How to Pray: A Biblical Guide
Last updated: 2026-04-14
Prayer is the offering of our desires unto God in the name of Christ, by the help of the Holy Spirit, with confession of sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies. The Reformed tradition emphasizes praying with reverence for God's majesty, a sincere sense of our own unworthiness, and a confident faith that God will hear us for Christ's sake.
📖 The Nature and Rule of Prayer
Prayer is not merely a ritual, but an essential exercise of faith where we offer our desires to God for things agreeable to his will, always in the name of Christ (Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 98). We are not left to our own devices regarding how to approach the throne of grace; the whole Word of God directs us, with The Lord's Prayer serving as our special rule of direction (Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 99).
Sources: Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 98 · Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 99
🙏 Requisites of Acceptable Prayer
Acceptable prayer requires a deep, awful apprehension of the majesty of God balanced by a profound sense of our own unworthiness and sin (Westminster Larger Catechism — Question 185). As the Heidelberg Catechism — Question 117 instructs, we must pray from the heart to the one true God, knowing our need, and remaining fully persuaded that for the sake of Christ, God will certainly hear us.
Sources: Westminster Larger Catechism — Question 185 · Heidelberg Catechism — Question 117
🛡️ The Role of Christ and the Spirit
We are more sinful than we dared believe, and yet, because of Christ, we are more loved than we dared hope. Our prayers are sanctified solely because Christ is our Mediator. Since we do not know how to pray as we ought, the Holy Spirit helps our weakness: "And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26). According to the Institutes of the Christian Religion, this is a perpetual exercise of faith where we look beyond our own merits to the inexhaustible fountain of Christ's righteousness.
Sources: Romans 8:26 · Institutes of the Christian Religion
Scripture directs the Christian to use the Lord's Prayer as a special rule and framework for all prayer, grounding our petitions in God's will, the name of Christ, and the aid of the Holy Spirit. Reformed traditions emphasize that while forms of prayer can be helpful, the essence of a healthy prayer life is a heart of sincere thankfulness and dependence on God's grace.
📖 The Rule and Pattern for Prayer
The Scriptures do not merely provide individual examples of prayer but give us a specific pattern through our Savior Jesus Christ. As taught in the Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 99, while the whole Word of God instructs us, the Lord's Prayer serves as the 'special rule of direction' for our petitions. This prayer encapsulates the proper order of our desires: prioritizing God’s glory and kingdom before our own temporal or spiritual needs. By praying through this pattern, we ensure our requests remain aligned with the revealed will of God.
Sources: Matthew 6:9-13 · Westminster Shorter Catechism — Question 99
🙏 The Spirit and Posture of Prayer
Prayer is not a mechanical act, but an engagement of the heart with a holy God. According to Westminster Confession of Faith — Chapter 21:3, acceptable prayer must be offered in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, and marked by 'understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance.' Furthermore, as noted in Heidelberg Catechism — Question 116, prayer is the 'chief part of thankfulness' that God requires. We pray because we are needy and sinful, yet in Christ, we are invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing we are more accepted than we dared hope.
Sources: Westminster Confession of Faith — Chapter 21:3 · Heidelberg Catechism — Question 116
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