Teach Me How to Pray
July 2, 2026 | ALOCS Women's Bible Study
Prayer is more than presenting our requests to God—it is an invitation into daily conversation and relationship with Him. During our July Women's Bible Study, we explored three foundational questions: Why do we pray? What distracts us from prayer? And how can we pray effectively?
Through the Lord's Prayer, we examined Jesus' model for prayer and learned practical frameworks for developing a more intentional and consistent prayer life.
Watch the Bible Study
Watch the full Bible Study below as we explore the Lord's Prayer and practical ways to develop a consistent, intentional prayer life.
Why Do We Pray?
Prayer gives us direct access to God. Because of Christ, we do not need an intermediary to approach Him—we can come to Him personally and confidently.
During our discussion, we explored several reasons prayer is essential to our relationship with God. Prayer strengthens our faith, gives us direction, provides peace and comfort, and gives us a place to express what we are feeling. Prayer also helps open our eyes to recognize that God is already present and working, even when our circumstances make Him difficult to see.
Prayer is not simply about asking God to change our circumstances. It draws us closer to Him and helps us see our circumstances through His presence.
What Distracts Us from Prayer?
Our discussion also examined some of the things that can interfere with a consistent prayer life. Sometimes the obstacle is not that we do not believe in prayer, but that other things compete for our attention, confidence, and time.
We identified several common distractions:
Insecurities: Like Adam and Eve hiding after sin, shame and insecurity can cause us to withdraw from God rather than run to Him. Yet even after their failure, God covered them—a reminder that our failures do not erase our identity in Him.
Lack of faith: Sometimes the struggle is not believing that God can answer, but believing that He is willing.
Worldly cares: Money and other concerns can consume our attention whether we have an abundance or are experiencing lack.
Good seasons: Difficult circumstances may drive us toward prayer, while seasons when everything is going well can tempt us to become less intentional about seeking God.
Failure to prioritize time: Prayer can easily become something we plan to do “later,” only for later never to come.
One important reminder from the discussion was that giving God our first fruits does not necessarily mean praying at 5:00 a.m. It means intentionally giving God our best time—a time when we can be present, focused, and consistent.
The Lord's Prayer: The Seven P's of Prayer
Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer not only as words we can pray, but also as a model for how we can approach God. During the study, we explored the prayer through the Seven P's, each representing an important part of our relationship and communication with God.
Presence: “Our Father in heaven” Prayer begins with recognizing whose presence we are entering. Through Christ, we have personal access to our Father while also recognizing that we belong to a larger family of believers.
Praise: “Hallowed be Your name” Before focusing on our problems, we focus on who God is. Praising His character places our circumstances in perspective and reminds us of the greatness of the One to whom we are praying.
Purpose: “Your kingdom come, your will be done” Surrendering our plans to God's will can be one of the most difficult parts of prayer. Jesus modeled this surrender in the Garden of Gethsemane. Prayer is not merely asking God to approve what we want; it includes trusting His purpose even when His answer differs from ours.
Petition: “Give us today our daily bread” We are invited to bring our needs to God while depending on Him daily. The Israelites receiving manna illustrated this dependence—they were given what they needed for the day rather than being called to hoard tomorrow's provision.
Pardon: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” Receiving forgiveness and extending forgiveness are connected. Unforgiveness does not imprison the person who hurt us; it can imprison the person holding onto the offense.
Protection: “Lead us not into temptation” God does not tempt us, but we can ask Him for strength to resist temptation. Part of preparing for spiritual battles is knowing our areas of vulnerability and having specific Scripture ready for those specific weaknesses.
Providence: “Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory” Prayer returns us to worship and trust. We close by remembering that the kingdom, power, and glory belong to God, reaffirming our confidence in His authority regardless of the outcome.
Additional Models for Prayer
The Lord's Prayer gives us a biblical model for prayer, but we also discussed practical frameworks that can help us remain focused and intentional during our prayer time.
ACTS
Adoration — Begin by praising God for who He is.
Confession — Honestly acknowledge sin and areas where we have fallen short.
Thanksgiving — Thank God for what He has done and for His continued faithfulness.
Supplication — Bring our needs and the needs of others before God.
PRAY
Praise — Begin by focusing on God's character and goodness.
Repent — Confess sin and turn back toward God.
Ask — Bring specific requests before God rather than being afraid to tell Him exactly what we need.
Yield — Release the outcome to God and trust His will.
Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us that when we bring our requests to God through prayer and thanksgiving, His promise is peace. Prayer does not guarantee that every situation will turn out exactly as we requested, but it allows us to entrust the outcome to God and experience His peace in the process.
Building a Consistent Prayer Life
Developing a prayer life requires intentionality. During the study, several practical strategies were shared for making prayer a consistent part of everyday life.
Schedule your prayer time. Treat your designated time with God with the same commitment you would give an important appointment or work obligation.
Choose your best time. Consistency does not require everyone to pray at the same hour. Identify the time when you can give God your focused attention.
Keep a record of your prayers. Prayer journals can serve different purposes, including recording prayer requests, remembering answered prayers, and building a personal “Scripture arsenal.”
Pray Scripture. Use God's Word as part of your prayers, making the Scripture personal as you pray.
Know your vulnerabilities. Ask yourself where you are most susceptible to temptation or discouragement, then identify Scripture that speaks specifically to that area.
Pray for others immediately. When someone asks for prayer, consider praying with or for them in that moment rather than intending to do it later and forgetting.
Reflection Questions
Take some time to reflect on your own prayer life:
What tends to distract you most from spending intentional time in prayer?
Are you giving God your best time, or simply trying to fit prayer into whatever time is left?
When you pray, is it easier for you to trust God's ability to answer or His willingness to answer? Why?
Which of the Seven P's—Presence, Praise, Purpose, Petition, Pardon, Protection, or Providence—is most challenging for you?
Is there an area of unforgiveness that may be affecting your relationship with God or others?
Where are you most vulnerable to temptation or discouragement, and what Scripture can you prepare for that specific area?
How can you make prayer more conversational and consistent rather than something you turn to only when you need something?
Final Thought
Prayer is not a transaction with God; it is a relationship with Him. Jesus' model reminds us that prayer begins with recognizing who God is before focusing on what we need. It creates space for praise, surrender, dependence, forgiveness, protection, and trust.
A consistent prayer life does not have to look the same for everyone. What matters is that we intentionally make room for God, come to Him honestly, and learn to trust Him with both our requests and the outcomes.
Resources
Continue your study with the resource shared during our Bible Study:
Join Us Next Month
Our Women's Bible Study is open to women ages 16 and older. Join us on the first Thursday of each month as we continue growing together in God's Word.
Visit our Events page for upcoming Bible Studies and registration information.
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