Most Christians know they should pray.
Fewer know how Jesus specifically said to do it.
The Sermon on the Mount contains the most direct teaching on prayer that Jesus ever gave, and it begins not with instructions on what to say but with instructions on what to avoid.
That approach, correction before prescription, reveals how seriously Jesus took the integrity of prayer.
He was not handing out a technique. He was exposing what prayer actually is and what it too easily becomes.
What Jesus Said to Avoid First
Prayer Is Not a Performance
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by people. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” — ESV, Matthew 6:5
The word “hypocrite” in Greek is hupokrites, the word for an actor wearing a mask.
Jesus was not condemning public prayer. He was condemning prayer performed for an audience rather than offered to God.
The person who prays in a way designed to impress other people has already received everything that kind of prayer will produce: human admiration. That is all they were after, and it is all they get.
Prayer Is Not About Volume or Repetition
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” — ESV, Matthew 6:7–8
Jesus called out meaningless repetition, not all repetition.
He himself prayed the same prayer three times in Gethsemane. What he was targeting was the pagan assumption that God is moved by the volume or the quantity of words rather than by the genuine disposition of the heart.
God already knows your need. The prayer is not informing him. It is engaging with him.
The Lord’s Prayer: Not a Script but a Shape
Jesus gave what we call the Lord’s Prayer not as a liturgy to recite mechanically but as a pattern that teaches what prayer should include and in what order.
“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.'” — ESV, Matthew 6:9–13
Six elements. Each one carries theological weight that a surface reading easily misses.
The Six Elements of Biblical Prayer
Element 1: Address God as Father
“Our Father in heaven” establishes the relationship before the request.
Prayer begins not with what you need but with who you are approaching and who he is to you.
The word “Father” was not common in Jewish prayer at the time of Jesus. He was teaching his disciples to approach God with the intimacy of a child approaching a parent who is both close and sovereign.
The “our” is also significant. This is not a solitary prayer. It is prayed in solidarity with everyone who belongs to God.
Element 2: Honor His Name First
“Hallowed be your name” is the first petition, and it is not for the person praying.
Before asking for anything personal, the one praying acknowledges that God’s name, his reputation, his honor, his character, is of greater importance than anything on the personal list.
This ordering disciplines the entire prayer. It places God’s concerns above your own from the very first sentence.
Element 3: Submit to His Kingdom and His Will
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
This is an act of alignment before it is a request. The person praying is expressing their desire that God’s purposes advance in the world, and implicitly committing to participate in those purposes.
The phrase “on earth as it is in heaven” establishes the standard: complete, immediate, willing compliance with God’s will, the way it already occurs in heaven.
Element 4: Ask for Daily Provision
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
The request is specific and present-tense. Not a year’s supply. Today’s bread.
Jesus is teaching a daily dependence, a rhythm of returning to God with the needs of each day rather than stockpiling prayers for a future you are anxious about.
This petition covers every legitimate need of daily life, not only food.
Element 5: Ask for and Extend Forgiveness
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
This petition is the only one Jesus comments on after the prayer is finished.
“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.” — ESV, Matthew 6:14–15
The connection between receiving forgiveness and extending it is not incidental. It reveals whether the person praying has genuinely understood what they are asking for.
Element 6: Ask for Protection From Temptation and Evil
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
This petition acknowledges human vulnerability and asks God to govern the circumstances that come against the person praying.
It is a prayer of humility: recognizing that without God’s protection, the believer cannot navigate the spiritual landscape they are living in.
Other Things Jesus Taught About Prayer
Pray in Private
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” — ESV, Matthew 6:6
The private prayer life is the most reliable indicator of what a person’s prayer actually is.
Anyone can pray impressively in public. The room with the shut door is where the real relationship shows.
Pray Persistently
Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow specifically to teach that believers should pray and not give up.
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” — ESV, Luke 18:1
Persistence in prayer is not the same as earning a response through repetition.
It is the posture of someone who knows who they are asking and does not abandon the relationship when the answer is delayed.
Pray With Faith
“Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” — ESV, Mark 11:24
Faith in prayer is not the psychological force that produces results by believing hard enough.
It is trust in the character of God, confidence that the one being addressed is able, willing, and wise about how and when to respond.
Pray in Jesus’ Name
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” — ESV, John 14:13
Praying in Jesus’ name is not a formula added at the end of a prayer.
It means praying in accordance with his character, his purposes, and his authority, bringing requests that are consistent with who he is and what he came to accomplish.
What Paul Added to Jesus’ Teaching
Paul’s contribution to the theology of prayer complements what Jesus taught.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” — NIV, Philippians 4:6
Every situation. With thanksgiving. Two qualifiers that reshape the posture of prayer entirely.
Thanksgiving is not the reward after the answer. It is the atmosphere in which the request is made by someone who already trusts the one they are asking.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — ESV, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Praying without ceasing is not formal prayer around the clock. It is the ongoing awareness of God’s presence and the habit of turning toward him throughout the day.
Questions People Ask About How to Pray According to the Bible
What is the correct way to pray according to Jesus?
Jesus taught to pray privately rather than for public performance, avoid empty repetition, address God as Father, prioritize God’s name and kingdom before personal requests, ask for daily provision, forgive others, and seek protection from temptation. The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 provides the pattern and order.
Should Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer word for word?
Jesus introduced it with “pray then like this,” suggesting it is a model rather than a mandatory script. Many Christians use the exact words as a meaningful liturgical prayer, which is appropriate. Others use its structure as a guide for personal prayer. Both approaches honor the intent of the teaching.
Does God answer all prayers?
God hears all prayers from those who belong to him, but he answers according to his wisdom, his timing, and his purposes. James 4:3 notes that some prayers go unanswered because the motives behind them are self-serving. First John 5:14 connects answered prayer to asking according to God’s will.
How long should a prayer be?
Jesus warned against lengthy prayers designed to impress. He also modeled extended night-long prayer himself. Length is not the measure of prayer’s quality. Sincerity, focus, and alignment with God’s will matter more than duration. Short, honest prayers directed to God carry more weight than long performances.
Is it necessary to kneel or close your eyes when praying?
No. Scripture shows people praying standing, kneeling, lying face down, and with eyes open. Jesus looked up to heaven when he prayed in John 17. The posture of the body matters less than the posture of the heart. Kneeling and closed eyes are helpful disciplines for focus, but not biblical requirements.
A Prayer for Those Learning to Pray: Lord, Teach Me to Pray the Way You Intended
Father, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and he did.
I bring the same request.
I have often prayed to be seen, prayed out of anxiety rather than trust, prayed with many words and little attention.
Teach me to come to you as a child comes to a father: honestly, expectantly, and without performance.
Let my private prayer life be more real than anything I say in public.
Calibrate my requests to your purposes.
And when I do not know what to pray, let the Spirit intercede with what I cannot express.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scholarly and Theological References
Carson, D. A. (1992). A call to spiritual reformation: Priorities from Paul and his prayers. Baker Academic.
Miller, P. D. (1994). They cried to the LORD: The form and theology of biblical prayer. Fortress Press.
Stott, J. R. W. (1978). The message of the Sermon on the Mount. InterVarsity Press.
Bounds, E. M. (1907). Power through prayer. (Multiple modern editions.)
France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew: New International Commentary on the New Testament. Eerdmans.
Murray, A. (1895). With Christ in the school of prayer. (Multiple modern editions.)
Whitney, D. S. (2014). Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. NavPress.
Keener, C. S. (1999). A commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Eerdmans.
