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“When you pray . . . pray like this . . .”

—Matthew 6:7, 9

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I’m still struggling to believe we’re now a few days into 2025. Where have the 2020s gone?

Did you know that “pray more” is among the most popular New Year’s resolutions? I guess that isn’t surprising considering 40 million Americans have stopped praying in the last ten years.

To take it a step further, based on available research, roughly 98% of Christ-followers don’t feel great about their prayer life. If Scripture describes prayer as the place where we cultivate peace, discern purpose, receive power, and connect with God, then this statistic is troubling to say the least.

If you’ve been with me for a bit, you know that I think we largely look at prayer through the wrong end of the telescope, mistaking it for a transaction to perform and missing out on its transforming power. Today I want to borrow words from Jesus, revisiting what he says about how we should pray.

Over the years, the Lord’s Prayer has been abused and misused. So much so that most of us know the words but haven’t a clue what they mean or how to pray them. For many the Lord’s Prayer reeks of religiosity, tainted by memories of penance or mindless recitation. But this prayer from Jesus, in truth, offers a powerful framework for every dimension of our lives.

Response

Here’s what I’d love for you to try this week—begin by asking the Spirit to help you see the Lord’s Prayer with fresh eyes. Then slowly read the first line, “Our Father in heaven,” and stop. Before you move to the next line, sit with those words. Feel their warmth and power. And when you’re ready, move to the next line and repeat the process. (I suggest using the version found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter six, vv. 9–14.)

You’ll notice the prayer begins by placing our attention on God, the One who inhabits the heavens, the One who upholds all things by the word of His power. Once we’re settled in His tender holiness and the surety of His will, we then move into our requests, our fears, our trials, our pains. They all have a place in our prayers, and I encourage you to make each line specific to you, the people in your world, the cares of your day, and trials in your way.

Closing Thoughts

As you read through the prayer, it’s also okay to just be silent for a bit, yielding space for the Spirit to give you specific words to pray. Let’s not forget that prayer is less about speaking and more about listening, a truth Jesus points out before teaching us how to pray.

My prayer for you is that more than ever before you will experience living prayer this year, a prayer that spills out of your closet and into every cranny of your everyday life. And I hope these prayer guides offer perspective and practices that help you do just that.

Praying with you,

Addison

P.S. If you’re new to this community, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. And if you don’t have the Words with God books yet, be sure to grab a copy from Amazon or the Messenger store. I spend a good chunk of it breaking down the Lord’s Prayer, working through its eight dimensions of prayer.