First of all, Jesus told us how to pray in Math. 6:9-13. Listen to this passage: “Pray then like this: 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 evil.” The following are characteristics of true prayer.
Galatians 4:6 says this: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” Abba means “my father” which is a transliteration from the Aramaic. See John 5:17-18.
The Psalms are full of praises to the Lord because of His acts and because of who he is. Psalms 103:1 says this: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” We are to praise the Lord for what Jesus has done for us AND for who He is to us. He is forgiving, merciful and our Savior!
Jesus reigns from heaven meaning His plan will be accomplished because he is King! Real prayer joins my life with His sovereignty by asking that His purpose be done in me! 1 John 5:14-15 says this: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Asking for things not for His glory will lead to unanswered prayers. See James 4:2-4.
We are invited to trust Him for our simple and everyday needs. Jesus says that the Lord takes care of the birds who can’t plant or harvest meaning we SHOULD trust the Lord (see Math. 6:25-33) but we are explicitly told to ask. See Prov. 30:8-9
1 John 1:8 says that those who have truth admit that they have sinned. In fact, the scripture says plainly that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In Romans 3:23. Daniel, in the book by his name in chapter 9 records that he confessed to the Lord his sins and the sins of his people which is why they were having to live in Babylon in exile. An appropriate part of confession involves forgiving those who have wronged us which is minor compared to the “debt” that we owe God. Math. 6:14-15 which follows the prayer the Lord taught us above goes like this: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
We need the Lord’s help to not be stained by this world and to be faithful to him! 1 John 5:4 says: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” There is a way of escape from every path that would lead us away from God, but we must trust Him for that escape. See 1 Cor. 10:13.
The Apostle Paul in speaking the Thessalonians says in 2 Thess. 3:1-2 the following: “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.”
This is the part where we listen to what the Lord is saying to us! Romans 8 says the Spirit helps us in our weakness because we do not know what to pray for as we ought (Rom. 8:26-27). Listening is a very important part of prayer. Rev. 2:7,11,17,29;3:6,13,22 all say this: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Of course listening to the Lord through prayer implies a readiness to obey. Isaiah heard the Lord say (Isa. 6:8): “…who will go for us?” and he said “Here I am! Send me.”
Give God something to work with by giving Him SOME time each day to pray to Him. He can build on what you give Him, but He can’t build on nothing! Remember that he stands at attention when we pray and listens! Daniel was heard in his sincerity to the Lord. Daniel 10:12 says this: “Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”