Jesus' Teaching on Prayer

When his friends asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them the Lord's Prayer. We can do no better than to say this prayer slowly and thoughtfully.

Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6.9-13

Questions on Prayer and answers from Jesus' Teaching

Where? Matthew 6.6
How Often? Luke 11.3
What to say? Matthew 6.9-13
Should we ask for things? Luke 11.9-13
Should we pray for other people? Luke 22.32; John 17
What should prayer be like? Luke 18.1-18; Luke 11.5-8; Matthew 6.7

HOW TO COPE WITH DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER - some suggestions

Lack of time
God accepts what we have to give! Try to make a realistic time commitment which takes into account your other demands. Don't be over-ambitious!
Distractions
Treat them like the sounds of children playing in the street - you are aware of the laughter and the shouts, but you needn't go and join in. Keep your gaze fixed within.
Boredom
A certain amount of patience is required in any relationship; it takes time to be at ease in another's company. Tell God what you feel!
Temptation
One of the biggest temptations is to give up trying to pray! The practice, which has come down to us from the earliest monastic tradition, of repeating short scriptural phrases like, "O God, come to my help", or "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me," can prove powerful in times of temptation. Prayer is God's gift to the one who prays.

Further Reading

School for Prayer - Anthony Bloom (Darton Longman Todd 1970)
Living Prayer - Anthony Bloom (Darton Longman Todd 1966)
Teach us to Pray - Andre Louf (Darton Longman Todd 1982)
Prayer - Simon Tugwell (Veritas 1974)
Searching for God - George Basil Hume (Hodder and Stoughton 1977)

And the Classics:

The Cloud of Unknowing - Anon (Burns and Oates 1952)
On the Love of God - Francis de Sales (Doubleday 1963)
Introduction to the Devout Life - Francis de Sales (Burns and Oates 1948)
Interior Castle - Teresa of Avila (Sheed and Ward 1986)