How it works
This story has a made-up boy named Ben. He watches his grandma pray and asks her how. She tells him that the friends of Jesus asked Jesus the very same thing.
Jesus told them how not to pray: not out loud in the street just so that people would see. He told them to go into a quiet room, close the door and talk to their Father. He said not to pile up empty words, because their Father already knows what they need.
Then he showed them a pattern to follow, in six parts: Father, name, kingdom, bread, forgive, safe.
Prayer is talking with God, and it can be short, in your own words. Ben could talk to God anytime, with an honest heart and a quiet voice.
Worked examples
The six parts
- Father: speak to God as a loving Father who cares.
- Name: say that God's name is special. Kingdom: ask that God's kingdom comes.
- Bread: ask for the food we need today. Forgive: ask to be forgiven, and forgive others.
- Safe: ask to be kept from unkind choices.
Daily bread
- Daily bread means food for today, enough and not too much.
- Ben smelled warm loaves baking and thought of thanking God for his food.