What Do I Say When I Pray?

Session Focus Scripture
1. Hallowed Be Your Name In prayer, we ask God to help us to live so that all we think, say, and do honors and praises God. Daniel 6; Q&A 77
2. Your Kingdom Come In prayer, we ask God to rule us so that we may obey him and bring his kingdom to complete perfection. Daniel 2:1-6, 24-45; Q&A 78
3. Your Will Be Done In prayer, we ask God to help us—and all people—to obey his will. 1 Kings 19:1-19; Q&A 79
4. Give Us Today Our Daily Bread In prayer, we learn to trust God as the source of everything good for all our daily needs. 1 Kings 17:1-16; Q&A 80
5. Forgive Us Our Debts In prayer, we ask God to forgive us our sins, just as we forgive the sins of others. Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32; Q&A 81
6. Lead Us Not into Temptation In prayer, we ask for strength to fight against sin and the devil, and we praise our all-powerful God, trusting that he hears our words. Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 2:18; Q&A 82 & 83
Dear Family Text

For the next six weeks we’ll be focusing on the Lord’s Prayer by looking at each section of the prayer and exploring how to pray it and live lives that reflect its meaning. We will be pairing each section of the Lord’s Prayer with stories from Scripture and, for a Reformed perspective, a Q&A from Q&A: A Summary of Biblical Teaching. Here is a summary of what your young teen will be exploring: 

Session 1: Daniel 6; Daniel in the Lions’ Den (Hallowed Be Your Name) 
Session 2: Daniel 2:1-6, 24-45; Daniel Interprets the King’s Dream (Your Kingdom Come) 
Session 3: 1 Kings 19:1-19; Elijah and the Gentle Whisper (Your Will Be Done) 
Session 4: 1 Kings 17:1-16; Elijah and the Widow (Give Us Today Our Daily Bread) 
Session 5: Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32; Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Forgive Us Our Debts) 
Session 6: Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 2:18; Jesus Is Tempted (Lead Us Not into Temptation) 

Pass It On 
Here are some ideas for how you might engage your young teen in a faith discussion: 

  • Share with your child the name for God you most often use when praying (Holy God, Our Father, or another name). Talk about ways you strive to “hallow” or “honor” God’s name in your life. (Session 1) 
  • Just for fun, ask your child to share her ideas of what things would be like in your home if she were in charge. Pray the Lord’s Prayer together, asking God to be in charge of your home. (Session 2) 
  • Share about a time in your life when you let go of what you wanted to have happen and prayed for God’s will to be done. (Session 3) 
  • As a family, make a plan for how you might share your “bread” with others. (Session 4) 
  • Share with your young teen a story about a time he did something wrong when he was a young child. Tell him how, as a loving parent, you forgave him. Share your gratitude that our God is a forgiving God. (Session 5) 
  • Copy Philippians 4:13 on a piece of paper and creatively display it in your house. Find a place to put it so your family can see it each day. (Session 6)

Hallowed Be Your Name