-19, Ephesians 3:14-21 and Colossians 1:9-12.
- Read a short passage slowly, twice: once to understand, once to listen.
- Turn each line into prayer: praise God for what it says about Him, confess what it shows you about yourself, and ask for what it promises.
- Pray it for others too, putting in their names. See how to pray for someone.
Praying Psalm 139:23-24
The verses
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.”
The prayer
Lord, You know my heart better than I do. Search it. You see what I’m worried about tonight: the test results, the bills. Show me anything in me that grieves You, my short temper, my pride, and forgive me. Lead me tomorrow in Your way, not mine. Amen.
What if I don’t know what to say?
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
— Romans 8:26 (BSB)
Grief, exhaustion and confusion all make prayer hard, and Paul admits that “we do not know how we ought to pray.” The Spirit Himself intercedes for us, so you can bring God a sigh, a name or a silence. Some simple helps:
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly, adding a sentence of your own after each line.
- Pray a psalm out loud: Psalms 23, 46, 62 and 121 are good places to begin.
- Pray one honest sentence: ‘Lord, I don’t know what to say, but I’m here.’
- Write it down. Writing keeps your mind from wandering.
- Borrow words from the prayer library, prayers drawn from Scripture and read aloud, or start with prayers for anxiety.
Do I have to kneel, close my eyes or pray out loud?
No. Daniel knelt (Daniel 6:10), Jesus fell facedown (Matthew 26:39), and Hannah prayed silently, her lips moving with no sound (1 Samuel 1:13). What matters is the heart, not the position. Closing your eyes helps many people focus, and praying aloud, even in a whisper, keeps your mind from drifting. Pray in whatever way helps you pay attention to God.
Why hasn’t God answered my prayer?
The Bible doesn’t hide this struggle. David prayed, “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). Paul asked three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed and heard “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus prayed, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). God hears His children, but He is not a vending machine, and He sees what we cannot.
- Keep asking: Jesus taught that we should “pray at all times and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
- Tell God honestly how you feel, as the psalms do.
- Ask Him to search your motives (James 4:3).
- Write requests down with the date and watch how He answers: yes, wait, or something you didn’t ask for.
- Ask a mature Christian friend to pray with you.
No one can promise how or when God will answer. Scripture does promise His peace (Philippians 4:7), and that nothing can separate His children from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
How to pray
The pattern Jesus gave · Matthew 6:9-13
- Our Father in heavenCome as His child, through Jesus.
- Hallowed be Your namePraise Him for who He is.
- Your kingdom come, Your will be doneHand Him your plans.
- Give us this day our daily breadAsk for what you need today.
- Forgive us our debtsConfess, and forgive others.
- Lead us not into temptationAsk for protection.
ourbiblemoments.com/guides/how-to-pray · Scripture: Berean Standard Bible
Keep going
- The Lord’s Prayer, read aloud so you can pray along
- The A.C.T.S. prayer model, with a guided prayer
- The prayer library: prayers from Scripture for every need
- How to pray for someone, with example prayers
- How to keep a prayer journal
- How to have a daily quiet time
Questions
How do I pray to God for the first time?
Find a quiet moment and talk to Him plainly, as a Father who is listening. Thank Him that you can come through Jesus, and tell Him what is on your heart. If you have never trusted Jesus, tell God that too and ask Him to save you; He welcomes everyone who calls on Him.
Do I have to end my prayer with ‘in Jesus’ name’?
There is no required formula. Jesus told His disciples to ask the Father in His name (John 16:23-24), which means coming as people who belong to Him, because of what He has done. Closing with ‘in Jesus’ name, Amen’ is a good reminder of that, but the words are not a password.
How long should I pray?
There is no set length; Jesus warned against thinking we are heard because of many words. Start with five minutes a day and let it grow, and count the short prayers through the day too. Five minutes every day will shape you more than an hour once a month.
Why does the Lord’s Prayer here end with ‘deliver us from the evil one’?
That is where Matthew 6:13 ends in the earliest manuscripts, which the Berean Standard Bible follows. The familiar closing, ‘For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever,’ appears in later manuscripts. Many churches pray it, and it is true praise, so you can pray it with them.