Teach people how to pray

In my honest opinion, I think more ministries should teach their congregation (especially new converts) the basics of how to pray and the different types of prayer. Far too often, congregations are told to pray, the importance of prayer but there is never much teaching or training on how to pray.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

We as elders or leaders cannot operate under the assumption that every person who gives their life to Christ knows the difference in types of prayer or even how to pray. While prayers themselves should be an authentic conversation with our Heavenly Father, sometimes people need help getting started and since prayer is often seen as a “basic”, many people are hesitant to ask for explanations in the area of prayer. While sermons are absolutely necessary, training is how we disciple people. Teaching some basics about how to pray and the different types of prayer will give people the tools that they need to intentionally communicate with a very intentional God.

Most people’s idea of prayer is basically issuing God a list of demands or they have been taught the religious way to pray which is repeating a prayer they were told to memorize. Our Heavenly Father wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us, not a religious relationship. An example of a religious prayer would be standing in a church repeating the “Lord’s prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13) without any understanding whatsoever and just going with the motions because it’s “time” for that prayer in the service. If you read the entire 6th chapter of the book of Matthew, the text before the prayer Jesus himself is actually giving us instructions on how to pray. If you read verses 5-6, Jesus specifically tells us not to be like the hypocrites who love to pray standing in the synagogues and the corners of streets so that they may be seen by men and to not use vain repetitions. While it is perfectly fine to pray the scripture and the “Our Father” prayer is scripture, it should not be repeated in vain. The word of God is powerful and has life changing power so it should be prayed with intention, not religious tradition.

Matthew Chapter 6 is a great chapter to help people of all ages learn what Jesus himself taught about prayer. My suggestion is to teach the entire chapter (adjust according to age group), not just versus 5-6.

In children’s ministry, I’ve often used what is called “the five finger prayer” but this can also be very helpful for new converts or people of any age who are having a hard time getting started in their prayer life. Each finger is used as a reminder of what kind of things/ who we should pray for. The thumb (closest finger) is a reminder to pray for family & friends. The index/pointer finger is a reminder to pray for teachers & leaders. The middle finger (tallest finger) is reminder to pray for government and world leaders. The ring finger (weakest finger) is a reminder to pray for those who are sick and in need. The pinky finger (the smallest) is a reminder to pray for yourself.

Another helpful prayer model is called ACTS. A= Adoration (praise), C= Confession (confessing of sin, repentance), T= Thanksgiving (thanking God) and S= Supplication (requests).

I’ve also seen some clever prayer acronym’s such as PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) which also may be helpful for people who don’t know where or how to start.

Key points to teach: Focus on God, honest communication & praying scripture. This is important because having a foundation is a base to build on (milk). Having a foundational understanding will make it much easier for believers to then understand the more complex topics such as praying in accordance with God’s will (meat) or when the inevitable questions like “why didn’t God let me win the lottery?” pop up, they will be well prepared to digest the answer.