Does the Bible teach a “right way” to pray?

1 Samuel 23:2David asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save Keilah,” the Lord told him.

Nehemiah 1:4When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

Psalm 18:1I love you, Lord; you are my strength.

Psalm 32:5Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Matthew 14:28-33Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Ephesians 6:18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Throughout the Bible effective prayer includes elements of adoration, fasting, confession, requests, and persistence. Prayers may be long and thoughtful or brief and desperate. The content and style of prayer doesn’t matter nearly as much as our conscious awareness of God and our belief that he has the power to help us.

Matthew 6:9-13“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

Jesus taught his disciples that prayer is an intimate relationship with the Father that includes worship, a dependency God to meet our daily needs, a commitment to obedience, and our forgiveness of the sins of others.

Luke 18:1-8One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. . . .

Our prayers should be regular and persistent.

Nehemiah 2:4With a prayer to the God of heaven, . . .

Our prayers can be a spontaneous acknowledgement of God’s presence in any situation and our desire for his guidance and direct intervention.

Luke 18:9-14Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Prayer is a conversation between us and God, not a public display of our spirituality.