How Do We Pray

How do we actually pray?

In this Dear Divine episode, we sit with the Lord’s Prayer and the deeper meaning behind the words Jesus gave us. Prayer was never meant to be performance or empty repetition—it’s relationship with God.

We talk about surrender, trust, daily dependence, forgiveness, and learning how to truly communicate with the Father.

If prayer has ever felt difficult, confusing, distant, or inconsistent for you, this conversation will help bring you back to the heart of it.

You can listen to my daily devotionals on YouTube @thedivinedownloadpodcast and sign up for my newsletter, Wise Counsel, at gigievans.com.

Welcome to The Divine Download—the sacred space where spirit meets truth, and healing meets home.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello, hello, beautiful soul, and welcome back to the Divine Download, the sacred space where spirit meets truth and healing meets home. I'm your host, Giovanna. Let's begin the way we always do, with the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. So welcome, welcome. I have a devotion for you today that uh was on my heart, and I just wanted to share before we dive into um today's podcast. It went as follows. Father God, you've been so good to me, and it is good to praise you. Praise the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God, for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. It is fitting to praise you, Lord, to share the joy in my heart that you bring, to look in my life, and to see that you were able to pay four months of rent in one month, something I couldn't do obviously in four months. You did it just like that. You told me to open my mouth and ask, and it shall be given on to me, and surely it was given on to me. You keep your promises, you are steadfast, you are loving, you are faithful, and I will sing praises to you all day. I will sing praises to you, I will sing praises to you in my prayer closet. I will sing praises to you publicly, I will sing praises to you wherever I go, because you are God, you are my Lord and Savior. You've been here with me the entire time, walking with me hand in hand. There's no denying that, Father God. And as I wake up in the middle of the night and I think about your goodness and your grace, it's hard to worry. It's hard to focus on my problems. I just take my mind back to you. I keep my eyes fixed upon you. Lord, keep my eyes stayed on you. I know that these are hard times, and being pressed the way that I'm pressed, it is so that I can come closer into relationship, intimacy, and into trust with you. And so I'm doing that, God. No matter how painful it might be, how uncomfortable it might be, and how opposite it feels to what I'm used to and how I'm used to operating, I will praise you. I will praise you. I will praise you until it runs through me, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, until I feel you radiate through my body. Joy, contentment, peace, excitement. I will praise you, Lord. For you are good, you are trustworthy, you are steadfast in love. You are a companion I can trust, dependable, faithful. I cannot express enough of how you are and who you are. You are a good and gracious God. May all who come to know you be blessed by your presence in Jesus' name. Thank you, Lord.

