Pray the Lord's Prayer

The Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) is “scalable.”  You can pray this prayer in one minute. But if you have the time and inclination, you can use the Lord’s prayer as a template, expand it with scripture, and pray for much longer. Here’s how I do it. (I do not cite the scripture references when I pray. I include them here for the sake of thoroughness.

I. LOVE - “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name”

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come (Revelation 4:8). I love you, with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I love my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:30-31). I love my wife as my own body (Ephesians 5:28). I love my enemy and pray for those who persecute me (Matthew 5:44).

II. INTERCESSION - “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  

The Kingdom is within me (Lk 17:21). I present my body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you. My reasonable service of worship. I am not conformed to this world, rather, I am transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I might know and do your good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2). I deny myself, take up my cross and follow you (Luke 9:23). I sanctify you as the Lord of my heart (I Peter 3:15). I ask you to give me both the desire and the power to obey you today. Bring to completion the good work that you began in me (Philippians 2:13). I ask for a heart of flesh to replace my heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26). I bring before you the names of my family, friends, church leaders, the lost, and others who need your blessing (I Samuel 12:23).

III. REQUESTS - “Give us this day our daily bread.”  

I have food and clothing. I am content (I Timothy 6:8). I have learned to be content in every circumstance, for I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11). Godliness with contentment is great gain (I Timothy 6:6). Feed me on the bread of life (Matthew 4:4). Quench my thirst with living water (John 4:14). Fill me with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Holy Spirit, be within me a river of live and a well of water springing up to eternal life (John 4:14). Holy Spirit, by you I put to death the deeds of my body (Romans 8:13). Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness (Romans 8:26). Holy Spirit may times of refreshing come from you to me (Acts 3:20). Holy Spirit, I do not quench you (I Thessalonians 5:19), and I do not grieve you (Ephesians 4:30). Father in Heaven, out of your glorious riches, strengthen me, with power, through your spirit, in my inner man, that I may know the love of Christ. (Ephesians 3:16-19). I have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, who LOVES me, and delivered himself for me (Galatians 5:20). Holy Spirit, connect me to the vine and produce your fruit in me (John 15:5).  I am loving. I am joyful. I am at peace. I am patient. I am kind. I am good. I am gentle. I am faithful. I am self-controlled (Galatians 5:22-23).

IV. CONFESSION: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Father in Heaven, have mercy on me, a sinner (Luke 18:13). If I confess my sin, you are faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Use the same standard of judgment with me that I use with other people (Matthew 7:2). 

V. PROTECTION - “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one”

I am fighting against the devil, the flesh, and the world (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, I stand in YOUR strength and in your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). I put on the full armor of God so that, in the time of evil, I will stand (Ephesians 6:13).

I PUT ON THE HELMET OF SALVATION - I have been saved by grace, through faith, that salvation is not of myself; it is the gift of God, so that I cannot boast. For I am God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good work which You prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:8).

Thank you, Father, for planning my salvation, for choosing me in Christ before the world began (Ephesians 1:4).  Thank you for sending your son, Jesus, in love, to die for me. For you so loved the world that you gave your one and only son, that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). I believe in him. I will not perish. I have everlasting life.

Thank you, Jesus, for coming in love for me.  For you did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, you emptied yourself, taking the form of a human being, a slave, and, in humility, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore, God has exalted you and given you the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11). (Kneeling) Jesus, you are Lord. I want to know you, Christ. I want to know the power of your resurrection (Philippians 3:10). Holy Spirit, the same power that you used to raise Jesus from the dead, use that power to regenerate my heart and give me resurrection life (Romans 8:11). Jesus, I want to know the fellowship of your sufferings. I want to become like you in your death (Philippians 3:10) and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:11). I reckon myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for indwelling me at my baptism (Acts 2:38), for sealing me as belonging to God (Ephesians 1:13), for sanctifying me for a holy purpose (II Thessalonians 2:13), and for transforming me into the image of Christ. For we all with unveiled faces, behold the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image, with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:18).

I PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - I want to be found in you, Christ, not having a righteousness of my own, that comes from the law, but that which is by faith. The righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:9). For God made him who knew no sin to be sin on my behalf so that I might become the righteousness of God, in Him (II Corinthians 5:21).  I have not yet attained this righteousness in my condition, but one thing I do, forgetting what’s behind, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of me (Philippians 3:13).  

I PUT ON THE BELT OF TRUTH - Sanctify me in the truth.  Your word is truth (John 17:17). The knowledge of the truth will set me free (John 8:31). If the truth sets me free, then I am free indeed (John 8:36). I am free of my hurts, habits, and hangups.  I will not use my freedom to indulge my sinful flesh, but to love and to serve you, God, and to love and serve other people (Galatians 5:13). Jesus, you are the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by you (John 14:6). I am a slave to the one I obey (Romans 6:16).  I do not obey the devil, the flesh, or the world. I obey God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I obey your holy word.  I will live no lies today. I am not a liar or a hypocrite.  I love the truth, learn the truth, and live the truth.

I PUT ON THE SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE - I have peace with You, God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom I have gained access by faith into the grace in which I now stand (Romans 5:1-2).  There is now no condemnation for me in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

I PUT ON THE SHIELD OF FAITH - Without faith it’s impossible to please you, God. Anyone who comes to you must believe that you exist and reward those who earnestly seek you (Hebrews 11:6). I believe that you exist and will reward me for earnestly seeking you. I am earnestly seeking you now.   Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). I do believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24). I have the faith of a mustard seed, and we will move mountains (Matthew 17:20). I have the faith of Abel to offer a better sacrifice today (Hebrews 11:4). I have the faith of Enoch to walk with you in perfect fellowship. Please come and walk with me (Hebrews 11:5). I have the faith of Noah, to believe what you have written and build my life upon it (Hebrews 11:7). I have the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to follow you, not knowing the way, and to sacrifice the son (Hebrews 11:8,17). I am a friend of God (James 2:23). I have the faith of Joseph. I will pass the test and live the dream (Psalm 105:19).  I cannot sin against you, God, who have withheld no good thing from me (Genesis 39:9). I have the faith of Moses to turn from the short-lived pleasures of sin to be numbered among your people and suffer for your name (Hebrews 11:25). I have the faith of David to be the sweet Psalmist of Israel (II Samuel 23:1). I am a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). I have the faith of Daniel to pray three times a day (Daniel 6:10). I have the faith of Paul, Barnabas and Silas to trust in and preach the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. For the Jew first, then the Gentile, and then me (Romans 1:16).

I TAKE THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, THE WORD OF GOD -  All scripture is written by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, training, correcting, and rebuking that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16). Dear Lord, teach me, train me, correct me, and rebuke me as I read your Word today.  Make me complete and equip me for every good work. Your word is living and active and sharper than a double-edged sword.  It pierces, reveals, convicts, and judges thoughts and attitudes (Hebrews 4:12). Pierce my heart for my sin.  Reveal my blind spots. Make me repent and obey. Turn my heart towards you. Cut the sin out of my heart like cancer and heal me with the balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22).  Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).

PRAY ON ALL OCCASIONS - I am not worried or anxious about anything, for in everything, through prayer and with thanksgiving, I let my requests be made known to you. And the peace that passes understanding guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6). I cast all my worries, anxiety, and concerns upon you, Lord, for you care for me (I Peter 5:7).

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, amen (Matthew 6:13).