The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how they should pray. You may remember that one day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He was finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." John Wade says that "nothing teaches better than a good example and Jesus was a good example." He had just finished praying, and His prayer made such an impression on the disciples that they wanted special instruction from Him on how to pray. Since John had taught his disciples to pray, Jesus' disciples also wanted some guidance. Then Jesus taught them the Lord's Prayer. Just like the disciples, we all feel the need for some help in our praying. It is the purpose of this book to offer a number of helps to teach you how to pray more effectively. This is especially important if you are just beginning your prayer life or are confused about prayer even though you have been a Christian for years. We need to pray as we have been commanded by the Lord. This does not imply that we need to utilize abstruse religious words to be more effective in our praying. Using simple language is adequate, but the frequency and discipline of our prayer life are most important. We do need a basic theological locus and understanding, but we do not have to be systematic theologians to pray with power. Prayer requires a desire to commune with God to be effective. How we should pray is not an unanswered question because the most significant answers are found in the Bible and from mature Christians who have made it a point to plan their prayers. This book will discuss these points to help you begin your prayer life. Bill Broughton received his BA from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, his MDiv from McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and his DMin from Trinity Theological Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana. He is a retired pastor in the United Church of Canada and lives in Arnstein, Ontario, with his wife, Bonnie.