unknown 4:29

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Okay, so let's get into today's Dear Divine question. It was pretty simple. Dear Divine, how do we pray? And I think the real question underneath that is am I doing this right? Is God even listening? And why does this feel so hard sometimes? So most people think prayer is about asking for things, but let me tell you the truth. Jesus never started there, he started with relationship. So in the prayer, um, the Lord's prayer, that that's the prayer that we call it, our Father who art in heaven, Jesus actually gives us a formula to pray in, right? So we're gonna go and work through this formula, and as we work through the formula, I want you to realize that you design your prayer based off of this formula. So you put the words that you need to pray to God inside of this. He basically just gave you a template, okay? So we'll go through that template and give you a little bit of understanding into what God is um expecting in exchange, in conversation and communication. Because all prayer is is a conversation with God, it's the way that we communicate with the higher being. So the prayer starts with our father, and that puts identity before any request is made. Because repent for God is not a genie. When Jesus says our father, he's correcting something deep within us. You're not approaching a boss or a judge to correct you, a distant force, or you're not like you're not approaching some distant force that you have to impress, you're approaching a father, and some of us struggle right here. We struggle here for a number of reasons. It could be perhaps you have issues with your father, and addressing God as father creates some type of triggered moment inside of you, or it could just be because you are used to relating to God like you're an employee in God's house. You're used to performing or having to earn and trying to get it right. I gotta get this right. When prayer is actually where you come as a child, Christ tells us to be childlike. He calls us children of God, right? We call us God's kids, we're children of the kingdom. So you have to have that sort of relationship here when in prayer. When he's addressed, his location has to be addressed. He says, in heaven, right? There's the address, okay? So you got an earthly father, someone who biologically was the reason for you being here, but you have a father in heaven, and this is who we're addressing. So it doesn't get too casual here. You have to realize this authority is in heaven. Yes, he's close, but he's also God. The one who knows your name is the one who holds everything together. And I'm talking about everything: the universe, the stars, the mountains, everything. So prayer isn't casual like you're talking to just anybody, but it's also not fearful like you're talking to a stranger. It's both closeness and reverence. And that's where we get into three. The next part of it, where it says, Hollowed be thy name. This is where you reset your heart before you ask for anything. Jesus says, honor God's name. Because our hearts get disordered. We start making things bigger than God, like money, relationships, approval, control, you know. And prayer is where everything gets put back in its place. You don't break idols by trying harder, you break them by seeing God clearly again. So the word hollowed means a reverence, right? Like I lift your name up high above all things. So you want to ensure that you address that in your own way. It doesn't have to be this formal way of the hollowed be thy name. You can honor his name in many ways by calling him great king, or there are different different terms, you know. You'll feel this reverence in your heart. Just come to him with real relationship. The next part of the prayer says, Thy kingdom come. This is bigger than you. This isn't just God fix my life. You're actually praying for God's will to be done here on earth. Okay, so you want his the earth to look like the kingdom of heaven. God brings your rule here, and you you ask him that to bring it here. You ask him to bring it through you, through your family, and into this world. Every real prayer is a quiet protest against brokenness. Thy will be done. This is where we surrender in the prayer. Because before anything is done, we got to be supple, soft, and absorbent enough to receive whatever it is that we are requesting from God. And that takes surrender. You don't request him to bless what you already are doing, especially if it's not in his will. You have to come to some type of understanding. God, what actually is it that you want me to do here? And whatever that is, your will be done. Jesus had a real hard job to do when he came here to earth. And when that time came, he was in the desert, in the wilderness, praying, and he asked God, God, is there any way that you could take this cup away from me? Because this bitter cup that I gotta drink, I just I just can't imagine doing. I just really don't want to. And then a moment passes and eventually gets to the point where he's like, your will be done, right? Not my will, not what I want ultimately, but what you want. Because there are parts of our human ego, our flesh, that rejects the will of God because it can't see the big picture, but God sees the big picture, okay? So you gotta request that God interrupts you if you are on the wrong path, if you are working outside of his will and you're trying to make something work, ask him, thy will be done. If this ain't your will, please place me in a direction that's gonna work out for my good and your glory. God's will is never here to take from you, it's here to lead you somewhere better than your own understanding. So when he says in the next part of the prayer on earth as it is in heaven, remember we bring in all of the things that God had planned in heaven, his workings, the order, the um just constitution, the way that things are done in heaven. We are here as ambassadors, commissioned to bring that here to earth. Okay, you are not just a body, you are a spirit, and that spirit has a job to do here on this earth. You were created with purpose and intention. You gotta continue to remember that, my sweetheart. When God creates anything, he has an intention for it. So when you ask earth to be like heaven, you're asking for peace, order, healing, truth. There is no sickness in heaven, it ain't no lying in heaven, there's no disorder, and there surely is no chaos. So, this is what you're requesting just by saying that one line, you know. Heaven is not just where you're going, it's the pattern you're learning to live from. And then we enter into the next part of the prayer that says, give us this day our daily bread. There was a point in the Israelites' journey when they were in the desert for 40 years, and every day, every morning, God would give them manna from heaven. And this manna was what they ate. It was the bread for the day, it was their supply for the day. And God specifically told them and directed them: look, don't hang on to this manna. This manna is for today. I'm giving you what you need to satiate you, to nourish you, to satisfy you for today. You take your feel, and