The following is a guide offering optional ways to pray: 

The Model Prayer

The disciples of Jesus asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray." Our Lord Jesus then He taught them the following model prayer we find in Matthew 6:9-13. Jesus meant this only as a model for prayer, not as the only way to pray. Use this as a model and then come up with your own prayer that expresses your personality. Jesus loves it when we have conversation and fellowship with Him, anytime of the day. Just be sincere and mean what you say to Him from your heart, soul and mind. 

 1. Begin prayer with praise to the Lord:

⁹ Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Father in heaven. I love You with all of my heart. Your Name, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit of God, Yackveh, the great I AM, Your Name is holy and powerful. Help me to never use Your holy Name in a way that is meaningless or does not bring You glory. Help me to honor Your name in all that I say and do.

I praise You for the blessings of this day (name five or more things you are thankful for).

I praise You for choosing to come in Jesus to pay the penalty for all of my sins. I praise You for saving my soul, for giving me eternal forgiveness and a home in heaven with You. I praise You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit in my heart. I praise You for changing my life, for how You lead me and guide me each day. I praise You for helping me to say no to the enemy and yes to Your Spirit. I praise You for reminding me of Your Words in Your Bible as my sword against the temptations of the enemy. I praise You for speaking to my heart and mind and for being my first Love and closest companion. I praise You for our eternal relationship as Father and child.   

2. Pray for others.

¹⁰ Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray that you will help me to live today on earth like your children live in heaven. Help me to live as Your kingdom citizen all day. Help me to have Your power to do Your will rather than my own selfish, sinful will. Help me to glorify You and make You happy as our King. Help me to show others that I am Your kingdom citizen by how I live under Your  kingdom commands and standards.

Father, I make intercession for the following persons: (a) pray for five or more people who need prayer; (b) pray for those who have spiritual, financial, psychological, emotional, relational and/or physical need.

3. Pray for your own needs.

 Pray: Help me to have continual fellowship with You as my commanding officer every moment of this day. Help me to be led by Your Spirit every moment. Help me to know who to pray for and what to pray for so that Your power and blessings can be released in my life and in the lives of others. Help me to remain watchful, with periphial spiritual vision, to see and understand the schemes of the enemy and know how to pray to bring victory against him. Help me to persevere as Your mighty, strong soldier and to remain faithful to win every battle, even when the war is long, hard and grueling. I know that You will have the victory and bring much good from the bad that the enemy brings as long as I persevere in Your almighty power of Your Spirit. I praise You Lord Jesus for the blessing of being led by Your Spirit to pray this prayer and bring Your blessings into my life. In the wonderful, powerful Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.    

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

Father, thank You for how You always provide for my needs. Please provide for my needs this day. Please keep me safe and healthy today. Help me to use my talents to glorify You.

4. Confess your sins and repent of all sins.

¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Father, I confess I have sinned against you.

4.A. Be specific. Confess every single wrong, sinful thought, word or action of your recent past.

4.B. Ask Jesus to help you to hate those sins.

4.C. Tell Jesus that you forgive all persons who have sinned against you as if they had never sinned against you.

NOTE: When Jesus forgave your sins, He forgave them completely and will no longer remember them. Jesus expects you to also forgive others completely and no longer remember their sins. If you refuse to forgive someone, your relationship with Jesus will be broken until you choose to forgive (Matthew 6:14-15). When you asked Jesus to save your soul and forgive you forever, He did that (Romans 10:13). This is called Eternal Forgiveness. When you repent of a sin you have just committed and ask the Lord to forgive you, you are renewing your relationship with Him. This is called Relational Forgiveness. There is no sinful habit that stands between you and Your Lord. Eternal forgiveness is forever and permanent. Relational forgiveness is daily and temporary. When you refuse to turn away from any sin, your relationship with the Lord is broken until you choose to repent of that sin and ask for the Lord to forgive you and empower you to never commit that sin again. Because we are forgiven forever for all past, present, and future sins on the day we were saved, nothing can separate us from His Love and forgiveness. He will forever be our Loving Father God. Just like we must reconcile with our earthly parents, we must also reconcile with our heavenly Father on a daily basis. Therefore, when we ask the Lord to forgive us each day, that's not so we can go to heaven (we are already forgiven forever and going to heaven...that's a done deal) but we ask the Lord to forgive us every day in order to renew our relationship with Him and receive His power to hate that specific sin and say no to that specific sin in the future.        

5. Pray for the Lord’s power to say no to all temptation.

^13a And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Father, empower me to avoid all thoughts, words and actions that are not pleasing to You. Deliver me from the temptations of the evil one. Place a thick wall of protection around me that the evil one cannot penetrate. Remind me that the evil one is the father of lies and sin will harm me. Continually fill me with Your Spirit and use me as Your instrument to bless others and bring people closer to You this day.

Shine Your light through me so bright that people see your good works in me and glorify You. Empower me to be a leader for You and an example for others. Help me to disciple others in Your ways.

Please deliver me from any physical, mental or spiritual harm from the evil one. Please protect me and my family and keep us safe in your care and power. Show me Your plans and help me to fulfill them all. Lead me in Your paths of righteousness for Your name sake and help me not to stray from Your path. Give me Your wisdom to know your ways, think Your thoughts, desire the things that honor You and speak Words only from Your Holy Spirit.

