This unsolicited, genuine testimony is a bold witness to the stark contrast between the character and abilities of Jesus, and those of the spiritual leaders at his time. There were probably many things Jesus did more wonderfully than any of the people had ever seen.

Jesus navigated through his life with an awareness and confidence that was unequalled. He spoke with an authority that came from his understanding of God, God’s plan and the world he helped to create. His communion with his Heavenly Father had a comfort and authenticity that was enviable.

Thus, the request from his disciples, "Lord teach us to pray." The disciples wanted that deep, genuine communication with their Creator that they saw in Jesus. When Jesus prayed, he spoke to his Heavenly Father, with evidence that his heart was knit with his Father’s and that his thoughts and feeling were being heard. He came away from his prayer changed, quieted, and contented. His followers desired that same communion with the Father.

So, Jesus shared with them the formula for effective communication with Jehovah. "When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hal-lowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:2-4).

There is a story of a father who wrote to his son, "If I had more time, I would have written ashorter letter." This suggests that writing concisely is a talent. In our Lord’s model prayer, it is remarkable how much is conveyed in this short, simple, and direct prayer.

Do not let the brevity of this model prayer mislead us into thinking that it is insufficient. In its five lines and fifty-eight words, it is complete and comprehensive. All the elements of an effective prayer are included here.

It begins, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." So much is stated in this short expression!

The expression "Our Father" establishes that we are part of a family. Jesus did not say my Father, but our Father. It also verifies our son-ship to Him, reminding us that our relationship with Jehovah is unique. We are special to Him. We are not of the house of servants but of children. We are God’s children, and as such, call upon our Father ("our dad"), and are encouraged to go to the throne of grace boldly.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12 ASV). "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of His son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:6). "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

"Which art in heaven"

When I read Ephesians chapter 6, I am reminded of my high school years watching football games from the press box, because my uncle filmed the games for the players. In the press box coaches were watching the game and communicating with the coaches on the sidelines. At first I found this odd, until I realized that this higher position gave these coaches the perspective and insight to guide the players on the field more effectively.

The same seems true with our Heavenly Father, because of His perspective; "as the heavens are higher than the earth, … and my thoughts than your thoughts," God has a view and insight which is far broader, deeper and clearer than our own. When we communicate with Him through prayer we tap into that perspective and He is able and willing to guide us.

As we prepare for battle, we brace ourselves with this admonition of the Apostle Paul:

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness; the sandals of peace; taking the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17, condensed).

Then, we must communicate with our Father who is in heaven and receive His higher perspective on our Christian walk. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

"Hallowed be Thy name!"

The most important part of the process is appreciating the great privilege we have to come before the designer of the universe. We acknowledge God as the grand Creator who ordered matter, from the smallest subatomic particles to the vast limits of the galaxies!

Is our impression of God an arms-crossed, toe-tapping disciplinarian, tallying our successes and failures, and waiting for us to trip up? Or is our image of God a loving and supportive father wanting victory and the very best for his children?

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."

This portion of our prayer indicates our faith in His promised Kingdom, and our longing for it, just as He anticipates it. It implies a common interest with our brethren and an at-one-ment with our Father in his mission.

"But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33 ASV). As such, we pray: thy will Father, not my will be done. We are committed to doing His will on earth. We have given up our own goals and are yearning for the entire creation to be in alignment with His will.

As we compose our prayers, remember: • We are an ambassador of God’s kingdom now. Seek his direction. • Make the kingdom our priority also.

God has given man the fundamental need for sustenance. Psycho- logist Abraham Maslow cited our biological needs as the most basic, suggesting that these must be met before any of our higher order psychological needs. The Christian’s new creature has fundamental needs also. When we pray "give us day-by-day our daily bread," the request is two-fold. This simple phrase shows our reliance on Him and applies to both our spiritual and our temporal need for food. It is not a prayer of excess or extravagance. We are not even asking for tomorrow, rather just a request for today’s bread. This reminds us of His watch-care over us and how grateful and contented we should be for His day-to-day provision. We should never murmur at what He has chosen to offer us but remember instead that He has our best interest in mind through every experience. Therefore, "faith can firmly trust Him come what may."

"And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 ASV). God has promised us food and grace for the day. Anything received beyond these should be greater than our expectation.