whatever is left over, if there is anything left over, you do not save it for tomorrow. For tomorrow, I will provide you what you need for tomorrow. You don't know what tomorrow is gonna bring. As much as we try to control and plot and plan all of our days so that all of our days look comfortable and feel the way that we need them to feel or we want them to feel, God is in control ultimately, and we don't know what we're gonna need. So it's best for you at the top of your day to request that God gives you your daily bread for that day, give you what you need for today. And so this is included in that prayer for a reason because when you go out into the world to serve the kingdom, you're gonna need certain supplies, and you got to request those supplies. This isn't a control mechanism, okay? So it's just a request to God to meet you today, and then we move on into the next part of the prayer where we focus on the word us. Because notice that Jesus says in this prayer, give us, forgive us, lead us. Prayer destroys isolated spirituality because it's not just about you, it's about the whole body. Prayer destroys that feeling of aloneness and brings us together. So even private prayer is communal prayer. If your prayers contain only me, that means your heart is shrinking, and you can't see the vastness of God and how He is intricately woven into everything and everyone. Pray for your neighbors, your enemies. Yes, I said your enemies, your city, family, church, the suffering. Pray for it all, include all. And don't forget about forgive us our debts. I know people get touchy when it comes to sin, but sin creates moral debt we cannot repay. Prayer requires honesty and transparency. So although God may know, which he does, know when we sin or fall short of his glory, he's looking for us to be transparent and intimate with him to share where you know, where we know that we've fallen short. And if we don't know that we've fallen short, have the wherewithal to ask for God to search your heart. Ask God to show you where you missed it, where you rebelled, and where you hardened your heart. Christians don't outgrow repentance. You're never done, you're not a sinner who's saved by grace, and then you're never gonna sin again. That's just not how it works, and we know that. So you have to give yourself, allow yourself to receive the grace of God. Remember this, sweetheart. Mature believers repent faster, they don't repent less. Confession restores communion, not sonship. You are always God's child. Once you receive the free gift of Jesus' salvation, you're his. But confession continues the connection, an intimate relationship. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. This powerful phrase serves as the bond breaker, emphasizing that to the extent to which we forgive others is directly related to the forgiveness we receive from God. Through forgiveness, we release the chains of bitterness and open ourselves to healing. Grace received becomes grace extended. Okay? Unforgiveness chains the one holding it. Forgiveness does not excuse evil but releases vengeance because vengeance is who? The Lord's. Through forgiveness, we experience the deep healing that breaks these chains and chains and leads us into freedom. So that means we're not being led into temptation, which comes the next part of this prayer. We ask for wisdom before failure. This includes knowing our weak spots, avoiding unnecessary traps, spiritual sobriety. Many falls begin long before the act. Temptation is often won or lost upstream. Late night vulnerability, ego triggers, certain people scroll in spirals, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. As we strive to forgive, we ask for protection from falling into temptation, the temptation of holding on to our resentment, which can harm both our relationships and our spiritual health. Remember that God does not tempt, the enemy does. So anytime temptation is present, you're out of the presence of the Creator. And last but not least, there's a part where it goes, deliver us from evil. And in some versions and translations, it says deliver us from the evil want. There is real darkness, deception, oppression, accusation, temptation. And prayer is not naive about warfare. In fact, it is our weapon. We need rescue that goes beyond self help. Some battles require more than discipline, they require deliverance. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. We must at the end of this prayer acknowledge God's ultimate authority over our lives in order to remind us that by release and control we free ourselves from the bondage of unforgiveness and live in divine peace. So, how do we pray? Not perfectly, but honestly, not performing, but relationally. Prayer is coming as a child, humbling. It's honoring God as holy, surrendering your will, asking for what you need, and staying clean in your heart. And most of all, trust in Him to cover what you cannot control. Prayer is both awe and intimacy, bold access with bowed knees. And prayer changes us so we can receive what God wants to give. If you've been overthinking prayer, come back to this father. Start there, he'll be there every time. Let us pray. Father God, thank you so much for this opportunity, this time to get together, to just hear the things that you place upon our spirit. God, thank you today for allowing us the ability to get into our devices, to listen to guidance, to want to walk in a path that is aligned with your will so that the world can be a better and more beautiful place. Lord, we want to bring the kingdom of heaven here to earth. We know that we are your ambassadors. We know that it takes time to grow and to become the people that you purposed us here to become. But Lord, allow us to be open to that becoming. And as we move through this life, Father God, let us feel your loving hand of protection, your grace, your mercy given not because we deserve it, but simply because you are love. You are a loving God who wants to see his children flourish. May we receive that free and awesome gift of salvation through our brother Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus' name that we pray this prayer. Amen. Amen. All right, y'all. If this spoke to you today, share it with someone who may need a reminder that they are not alone in what they are walking through. And remember, you don't need the whole plan, just the next faithful step. Thank you for spending this time with me here on the Divine Download, the sacred space where spirit meets truth and healing meets home. If you like to go deeper, uh you can join my daily devotional Seeky First. Um, that is on YouTube. You can go ahead at the Divine Download Podcast and uh get those meditations there. You can always sign up for my newsletter on my website, ggeevins.com. There are tons of awesome uh things there, um blogs that I've written to support you on your spiritual journey and all of the ways that you can engage with me in person, um, whether it's through spiritual direction or through a yoga class, or you just want to listen to more podcasts. Until next time, stay grounded, stay prayerful, and keep seeking God first. And I'll see you soon. Much love.