Pray

By follow-admin, 10 May, 2026

Pray

Prayer is not merely repeating words or performing a ritual. Prayer is speaking with Allah honestly, humbly, and continually. Isa taught His followers to pray with sincerity, faith, dependence, persistence, forgiveness, and trust.

Prayer connects the heart to Allah. Followers of Isa learn to pray privately, together, in times of need, in thanksgiving, and in daily dependence. Click each heading below to expand or collapse the sections.

Look Back

How did you see Allah at work this past week?
What stood out to you from the last lesson?
Did you obey anything Allah showed you?
Did you share with anyone what you are learning?
What is your current prayer life like?
When do you find it easiest or hardest to pray?

Look Up

Read these passages together slowly:

Matthew 6:5-13 — "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when 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 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Luke 11:1-13 — "Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” 5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Philippians 4:6-7 — "6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Ephesians 6:18 — "18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,"

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 — "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

James 5:13-16 — "13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Matthew 26:41 — " Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

John 17:1-26 — "17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified[d] in truth. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

SAY

What do these passages teach about prayer?
Why does Isa warn against praying to impress people?
What does the Lord's Prayer teach us about priorities?
What kinds of things should followers of Isa pray about?
What role do thanksgiving, confession, forgiveness, and persistence play in prayer?
What have you learned about Allah from these passages?
What things are different from the way you have prayed in the past?
What can you keep the same?
What has to change?

OBEY

When and where will I intentionally pray this week?
What worries or burdens do I need to bring before Allah?
Is there someone I need to forgive before praying?
How can I build a regular habit of prayer?
What would change if I truly depended on Allah daily?

SHARE

Who can I pray for this week?
Who could I encourage using one of these passages?
Who could I begin praying with regularly?
Who needs to hear that Allah listens and cares?

Prayer is not a performance. It is a living relationship of dependence, worship, trust, confession, thanksgiving, and obedience before Allah.

The Shape of Prayer

The Injil shows several connected aspects of prayer:

Private prayer: speaking honestly with Allah away from public attention.
Daily dependence: asking Allah for daily needs and guidance.
Thanksgiving: thanking Allah in all circumstances.
Confession: admitting sin and asking forgiveness.
Intercession: praying for other people and their needs.
Persistent prayer: continuing faithfully and not giving up.
Spiritual warfare: praying with alertness and dependence on Allah.
There are many more examples of prayer throughout the Injil. Keep reading and learning from Isa and His disciples.

Look Ahead

Choose one practical step in prayer this week:

Set aside a regular daily time to pray.
Pray through the Lord's Prayer slowly and thoughtfully.
Write down prayer requests and answers.
Pray for someone difficult instead of reacting in anger.
Pray together with another believer or seeker.

Ask: When will I pray, what will I pray about, and who will ask me if I did it?

Commissioning

Pray together.

Thank Allah for hearing and caring for His people.
Ask Allah to teach you to pray sincerely and faithfully.
Pray for strength against temptation and distraction.
Ask Allah to grow trust, dependence, and obedience.
Pray that your life would reflect closeness to Allah.

Continue the Journey

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