Short answer

Prayer is talking with God as a child talks to a loving father. You do not need special words or a special place. Speak honestly, thank Him, ask Him for what you need, pray for others and take time to listen. Jesus gave us a simple pattern to follow.

Start simply

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He did not give them a technique. He gave them a short prayer to use and to learn from: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10). It goes on to ask for daily bread, forgiveness and protection (Matthew 6:11-13).

Notice the first word: Father. Through Jesus, God is not a distant judge but a Father who loves to hear from His children. Jesus even warned against long, showy prayers; your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8).

A pattern you can use

Many people find a simple order helpful. Praise: tell God who He is and thank Him for what He has done. Confess: be honest about where you have gone wrong and receive His forgiveness. Ask: bring your needs and the needs of others. Listen: be quiet for a moment, and open your Bible. There is no formula, but a pattern keeps prayer from drying up.

Pray anywhere and at any time. Pray out loud or silently, in your own language, on the bus or in the kitchen. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).

Pray with the Spirit’s help

You are never praying alone. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). Believers who have been baptised in the Holy Spirit also pray in tongues, letting the Spirit pray through them. And prayer grows when it is shared, which is why we pray together every Friday and at our monthly Prayer & Revival Night.

How this connects across the Bible

The Bible is one story. Here is how this theme runs from the Old Testament to Jesus:

  • Abraham speaks with God as a friend and pleads for Sodom (Genesis 18:23-25); Jesus calls His disciples friends and invites them to ask in His name (John 15:15-16).
  • The Psalms give God’s people words for every mood, from praise (Psalm 103:1) to lament (Psalm 13:1); Jesus prays a psalm from the cross (Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46).
  • Daniel prayed three times a day, facing Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10); Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16) and taught His followers to do the same (Matthew 6:6).
  • Under the old covenant the high priest alone entered God’s presence once a year (Leviticus 16:2); through Jesus, our great high priest, we can draw near with confidence at any time (Hebrews 4:14-16).

What we believe at Spring Valley

Our mission is to encourage everyone to hear God and speak to God regularly through worship, prayer and meditation on His Word, individually and together, yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Our full Statement of Faith

Your next step

Prayer is learned by praying. Start today with the Lord’s Prayer, and join us on a Friday evening to pray with others. You can also send us a prayer request and we will pray for you.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Read the Bible free in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English and many more languages at bible.com.