Prayer is the fuel of the Christian life. It is a believer’s direct communication line with God Himself. But how are we supposed to pray?
Jesus answered this question in chapter 6 of the book of Matthew. When His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He gave them what is often called The Lord’s Prayer:
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
— Matthew 6:9–13
Jesus said we ought to pray after the manner of this beautiful example. This means that we can use this as a template of sorts for our own prayers. This is known as the FACTS method, which is a helpful acronym for remembering what we should include in our prayers:
- Faith
- Adoration
- Confession
- Thanksgiving
- Supplication
You don’t have to always include all of these things in every prayer. But the more you set your mind and heart on the FACTS method, the more natural it will come to you. Just like anything else, you can practice this way of praying until it becomes familiar, and soon it will be second nature.
Here is an example of a prayer that includes each element of FACTS. Can you spot them all?
Heavenly Father,
I love You, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thank You for providing everything I need to live abundantly on earth and live eternally in heaven. I know I am a sinner as long as I am in this flesh. Please forgive me for my sins both known and secret to me. Whenever I fall, I know I can always get back up as long as I keep Your Word in my heart. Lord, help me to stay on the righteous path so I can act according to Your will until Your kingdom come.
In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Feel free to use this prayer or let it inspire your own. God blesses the faithful, so pray every day. Use the FACTS method to be sure you’re praying the Jesus way!
More prayers can be found in my upcoming book Born Again, now available for pre-order on Amazon and many other ebook retailers!
Joseph VanBuren 