As children of God, one of the most important activities we have to do is to maintain daily, constant communication with God.
This is important because as our father, he desires to speak to us and to hear from us and this can be achieved during prayer
So, prayer is simply an act of establishing a relationship with God through a two-way form of communication where we get to talk to God and God talks back to us.
This can be a very beautiful experience especially when our prayers yield results because not all prayers do, so it is important to do it right
This is why Jesus Christ, while he was on earth decided to teach his disciples how to pray and it was documented for our benefit
So, in this article, we will be talking about how to pray effectively for results using the method that Jesus Christ taught his disciples in Matthew 6:6-15
How To Pray
1. Pray Privately
This was the first instruction that Jesus Christ gave his disciples concerning prayer in the book of Matthew 6:6

It was important for Jesus to start with this instruction because it was customary to see the spiritual leaders (Pharisees and Scribes) praying in the open, publicly for everyone to see.
So, it will be safe to assume that a lot of people in those days prayed in the open as well because that was what they learned from their spiritual leaders but Jesus was against this.
Jesus Christ was against this because their reason for praying in public was because they wanted people to see them and perceive them to be very holy and spiritual and to be praised by men.
This method of prayer doesn’t get answered because they have already gotten their reward, which is to be praised by men.
So, if we want to get answers to our prayers, Jesus has taught us to go and pray in secret.
2) Don’t Use Vain Words/Repetition
Matthew 6:7 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

This point has to do with how to talk to God in the place of prayer. Jesus complained about using words/sentences that show that they do not believe that they are speaking to a God that hears.
So, they pray by repeating words/sentences over and over again without really putting thought into what they are saying to God
The right way to talk to God is by believing that he actually exists and he is as real as any other real thing in this world, then we will be able to talk to him just as we would to a friend that actually exists. We will then be able to use clear and precise words, speaking to God with intent, believing that he has heard us
3. Offer Worship & Thanksgiving To God
Matthew 6:9 “After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

When we pray, it is important to start by giving God thanks. Thanksgiving has been described, in the bible, as the gateway to entering the courts of God Psalm 100:4
Just like any other earthly father, God is happy when we are grateful for all he has done for us.
God is described as being “fearful” in praises Exodus 15:11, that is, there is no telling the extent of exploits he will perform when he is being praised.
So, Jesus advises us to start our prayers with thanksgiving
4. Pray For God’s Will To Be Done
Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

This step is often being skipped by a lot of people when they pray because most people pray when they need something and this step is telling you to, first of all, pray for the performance of what God wants to happen on earth before they pray and ask God for what we want.
According to what Jesus Christ taught his disciples (and he is now teaching us), in order to get results when we pray, we need to pray that God’s agenda on earth happens. When we first take care of what God wants, he will then take care of what we want provided that it is still in the will of God.
5. Pray and Ask God For Your Heart Desires
Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”

As stated in the previous step, after we pray for the actualization of God’s will here on earth, we can then go ahead and pray to God, asking him for anything we want and it will be done for us, provided it is in line with the will of God.
6. Pray For Forgiveness
Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

The bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and even our righteousness is like a filthy rag before God (Isaiah 64:6).
So, any time we pray, we should also pray and ask God to forgive our sins whether we can remember sinning or not. This is just to be sure that our heart is right with God so that our prayers will not be hindered.
7. Pray That God Shields Us From Temptations and Evil
Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

This step is very important because the devil is described in the bible as a “roaring lion looking for whom to destroy” 1 Peter 5:8
The devil also comes to steal and destroy John 10:10
So, it is very important that we continually pray for protection from temptations designed to lure us to sin against God which can open the doors to attack from the devil and prevent our prayers from being answered
It is also important to pray for God to protect us and our family from all types of evil, like sickness, accidents, etc as this could be designed to frustrate us, making us question the existence of God. This can make us give up on prayer and if we do, the devil will be able to attack us but if we don’t give up praying, God will be able to deliver and protect us
8. Forgive Other People That Have Offended You
Matthew 6:14 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”

This step is equally as important as the other steps mentioned above. No matter how justified we might feel for not forgiving someone that hurt us, that unforgiveness can hinder the answers to our prayers.
This is because, we most likely have also offended God and/or other people, and remember that in step 6 of this article, we prayed for God to forgive us of our sins.
So, as God has freely forgiven us of our offenses, we should also be able to freely forgive any other person that has offended us.
It could be seen as a way of God transforming us to become more and more like him as we communicate with him daily. So since God is a forgiving father, he is also working in our hearts to instill in us the attribute of forgiveness
Also read, ” A CHRISTIAN’S CURE FOR ANXIETY & WORRY “
CONCLUSION
Below is a summary of all the steps Jesus taught his disciples to pray which we can use in our daily lives to yield great results
1. Pray Privately
2) Don’t Use Vain Words/Repetition
3. Offer Worship & Thanksgiving To God
4. Pray For God’s Will To Be Done
5. Pray and Ask God For Your Heart Desires
6. Pray For Forgiveness
7. Pray That God Shields Us From Temptations and Evil
8. Forgive Other People That Have Offended You
Comment below and let us know if you need any prayers and we will join you in prayers