Regarding our prayer life, commentator Chip Ingram encourages our prayers to be more "promise focused" rather than "problem focused." He goes on to say that we should not attempt to make God "our self-help genie," and avoid having our prayers become lists of things we want or wish to have God make happen. God knows what we and those around us need. Although we may wish to raise these issues up to His attention, since they weigh on our hearts, still we must seek to align ourselves with His goals and outcomes.

As we compose our prayers, remember to: • Be grateful. • Bring our struggles to Him. • Let us move our prayers from being "problem centered" to "promise centered." • Share with God the questions we have about His plan and request His answers.

"Next we acknowledge a principle of God’s justice, that mercy will be extended through Christ only in proportion as we realize the spirit of divine mercy, and are willing to exercise it toward others who come short of perfection in their dealings with us; hence we add, ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ This is equivalent to a bargain with God, that we accept his terms of mercy, and will expect none, except as we ourselves exercise it toward others. What a thought! If fully appreciated, how it would influence all of God’s sons to be kind and generous toward each other and toward all men in thought as well as in word and deed" (Reprint 2005).

Asking for forgiveness confirms that we are opposed to sin. It tells God we understand that we fall short of the mark of perfection on a daily basis. It also shows our faith in Christ’s robe of righteousness to cover us. When praying sincerely, it causes us to keep a watch on our own hearts as well. In asking for the degree of forgiveness from God that we are able to offer to others, we are expressing to our Heavenly Father how very much we are striving to be like Him.

Just as natural children look up to and imitate their earthly parents, we need that childlike reverence and desire to be similar to our Heavenly Father. The Almighty’s level of forgiveness gives us a lot to live up to and much to strive for.

"But God gives proof of His love to us in Christ’s dying for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8 Weymouth). "Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children" (Ephesians 5:1 ASV).

As we compose our prayers, remember to: • Acknowledge our sinfulness. • Rest in God’s ready forgiveness. • Seek strength to forgive those who have offended us.

The Emphatic Diaglott renders this, "Abandon us not to trial." In this human condition, trial (temptation) is a means to spiritual growth. God does not tempt us. Rather man is tempted by his own weaknesses and the allurement of sin. It is our task to fight that attraction. To that end, our Father has promised grace sufficient for every time of need.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

This ending to the model prayer lets God know that we not only have faith in His promised universal Kingdom, but we also have faith in His loving watch care over our personal affairs. It acknowledges our need for His guidance and our understanding that Satan is ruling in the world right now. Praying for deliverance from evil acknowledges that we are carefully fighting and watching for such things.

"For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world — the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare" (Ephesians 6:12, Weymouth). "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). Remember that prayers that come out of our difficult trials and ascend to heaven are as sweet incense to our God.

As we compose our prayers, let us remember to: • "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6). Considering the account of the wise and foolish virgins in present-day terms, oil lamps do not shine without oil, and electric light bulbs will not shine unless they are plugged in. Therefore, the Christian’s New Creature must be connected to God as a source of energy and His holy Spirit as we navigate through our earthly lives. Prayer is that conduit.

Finally, brethren, as we close our prayer, we must remember that God cannot have any relationship with sinful flesh. It is by our faith in Jesus’ merit and sacrifice that are we able to come before Jehovah in prayer; but with that faith we may approach boldly.

Let us remember that to merely recite these words in routine fashion does not make them an effective prayer. This is the model or the formula for prayer. It is not intended to always be the precise words to speak, but rather identifies the elements of heartfelt thoughts for our own prayers. Take Jesus’ template and use it as a guide to weave in our own praises, our own experiences and our own needs and requests.

Later in Luke, Jesus taught us more about prayer in a parable of two men, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. In contrasting the two, we see the characteristics of each and derive what is appropriate and what is not. In the parable the Pharisee was arrogant, puffed-up, confident in his own works and concerned about his outwardly righteous appearance to others. On the contrary, the publican’s entire demeanor was that of humility. He shied to look up to God. He expressed his unworthiness, and at the same time his gratitude for God’s goodness. May we model the humility of this publican as we approach the heavenly throne.

The apostle James adds insight to our prayers when he describes our finiteness and the attitude that we should maintain. Regardless of our prayer or our wishes, we should leave all to the will of God. He writes: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (James 4:14-15).

Brethren, let us consider our prayer life and think about our prayers. Let us be careful not to let them become repetitious. Let us put effort into how we will word our prayers to God and enjoy our communication with our Heavenly Father. Let us look forward to our prayer time and plan for it. May our prayer life be strong, vital and effective. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).