Most children growing up in church will at some point memorize what is known as "The Lord's Prayer." On two distinct occasions Jesus taught this to His disciples. Once in the "Sermon on the Mount" found in Matthew 6 and again in Luke 11 when one of His disciples specifically requested that the Lord teach them how to pray.

The two prayers are almost identical. I believe Jesus was clearly giving his disciples a pattern, an example, for how to pray. Now, the words are not identical, indicating to me that this is not a prayer designed to be quoted. Jesus in Matthew 6 clearly warns against vain repetitions. Yet, while most Christians have the Lord's Prayer memorized, few have taken the time to understand it, and fewer still actually pray this way.

Let me phrase it this way. Jesus clearly taught us a pattern for prayer, yet most Christians never pray this way. Do you? I was saved at age 6, grew up in a Bible-believing church, graduated from Bible college, and have been pastoring for over 13 years. While I have at one time or another prayed every element of the Lord's Prayer (as I believe most Christians do), I cannot say that every element of it was a consistent part of my everyday prayer life. I believe that we are missing out on so much as Christians simply because our prayer lives are so narrowly focused. We are missing much of what helps us to have a real relationship and real communion with God.

In the Lord's Prayer I see worship, adoration, commitment, intercession, supplication, confession, dependence, praise, and much more. If we honestly analyzed our prayers, we would find that the vast majority of our time is spent asking God for things. Some requests are for ourselves and some for others, but it is still focused on what we want from God. We pray through our laundry list of requests to the Lord, hoping that some of it will "stick" and we will get that coveted "Yes" answer to some of them. While the Lord's Prayer contains requests, it is such a small part of the prayer.

What I have found as I have begun to pray in the way Jesus taught his disciples, as I have taught my children how to pray this way, and have led my family in praying this way, is that the Lord's Prayer is more than just a guide for talking to God--it is a guide for relating to God. I believe with all my heart that your prayer life is a mirror of your spiritual life. Change the way you pray, and you will change the way you live.

Finally, I believe that children can pray this way if they are taught. This is not something that can be taught in a Sunday School lesson or a children's church series. It must be taught in the home and reinforced by daily prayer with Mom and Dad. Over the next few Pastors' Posts, I would like to share with you how I have broken down the Lord's Prayer into manageable parts a child can understand. In addition, I would like to share with you some practical things I have learned from praying this way with my kids. Will you join me in this endeavor? If you would like some additional information, have questions, or would like to receive periodic emails on this topic, please email me at teachustopray@gmail.com.

Bryan Miller, B.A.
Children's Pastor