I supposed all new Christians begin their walk with many questions, and of course a lot of advice from those who might have pray with them when they received Jesus as Savior. Several pieces of advice that are always given, and of course, good advice it is, starts with; "Be sure to read your Bible and of course don't forget to pray". The first of these is not so hard if you can read, but the second can most often lead to the hard question, how do I pray? "I think, as I look back, that was one of my questions when I was saved some 34 years ago now, and I id not have a clue, but I learned a real good way to start was reading the Bible daily, and also truly learning the Word of God". Now turn to Mattew 6;

Here we find Jesus, with His disciples on the mount, just after He taught them the beatitudes, speaking to them concerning prayer and in verse 7 through 13:

"And When you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

Pray then in this way:

"Our Father Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven,

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom,

And the power, and the glory,

Forever, Amen"!

This is a truly beautiful teaching of the Lord, as of course all were and are, but it is not a prayer as we think of prayer. Jesus did not say, when you pray, pray this prayer, rather He said, "Pray then in this way". He gave them the principle, a pattern to follow as they went to the Lord with their petitions and requests. I, for one, still have many questions to ask but I am also learning that the Holy Spirit is a most willing teacher and never fails to give the answer that I need, so I always go to Him first and wait.

The first word, "Our" reveals a new dimension in our lives. We are no longer a solo act, doing our own thing, but we are now in the community, a fellowship that includes many brothers and sisters in the Lord. We may not always be in their company, but we are always members of the same body and as such, no longer alone. We are addressing the Father of us all. Now we progress to the second word, "Father", which tells us that we are part of a very large family that is seeking to communicate with the One God and Father who is reaching out to us. He is the One you are openning your heart to; the One who has tender ears to hear His children calling out to Him.