The seven requests made to God
So you should pray like this (Matthew 6, 9)
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one. ‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’ (Matthew 6, 7-15)
When we pray, we recognise that God is the only one we can entrust ourselves to, as He is God and we are mere creatures. This is why St. Alphonsus Maria de 'Liguori states that "whoever prays is saved, whoever does not pray is not saved". The Our Father should be the model for all our prayers. Learn to recite it calmly by dwelling on each of the seven requests it contains.
