How to Pray the Lord’s Way

By Jeff Cranston

“For the beauty of it is that the Lord's Prayer is ‘Everybody's Prayer.’ It is the prayer of the devout, but it is also the prayer of the depraved. It is the prayer of the person who deplores the rebellion of their own heart: ‘Our Father, Your will be done! Your Kingdom come!’ It is the prayer of the person who realizes that their soul is defiled with an indelible stain: ‘Forgive our sins!’ Within the sanctuary of the Lord’s Prayer, there is a place for each of us, a place that we feel to be peculiarly our own."  – F. W. Boreham

The Lord’s Prayer is a central document of the Christian faith. For 2,000 years believers have pondered its meaning. It is like an inexhaustible well: The deeper you go, the more you find. And no matter how long you study this prayer, the more it reveals to the earnest seeker. Though brief and simple, it is also profound; indeed, it is the most profound prayer ever prayed. Read Matthew 6:9-14.

In this six-week blog series, we will walk and pray through the Lord’s Prayer together. This prayer is a guide; it’s a model prayer upon which we are to base our prayers.

Talk to the Father about the Father.

“Our Father…”

This is our starting point; this establishes our relationship. God the Father is our Source.

“Father” is probably the most common term we use in prayer, and rightly so, because that is how Jesus addressed His prayers, using the phrase more than 70 different times. The only prayer He ever prayed without using it was when He was on the cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Only in bearing your sin and mine was He separated from the Father.

This term indicates a childlike trust in our heavenly Father who will not only hear us but longs to listen to our requests. The better we know what our heavenly Father is like, the more we will readily leap into His arms in prayer.

When we become Christians, Romans 8 says that we receive the Holy Spirit who makes us children of God, “and by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15, NIV). This word “Abba” means “daddy,” and communicates the intimacy and nearness of God. He is not indifferent or detached from His children. As such, we don’t have to approach Him with big churchy words or formalities. He doesn’t require that we pray to Him in King James English. Aren’t you glad you don’t have to learn formalized, Shakespearean English to talk with your Father in heaven?

God wants us to embrace Him as our Father, to come to Him without fear of retribution or shame. He wants us to come boldly into His presence, having the confidence that He is eager to hear the prayers of His children. He wants you to come to Him as you are, in your own words, in your own language.

So, let’s do that. Let’s talk to our heavenly Father. Our Father God, we are before you today as your children. We praise you for allowing us to have a relationship with you. Thank you for loving us deeply and for longing to have us approach you as our ‘daddy’ in prayer, and in every area of our lives. Thank you for your nearness and for your involvement in our daily living.

Talk to the Father about heaven.

“…who is in heaven…”

We direct our prayers to heaven because the throne of our Father is there. Heaven is the real world where God’s power and glory is revealed. Our true citizenship is there. It is where God is, and it is where we shall be. It is a place incorruptible and undefiled. God the Father sees everything from heaven.

Don Carson, a theology professor and author, points out that this is a good corrective for evangelicals like us who often show way too much irreverence, shallow theology, and experience-oriented worship. He says, “When believers pray ‘Our Father in heaven,’ they cannot but be hushed and humbled.” Hushed and humbled are good places for us to be.

Let’s talk to our Father again: Lord, we confess we don’t often long for heaven. We’re creatures of this world and too often crave worldly things over heavenly ones. We ask that You would grow a desire in us for heaven. Help us not be satisfied with the things of this world, but long for closeness with You and the perfection of eternity in Your presence. Lord, thank you for the certainty of heaven and the joy we will have when we get there! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Talk to the Father about His holy name.

“…hallowed be Your Name.”

I think it’s fair to say that this phrase is the one that makes the least sense to us, and therefore it is the phrase we pray the least. This phrase presents a paradox. To pray to God that His name be made holy is a bit like saying, “May the water become wet” or “May the fire become hot.”

In the first place, it simply sounds strange. “Hallowed” is not a word we use very often. It is an archaic word that smacks of cloistered halls and dismal chants. That’s our basic problem with the word “hallowed.” It sounds like it belongs back in the 12th century. We really don’t know what to do with it in the 21st century.

Our other problem is that we don’t know what it means. Since we don’t know what it means, we’re not really sure what we’re praying for. But it’s of paramount importance to note that Jesus didn’t begin with the part we understand—like bread and forgiveness. He starts with the part that maybe we don’t fully understand. 

There’s a crucial point here. Prayer doesn’t begin with our concerns; prayer begins with God’s concerns. Or to put it in its simplest form, prayer doesn’t begin with us; prayer begins with God.

The word “hallowed” means “holy” or “sacred,” therefore, God’s name is holy, righteous, and pure. Why did Jesus say, “Hallowed be your name?” Your name is important to you. It may not matter to anyone else in the world, but you care about your name because it identifies who you are. It’s the same with God. Praying, “hallowed be your name” is a safeguard against self-seeking prayer. Before we can move on to the other petitions in this prayer, we must ask God to make His name holy and we must avoid using His name irreverently. For some of us, that means that we need to stop using His name as a cuss word. For others, it means that we need to avoid just saying God’s name tritely or using the Christian equivalent to a swear word.

This is why the Third Commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7, NASB). 

To take God’s name in vain means to take it lightly or flippantly. It’s the exact opposite of “hallowing” God’s name. Therefore, we might say that to “hallow” God’s name means to take it with a holy seriousness and respect.

So, that type of prayer might sound something like this. Let’s pray: “Lord, may your righteous character be seen in the world so that men and women will respect you for who you really are. May your name be made great so that your creation will give you the honor and respect that is your rightful due. Amen.”

Applying the Lord’s Prayer in Your Life

Before we come to God with our business, we must, in holiness and respect, address Him with Whom our business lies. As we come to God, we should remember that, not only is He willing to help us, He is able to help us.

The psalmist says that “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From His throne He observes all who live on the earth” (Psalm 33:13-14, NLT).

He sees; He knows; He is able to do great things; and, He has a clear view of all of your wants and burdens and desires and infirmities. Thank God that He is your forever Father, and as such, you can approach Him confidently in prayer.

Our Father. Who is in Heaven. Hallowed be your name.

Jeff Cranston is the lead pastor of LowCountry Community Church in Bluffton, South Carolina.

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