How to Pray Using the Lord’s Prayer – Final

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Prayer in Every City in Bible Lessons, How to Pray, The Lord's Prayer // 1 Comment

Today we will finish with the series on the Lord's Prayer, beginning with verse 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. Matt 6:13 (KJV) This part of the Lord's Prayer is often neglected in prayer, but it is very powerful. In this verse Jesus tells us to pray against temptation and to deliver us from evil. In another version of the Bible, it says "evil one". I like to refer to this portion of the prayer as "spiritual warfare" praying. Jesus instructs us here to pray for spiritual warfare prevention, which is much easier to do than actual spiritual warfare. I cannot teach you how to do spiritual warfare in this lesson, but will teach you the preventative portion.

As part of my warfare prevention prayer, I like to pray the following verse over my children as they are leaving for school:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13 (NKJV)

God has already promised us in this verse that He will not allow us to be tempted more than we can bear. I like to pray God’s promises back to Him. In my pray I thank God that my children will not be tempted more than they can bear. I also pray for them to have boldness and courage to take a stand, even if they are the only ones standing. One day I will teach you the boldness verses that I pray.

Included in this warfare preventative prayer, I also like to pray for protection. Almost every school day I pray for a hedge of protection around my county’s schools. I pray that the Lord will surround the schools with guardian angels to protect the schools from sexual predators, terrorists, and gunman. I know that I should pray for all the schools in the nation, but the Lord never seems to allow me to do this for the entire nation. I believe that each state needs prayer warriors praying for their own state, which is why I began this ministry of Prayer in Every City.

This prayer ends with a focus on God, “for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” We should always keep our focus on God while praying. Notice that Jesus begins this prayer with God’s kingdom and ends this prayer with God’s kingdom. So do not neglect intercessory prayer. These prayers should be kingdom focused for the lost in our communities, nation and world.

Last but not least, is the word Amen. I like to use this word to remind myself to meditate on the Word of God and to be still and listen in prayer. Biblical meditation is not the same as transcendental meditation, which seems to be so popular today. Biblical meditation means that you think about a scripture night and day as King David talks about in the Psalms. Transcendental meditation involves emptying the mind, whereas Biblical meditation involves filling the mind. Transcendental meditation is not a Biblical practice.

Have you ever heard of the phrase, Listening Prayer. During our prayer time we need to train ourselves to listen for God’s still, small voice. Many times when we pray, we do all the talking. I encourage you to sit still when you pray. When you ask God a question, wait silently for an answer. Many people do not believe that God will answer them, but He will. He doesn’t always answer immediately, but sometimes He does. I have never heard Him verbally, but I know when He puts a thought in my mind. Please learn to listen to the Lord.

Be still, and know that I am God: Psalms 46:10 (KJV)

Congratulations, you have just finished your study on the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s summarize everything we have learned.