One of the greatest blessings enjoyed by Christians in this life is the privilege of prayer, by which we can approach God. Through prayer the Christian can find peace, forgiveness for his sins, and strength from God through His Spirit. "Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.' He said, 'This is how you should pray'' (Luke 11:1-2). He then recited the Lord's Prayer--the foundation of which all prayers are based upon.
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus is teaching us to apply four principles that are essential for developing a prayer life that will be rich with meaning, joy, and intimacy in communicating with the Lord, our God and Savior. Those four principles of prayer power are praise, petition, promise, and power.
Prayer starts with praise. In praise we focus on who God is. We recognize His character. He is our Father in heaven, not limited by any earthly shortcomings. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
After we recognize and realize that we are approaching the awesome Creator God, we state our petitions. We pray in plurals-we pray for others, too! "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).
After we have stated our petitions, we claim the very promises of God as found in Scripture. With Bible in hand, we base our faith on the promises of His word. "Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24).
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