A lot of people wonder, "How am I supposed to pray?" Many people ponder that so if its you, know you're not alone. The disciples of Jesus Christ didn't even know how to pray at first so they asked Him. Then Jesus said what we now know as the Lord's Prayer.
Let's go through that prayer:
Our father (possibly my favorite part. Notice how Jesus says "OUR father" and not my father or God. The name of God wasn't even allowed to be spoken by Jewish people in those days so it really came as a shock to the disciples, I'm sure, when Jesus, a Jew himself, called God father.)
Who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name. (one of my arguments for not taking God's name in vain. If God himself, Jesus, said that God's name is hallowed (holy) then it is. It just is. God is too powerful and too gracious and too mighty and too loving for you to throw around his name saying "Oh my God" all the time. If you say those words it should be out of reverence and in wonder of the mighty God we serve)
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven (Give God your all. You can't control anything. That's the first thing you gotta know. Let His will be done. Jesus points out here that His will is done also in Heaven. Heaven is the greatest place ever so don't you think that if the things He does in Heaven are good then the things He does on Earth are good too?)
Give us this day our daily bread (Blessing of the food. Classic.)
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. (Forgiveness. We're asking God for it. But He will not forgive us until we forgive.)
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (the word for temptation in the Greek is Peraismos. This word means temptation but also trial and testing. I believe what we're Jesus is trying to say here is God help us with the trials of this life")
So there you go. Use the Lord's Prayer as a frame for the next time you pray and ever other time after that. Jesus taught us how to pray so we can't say we don't know. It's in the Word of God. Everything is there, point-blank. Dive into it.
PRAY
"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive men when they sin against you your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:9-15
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