Petition; “Our Daily Bread”

Matthew 6:9–15

The Lord’s Prayer shows us different ways to pray, especially the “ask and receive” type of prayer. It tells us that prayer can change things and have a big impact. But for this kind of prayer to work, we need to follow Jesus’ instructions: believe in God’s power, see His greatness, know His wisdom, and let Him be in control. So, the effectiveness of our prayers depends on following these steps.

1. Get confident knowing his power

When we pray, we need to remember we’re talking to our heavenly Father, who is full of amazing promises about prayer, as shown throughout the Bible. God knows what we desire and can’t wait for our requests to bless us. This is just like a parent who is happy when their child succeeds. Understanding God as a powerful Father helps us confidently pray and ask, because sometimes we don’t have because we don’t ask.

2. Get perspective by seeing his glory

Before we pray, we need to understand our own desires, because sometimes they need a bit of fixing. Our deepest needs are inside us and our worries come from how we see things, not the things themselves. When we adore God, we gain the right understanding, can approach Him better, and make our prayers align with what He wants.

3. Get humble by seeing his wisdom

Praying to God is more like a relationship, like a child with a wise parent, not a business deal. Just like a clever parent, God answers our prayers in the best way, even if it’s not exactly what we asked for. When we see ourselves as God’s children and look for what He wants, we open up to His power and love.

4. Get reconciled knowing he is God

Jesus’ teachings on prayer show us that we need God for everything, even the basic stuff. Knowing our own weaknesses and life’s uncertainties makes us turn to prayer, and that’s most effective when we’re confident, humble, and understand our place before God. Jesus teaches us what it means to be a child of God, turning to Him for everything.