This is a sample chapter from my Systematic Theology project "Theology for Thriving". 📎MORE TO THE STORY notes are not part of the main text of the book, but additional resources, charts, or other materials from Biblical Theology class resources.
Matthew 6.5-15 [5] Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. [6] But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [7] “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. [9] “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13] And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. [14] For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; [15] but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
🗝️ Key Concept: Prayer
What is prayer? For many, the word conjures up images of kneeling with folded hands, reciting memorized words. We might think of it as asking God for things, like a spiritual vending machine. While that can be a part of it, the reality of prayer is infinitely richer, deeper, and more dynamic. It is the fundamental way we connect with our Source, plugging into the very life and love that flows from the heart of the universe. It is how we join the ongoing conversation between the Creator and the creation. It is less about getting things from God and more about being with God.
Prayer is any intentional act we perform to connect with God, communicating with our Source and becoming a channel for God's presence, power, and love in the world. Prayer "plugs us into" God's life so we are empowered, and "tunes us in" to hear God's Love so we are inspired. In this sense, prayer acts like a sacrament: it is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, a way of focusing and magnifying the God who is always immanently present in and through us. While sacraments are often communal and have a fixed form, prayer is often individual and improvisational.
Prayer is not limited to a single mode; it is a full-spectrum human activity that can involve:
Words: Speaking or singing our thoughts to God.
Deeds: Offering our work and service as a form of prayer.
Thoughts: Directing our minds toward God in reflection and contemplation.
Silence: Quietly listening for God's presence in the stillness.
Likewise, prayer is not limited to a single mood. God invites us to bring our whole selves into conversation, whether we are feeling:
Joy: "I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart" (Psalm 9:1).
Anger: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1).
Sadness: "My soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave" (Psalm 88:3).
Fear: "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck" (Psalm 69:1).
Hope: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1).
There is no mood or mode that God rejects. God desires to be present with us in everything we go through, sharing in our triumphs and our tragedies. As the great writer C.S. Lewis noted, all true prayer is ultimately a participation in the inner life of Trinity. Prayer is offered to the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a full immersion in the divine dance, a way of aligning ourselves with the God from whom, through whom, and to whom are all things (Romans 11:36).
📎MORE TO THE STORY: See this chart to better understand Six Modes of Prayer.
🔎 How does Verbal prayer work?
Speaking to God in verbal dialogue is the most common and familiar mode of prayer. We often think of it as a "conversation with God," and it certainly is. But this conversation can take several different forms, each with its own strengths.
Improvisational Prayer: This is talking to God like a friend, sharing what’s on your heart spontaneously and informally. This is a wonderful way to cultivate intimacy with God, but if it’s our only form of prayer, it can sometimes devolve into a repetitive loop where we only ever talk about the same few topics.
Structured Prayer: These are pre-written prayers that can act like training wheels for our spiritual life. They give us a pattern and a vocabulary for prayer that we can then elaborate on. C.S. Lewis had a practice of "festooning" these formal prayers by pausing on words and phrases to offer his own petitions. He used the written prayer as a "trellis" and then wove his own personal thoughts and petitions around it.
Liturgical Prayer: This is the structured way that communities pray together. When a group recites a creed, a confession, or a common prayer, it confirms their shared values and pledges them to live out those values in the world, with the support of the community.
Singing: The theologian St. Augustine famously said, “Those who sing well pray twice.” Music has a unique power to engage our emotions and lift our spirits. Hymns and worship songs can be a profound way to connect with God, and there are styles to suit every possible taste.
The Bible is filled with powerful prayers that can become models for our own. Hannah pours out her heart in a song of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2:1-10). David cries out in confession and asks for a clean heart (Psalm 51). And a young Mary, upon learning she will bear the Messiah, sings a revolutionary song of praise known as the Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior... he has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly” (Luke 1:46-52). But perhaps the most famous model prayer is the Lord's Prayer itself.
📎MORE TO THE STORY: For a prayer resource with a reliable structure and beautiful wording and centuries of heritage, see the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, in particular the daily prayer offices starting on page 36, and the collection of prayers and thanksgivings starting on page 810.