6. Close your prayer with praise for Who the Lord is.        

^13b  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Father God, I praise You for revealing to me Who you are and how great You are. I praise you for being so very loving, joyious, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and in control of the entire universe. Help me to reflect the fruit of Your Spirit in all that I do and say today. I acknowledge that the kingdom in heaven and on earth belong to You. You are our Almighty King and I am Your child whom You dearly Love. I praise You that Your Love for me will never change and that my position as Your child will never change.

I praise You that I am saved by Your almighty grace and not by my own weak works. I acknowledge that all the power of the universe belongs to You. You are all powerful. By the power of Your Word Jesus You spoke the universe and my soul into existence.

The universe and my being is maintained, ordered and blessed by Your order and power. I give You praise for blessing me every second with Your awesome, loving power. All glory belongs to You. You are responsible for any good in me and every good thing that I have. I praise and glorify You Lord Jesus. I thank You for how You show me that You love me in so many ways every second of every day. I love You with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength.

Help me to show You how much I love you by how I praise You all day, include You in my day and live by the power of Your Spirit all day to bring You praise, joy and glory.

^13c In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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Written Prayer

Written prayer is to write out a prayer to the Lord, or find a prayer already written, and read it to Him. Often the problem is...many people who read a prayer have difficulty meaning what they read as words from their own heart, mind and soul to Jesus. If you pray a written prayer, be sure to read it over once or twice before you pray it so you can be sure to mean what you are reading.  

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Conversational Prayer

Conversational Prayer is simply having conversation with Jesus. Just as you talk to or text a friend, we can have conversation with Jesus. Our Lord would rather have us talk to Him normally and naturally than to read a prayer or quote a memorized prayer to Him every day.

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Praying the Scriptures

Praying the scriptures takes maturity and practice. Take a passage of scripture and, as you read it, pray about the ideas you read from scripture. There is great power in praying the scriptures. King David knew the power of the Word of God as he did this often in his prayers and worship songs in the book of Psalms. For example, take Ephesians 6:10-13, with the prayer topic of the armor of God. This is one version of "The Warrior's Prayer."

Read:

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Pray: Thank You Lord Jesus for always being with me to make me strong in Your Spirit. Help me to seek the power of Your might every moment of the day as my Almighty, Loving, Faithful God.

Read:

¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Pray: I desire that You protect me from the enemy's attacks with your whole armor on me. I ask that You keep me strong and make me able to keep standing strong and tall as your faithful soldier against the enemy.

Read:  

 ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Pray: Help my faith not to waiver but remain strong that You will protect me against the enemy and win in every battle.

Read:

¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Pray: Help me to be prepared to use every piece of Your armor every moment this day.

Read:

 ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Pray: Help me to put on Your armor of Your truth that I will not believe the lies of the enemy. Help me to wear Your righteousness, so that I will speak Your words and do Your will and ministry.

Read:

¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Pray: Help me to wear Your gospel of peace, so that others will know how to have peace with You through Your gospel of salvation and peace with others through Your Spirit of reconciliation.

Read:

¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Pray: Help me to use Your shield of faith that I will not doubt Your Word and Your faithfulness to answer prayer.

Read:

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Pray: Help me to always wear your helmet of salvation, to protect my mind from the lies and temptations of the enemy and only think Your thoughts and plans that save my life every moment of the day.

Help me to always carry Your sword of Your Spirit with me to cut the enemy in pieces with the power of Your Word Who is Truth. Help me memorize Your Word daily so I can learn how to better use Your Word in my life and in the lives of others who need Your Word. 

Read: 

 ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Pray: Help me to remain ever watchful, with Your periphial spiritual vision, to be able to see and understand the schemes of the enemy all around me, and be able to hear Your commands and direction of Your Spirit in how to successfully attack the enemy and win the victory for Your glory. Help me to be able to turn everything the enemy does into a victory for You, allowing You to work all things together for good for me and others You have placed in my life. Help me know what to pray for my family, friends and acquaintences so that your power, blessings and Love can be released into their lives and into my life. Help me to remain in constant fellowship with Your Spirit so that I will not miss what You would have me to think, say, do and pray for this day. Help me to always stand strong in Your Spirit, even when the battle is long, hard and grueling. Help me to remember that when I remain Your faithful soldier and continue to fight Your battles against the enemy, You will reward me and You will have the final victory. I praise You Lord Jesus for the privilege it is to be Your soldier and Your child. I praise You for the many blessings and victories You have given me and will continue to give me. In the blessed, wonderful, powerful Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.    

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Jesus said that the most important commandment in the entire Bible is the Shema: "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your mind, with all of your soul and with all of your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:34-38. We will love Jesus as our first Love, with our entire being, when we remain close to Him through prayer and fellowship all day, when we constantly include Him in our lives and when we live led by His Spirit in all we do and all we say. To do this takes the power and constant intervention of Almighty God. When you seek Him and His power...you will find Him! Jesus desires to bless your life...by using your life to bless others and draw others closer to Him...so let Him!!!