Prayer

What it means

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and his peace will guard your heart and mind.

Why every Christian should know it

It is the practical answer to worry, and it names thanksgiving as part of the cure rather than an afterthought.

Cross references

• 1 Peter 5:7
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Isaiah 26:3

Pray it back

Father, here is the thing I keep carrying. I hand it to you with thanks, and I ask for your peace to stand guard.

What it means

Jesus gives his disciples a pattern for prayer: God's name, kingdom and will first, then daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance.

Why every Christian should know it

It is the only prayer Jesus taught word for word. Its order trains our priorities every time we pray it.

Cross references

• Luke 11:2-4
• Psalms 103:19
• Matthew 26:39

Pray it back

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, in me today.

What it means

This is the confidence we have: if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and if he hears us we have what we asked.

Why every Christian should know it

It gives boldness and boundaries together. Confidence in prayer grows as our asking is shaped by his will.

Cross references

• John 15:7
• James 4:3
• Matthew 7:7-11

Pray it back

Lord, teach me to want what you want, and then to ask for it boldly.

What it means

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Why every Christian should know it

It makes prayer a running conversation rather than an event, and settles the question of God's will for this hour.

Cross references

• Ephesians 6:18
• Colossians 4:2
• Luke 18:1

Pray it back

Father, keep me in unbroken conversation with you through this day, thankful even where it is hard.

What it means

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed, because the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Why every Christian should know it

It puts prayer in community. Much of what we carry alone was meant to be prayed over by another believer.

Cross references

• Galatians 6:2
• Proverbs 28:13
• Acts 12:5

Pray it back

Lord, give me one honest friend to pray with, and courage to be honest with them.