📖 Scriptural Reflection: Matthew 6:5-15
In the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives his disciples a masterclass on prayer. He teaches them not only what to say, but how to approach God with the right heart and mind. He begins by warning them against performative prayer: “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.” Prayer is not for show; it is an intimate act born out of a genuine yearning for God.
To facilitate this intimacy, Jesus advises finding a place where you can focus: “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” Your “room” might be a literal room in your house, but it could also be a walk in the woods with headphones on, or a quiet moment in your car. It’s any space where you can shut out distractions and be present to God. He also warns against mindless repetition: “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.” The goal is not to rack up words, but to be intentional, think about our words, and mean what we say.
Jesus then says “Pray then in this way...”, and offers a model prayer, what we now call the Lord’s Prayer. It is both a beautiful prayer to be recited as is, and a manifesto for the topics and priorities that should shape all our prayers.
Our Father in heaven: This establishes the foundation of our relationship. We are not addressing a distant tyrant, but a loving Parent who is over all, and in all, and cares for all. This sets a tone of universal love and family connection.
Hallowed be your name: Prayer begins with worship and thanksgiving. We exalt God’s Holy Name, recognizing his holiness and goodness before we bring our requests.
Your kingdom come, and will be done, on earth as it is in heaven: This is a petition for social and individual transformation. We pray for God’s will of justice, peace, and love to be realized in our communities (“kingdom come”) and in our own individual lives (“will be done”).
Give us this day our daily bread: A prayer for provision. We ask God to provide the daily resources— physical, emotional, and spiritual— that we and our community need to thrive for each day.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors: This is a two-part prayer for reconciliation. We confess our own failings and ask for God’s forgiveness, and in the same breath, we commit to extending that same forgiveness to others who have wronged us. We intercede for others who are in any "debt", lack, need, or pain.
And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one: A prayer for guidance and protection. We ask God to steer us away from circumstances that would overwhelm us, and to defend us from the forces of evil that seek to destroy us.
📎MORE TO THE STORY: See this chart as a way to use the Lord's Prayer for daily structured prayer.
🔎 How does Scriptural prayer work?
Reading the Bible can be more than just an academic exercise. It can become a profound form of prayer. An ancient practice for turning Scripture reading into prayer called Lectio Divina (Latin for “Divine Reading”). It provides a simple, four-step method for turning Scripture into a conversation with God:
Lectio (Read): Slowly read a short passage of Scripture, listening for a word or phrase that seems to stand out or shimmer with meaning for you.
Meditatio (Meditate): Read the passage again, and then ponder the word or phrase that caught your attention. What is it saying to you, right here, right now?
Oratio (Pray): Read the passage a third time, and then respond to God in prayer. Your meditation will naturally turn into a conversation, as you offer your thoughts, feelings, and desires to God.
Contemplatio (Contemplate): Read the passage a final time, and then simply rest in silence. Let go of your own thoughts and words, and simply be present to the God who is present to you.
A simplified version of this practice is the “What - Why - How” method. As you read a passage, ask: WHAT important word or phrase do you notice? WHY is this word or phrase important to you? Finally, HOW can this word or phrase change our perspective or behavior? You might even underline these words and phrases in your Bible and write in the margins, or keep a "What - Why - How" journal. When you reach the end of a passage, you can turn your "How" into a prayer, and ask God to help you live into what you found in Scripture!
A regular practice of Scripture reading and prayer can be transformative. And it can be easy to organize. There are a number of daily reading Bibles you can find in a bookstore or online. There are also apps and websites with all kinds of Bible translations and reading plans. And to make it really simple: If a person reads just one chapter of the New Testament a day, they will have read the entire New Testament in less than a year, becoming deeply acquainted with the life and teachings of Jesus and his early followers.
📎MORE TO THE STORY: See this chart on how to read and prayer through the Bible as a "Lectio Divina". Also see this chart on how to perform "Lectio Divina" with secular "texts" including songs, books, poems, and even movies.
