WHY WE PRAY

Lord, teach us to pray.

His friends had watched him heal and teach and feed thousands. But the one thing they asked him to teach them was how to pray.

“Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1

I · BEFORE THE SUN

The towns were full of people who wanted something from him. Before any of them woke, Jesus was already gone. His friends would find him alone on a hillside in the half-dark, talking to his Father.

For Jesus, prayer was where each day began, before anything went wrong.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Mark 1:35

II · HE GAVE US WORDS

When they asked, he didn’t hand them a ritual or a long speech. He gave them a few lines, short enough for a child to learn by heart. They begin with “Father”.

This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6:9–13

It asks for bread for today, forgiveness, and help in the hard places. These are the same things people bring to Covered every day.

III · KEEP KNOCKING

Then he told them a story. A friend knocks on your door at midnight, and he needs bread for a guest. You’re in bed, the door is locked and the children are asleep. But he keeps knocking, so you get up and give him what he needs.

Jesus told them not to give up. God is a better friend than that, and the door opens.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9

IV · STAY WITH ME

On the last night before the cross, Jesus walked into an olive grove called Gethsemane. He was overwhelmed with sorrow, and he didn’t want to pray alone. He asked his three closest friends to stay close and keep watch with him.

The Son of God asked his friends to pray beside him. None of us were made to carry the hardest nights alone.

“Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Matthew 26:38

V · HE PRAYS FOR YOU

Earlier that night, at supper, he had prayed for his friends. Then he prayed for people who had not yet been born, people who would hear about him long after. That means you.

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”
John 17:20

VI · CARRY EACH OTHER

So we pray for each other. A mother in Nairobi waits for test results. A student in Manila can’t sleep. A family in Perth has just lost their dad. They may never meet, but they can still be carried in prayer.

That’s why we built Covered. Every light on the globe marks someone asking for prayer, and anyone, anywhere, can stop and pray for them.

“Carry each other’s burdens.”
Galatians 6:2

Never pray alone.

Somewhere in the world, someone is asking for prayer right now.

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