Models for prayer
The Lord’s Prayer was presented as a model, for when the disciples asked how to pray, Jesus told them to pray “like this,” and then said the prayer. We know the disciples did not think that he meant that the only praying they could ever do was to used these words, because we have an example of another prayer said by the disciples, in Acts 4:24-30. You can learn the concepts in the Lord’s prayer more deeply in several ways, and these ways will then influence the way you pray. You can read it in many different translations. You can capsulate the thought of each sentence in your own words. You can ponder the effect of each sentence for your own life and action.
Psalms. The Psalms have been used for over 2000 years by God’s people, first in the synagogue and continuing in the church. When we pray a Psalm that seems to fit our current feeling, we know we are using inspired words to express those deep feelings of our hearts. One of the main things I have learned form the Psalms is that when there are expression of praise God, they often either are praises to God for something that he is, or for something that he does. I then try to say similar things in my praising. By reading through the Psalms regularly, we are exposed to a large scope of different kinds of prayers, which then show us how God would have us pray in these kinds of situations. The following Psalms are especially apt for personal prayers:
27, 43, 63, 119, 56, 86,142,143, 19:14, 90:12, 31:14-15.
Paul. The Bible includes five prayers written by the apostle Paul. I have found these to be useful in praying for myself and others, because of the rich content. For example, where Paul writes “I pray that you will be strengthened inwardly by the Spirit,” I use that as my prayer: “Dear Lord, please strengthen me inwardly by your Spirit.” I also pray for others by saying, “Dear God, please strengthen (the person’s name) by your Spirit. I recommend that you use the ideas from these five prayers as your pray for yourself and others. Here are the requests in Paul’s prayers:
Ephesians 1
17 that the Father may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe.
Ephesians 3
16 I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
18 that you will have power to comprehend the dimensions of the love of Christ
19 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Philippians 1
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,
Colossians 1
9 that you be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual understanding;
10 that you walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord,
that you bear fruit in good works,
that you increase in the knowledge of God
11 that you be strengthened with power for enurance and patience,
2 Thessalonians 1
11: that our God will count you worthy of His calling,
that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith,
12: so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him
Plus this prayer in Hebrews:
Hebrews 13
21. (may God) equip you with every good thing to do His will.
may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight
Personalizing. I have a small book called 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers. I find them to be wonderful models for how to take a scripture verse and put it into a prayer. For example, the Bible tells us God will never forsake us, so this becomes the prayer “Lord, I thank you that you will never forsake me.” These sentences then become professions of faith. I try to pray in a similar way.