🔎 How does Silent prayer work?
Prayer is not just talking to God; it is also listening. True intimacy in any relationship involves comfortable silence, simply sitting with your beloved without the need for constant words. The Bible shows Jesus often retreating to lonely places for silent communion with his Father, and both Peter and Paul are seen in silent communication with God. This practice is often called meditation. The Hebrew word for meditation— hagah— can mean low humming, or murmuring, or sighing, as one quietly repeats a sacred text. As Psalm 63:6 says "Lord, I think of you on my bed, and meditate (hagah) on you in the watches of the night."
We can also think of silent prayer as “breathing prayer.” In the biblical languages, the words for Spirit (ruach in Hebrew, pneuma in Greek) are the same as the words for breath and wind. Therefore, the very act of breathing can be a way of calling God's Name and participating in the life of God. A simple method for this is:
Find a quiet place without distractions.
Sit in a comfortable position where you won’t fall asleep.
As you breathe, consciously open yourself to the presence of God the Father.
Exhale your worries and self-centeredness to God the Son.
Inhale the life and peace of the Holy Spirit.
In addition, many people find it helpful to use a “personal psalm” or an “arrow prayer” to focus the mind during silent prayer. This is a word or short phrase that is repeated quietly to center our attention on Christ. It could be a traditional prayer like the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It could be a phrase from Scripture, like “The Lord is my shepherd.” Or it could be a single word that centers you on God’s presence, like “Peace” or “Love.”
This practice of breathing prayer or a personal psalm can be combined with repetitive physical activity, like running, walking, or even doing chores. Anything we do can become an opportunity to practice the presence of God, focus on Christ's presence, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
📚 Topical Scriptures
Here are some Scripture passages which explore and elaborate on the themes of this chapter. As you look them up and study them, think about how they relate to the Key Concept and Guiding Questions.
1 Samuel 2:1-10
This is the prayer of Hannah, a powerful song of thanksgiving for the birth of her son. Notice how her personal joy expands into a celebration of God's power to reverse fortunes, lifting up the poor and bringing down the powerful, a theme later echoed by Mary.
Psalm 1:1-6
This psalm defines the blessed life as one centered on meditating on God's law. Look for the contrast between the fleeting way of the wicked and the deeply rooted, fruitful life of the person who delights in and constantly ponders (hagah) God's wisdom.
Psalm 51:1-17
This is King David's raw and desperate prayer of confession after his great sin. It is a model for repentance, showing a progression from acknowledging sin to pleading for cleansing and finally asking for a "new and right spirit" within.
Psalm 63:1-8
A beautiful psalm of personal devotion, expressing deep thirst and longing for God's presence. Notice how the psalmist practices meditation (hagah) in the quiet of the night, finding satisfaction and safety in remembering God's Love.
Luke 1:46-55
This is the Magnificat, the revolutionary song of praise uttered by Mary when she learns she will bear the Messiah. Her prayer shows how personal blessing is connected to God's larger mission of social justice, lifting up the humble and scattering the proud.
Matthew 26:36-46
This passage contains Jesus's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion. It is a model for praying in times of anguish, showing Jesus's honest struggle and his ultimate submission to God's will with the words, "not what I want but what you want."
John 17:1-26
Known as the High Priestly Prayer, this is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. As you read, trace the circles of his concern as he prays first for himself, then for his immediate disciples, and finally for all future believers, revealing his deepest desires for their unity and protection.
Romans 8:26-39
This passage describes prayer at its most profound level, where the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with "sighs too deep for words." It offers immense comfort, assuring us that even when we don't know how or what to pray, God's Spirit is praying in and through us.
Ephesians 3:14-21
This is one of the Apostle Paul's most soaring and powerful prayers for the church. He prays not for material things, but for inner strength, a deeper understanding of Christ's love, and for the believers to be filled with the fullness of God.
James 5:13-18
This is a very practical guide to prayer in the life of the community. It covers prayers for those who are suffering, cheerful, and sick, emphasizing the power of confessing sins to one another and the effectiveness of righteous, heartfelt prayer.
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