We are reminded of the beautiful example of prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ gave us in the Sermon on the Mount. He taught us to pray in this manner:
"Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen" Matthew 6:9-13 WEB.
This prayer is a wonderful template that covers many aspects of our lives and our relationship with God. It starts by acknowledging God's holiness and the importance of His kingdom and will. It then moves on to our daily needs, both physical and spiritual, including forgiveness and protection from sin and evil.
Let us pray together:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You, lifting up all those who have brought their requests to You. We pray for Your name to be honored and for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done in their lives. We ask that You provide for their needs, just as You provide for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.
We pray for forgiveness for their sins, as they also forgive those who have sinned against them. Lead them not into temptation, but deliver them from evil. We declare Your kingdom, power, and glory forever, in Jesus' name.
We also pray for those who may have forgotten to acknowledge Your Son, Jesus Christ, in their prayers. We remind them that it is only through His name that we have access to You, Father. As it is written in Acts 4:12 WEB, "There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved."
We encourage everyone to put their faith in Jesus Christ, to believe that He died for their sins and rose again for their justification. As it is written in Romans 10:9 WEB, "that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Father, we ask that You draw each person close to You, that they may know You intimately and walk in Your ways. We pray for their requests, but more importantly, we pray that Your will be done in their lives and that they will glorify You in all they do.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.