"Therefore pray in this manner..." (Matt. 6:9a).
Immediately after Jesus' first recorded sermon, the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. What many call The Lord's Prayer is designed as a model prayer ("in this manner"), a structure for power prayers, not one to endlessly repeat, or He would have said, "Say exactly this over and over and over."
More so, this model prayer is just as much for a business owner as it is for anyone else.
Jesus' model prayer contains five key elements. First I will share the five key elements, then offer a brief Old Testament case study on how one man integrated these keys into a power prayer God answered.
5 Keys to Power Prayer
Key 1: Praise
"Therefore pray in this manner: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name" (Matt. 6:9).
How appropriate that all our prayers, including those for our business, should begin with praise. For our God exalts the praises of His people (Ps. 148:14).
Key 2: Power
"Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
Kingdom (basileia) means the right and dominion authority to rule over a territory. At the cross, Jesus took back the surrendered dominion authority given to Adam (Gen. 1:24-26) and then taken from him (Gen. 3:1-7). We now have the authority (Matt. 28:18-20) and the power (Acts 1:8) to reoccupy all earthly dominions (kingdoms). It's time we boldly prayed for dominion authority over our business mountains.
Key 3: Provision
"Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12).
Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that the Lord is the one who gives us the ability to get wealth. Galatians 3:13 teaches that we, the descendants of Abraham, have been redeemed for the curse of the law for He is the one who gives both provision in all areas.
Key 4: Protection
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt. 6:12).
The enemy is constantly on the prowl, seeking to destroy anyone he can (1 Pet. 5:8). That includes any marketplace kings like us who go after it for the glory of God.
There is, however, no need for us to cower, to huddle up or to stop advancing. Simply armor up (Eph. 6:13), speak the Word boldly (Prov. 28:1) and ask the Lord to supernaturally protect your flanks (2 Kings 6:20) as you move forward in His power and His provision. (Check out of Silence Satan: Shutting Down the Enemy's Attacks, Threats, Lies, and Accusations by Charisma author Kyle Winkler.)
Key 5: Praise
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Once your bold requests are offered and answered, it is again time to give Him all the praise and glory.
Biblical Case Study for Business
"Then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh, that You would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory, that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that it may not bring me hardship!' So God granted what he asked" (1 Chron. 4:10).
Look at how the prayer of Jabez breaks down into:
- "Oh, that You..." = a praise to the source of the one who has the power to bless
- "Would indeed bless me and enlarge my territory..." = an increase in provision
- "And keep me from evil that it may not bring me hardship!" = a call for protection
Even though not a perfect parallel to Jesus' model prayer, the short power prayer of Jabez contains all the key elements. And since Jabez was a righteous man, God granted his request (1 Chron. 4:11).
Not a Legalistic Formula
Remember, these five keys are not some supernatural, legalistic formula that must be exactly followed within rigid parameters. That's how the Pharisees operated then and still operate today.
Jabez simply prayed from his heart for God to open doors for increase and impact. As I write about in my book Our Unfair Advantage: Unleash the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Business, we have unimaginable depths of power prayers most of us have only barely tasted.
A Fresh Revelation
May these five keys serve as a fresh revelation on how you can add more focus and power in your prayers for your business.
As you are so led, I welcome you to share your testimonies and challenges with me either below or on my Facebook page. Let's exhort and encourage one another to upgrade our power prayers for our businesses. 
Dr. Jim Harris partners with leaders who desire to grow their faith, their people, and their business. He is the author of 14 award-winning business books including Our Unfair Advantage: Unleash the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Business. Download his FREE tool, 55 Critical Resources for Believers in Business. Connect with Dr. Jim on Facebook LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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