A lady had worked long and hard to prepare a holiday meal for several guests. As they sat down to eat, the hostess asked her young son if he would like to say a prayer before the meal. He protested that he didn’t know how to pray. His mother replied, “Just say a prayer like you’ve heard me pray.” Obediently, the little boy bowed his head and said, “Dear Lord, as busy as I am, why did I invite all these people over?!”

We really do need to learn how to pray! And who better to learn from than the Master?

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”—Luke 11:1.

The model prayer that follows is an outline that shows us how to pray. May we be ever learning and always improving on our prayer life.