"After this manner therefore pray ye," Jesus instructed His disciples during the Sermon on the Mount. (See Matthew 6:9.) What followed was the Lord's prayer, which undoubtedly has become one of the most memorized passages in the Bible.

Is it likely the people whom the Lord was addressing at the time would have been unacquainted with prayer? Hardly. Prayer was an integral part of the Jewish religious tradition stemming from the days of Adam. What, then, was the Master endeavoring to teach them, and is there a message for us in our day, perhaps more profound than we realize?

Some prayers are better than others. The best ones are those which contemplate the petitioner's understanding of the true purpose of prayer as expressed in the Bible Dictionary of the LDS edition of the scriptures: "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them." (pp. 752-53.)

Ideally, the Holy Ghost whispers to our hearts what we should appropriately pray for, as with the Nephite disciples who "did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire." (3 Nephi 19:24.)

Indeed, the most fervent prayers are offered in time of great need or desire. But in good or bad times, pondering the model prayer uttered by Christ can guide us as we seek inspiration from the Spirit in formulating the elements of our own prayers. Consider its content:

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." It is well, when approaching the Father, to praise Him, declaring His goodness, divinity and holiness even as we acknowledge our relationship to Him as loving and reverent sons and daughters. Our prayers thus take on an added dimension of spirituality, trust and godly affection.

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Our prayers might appropriately refer to our Father's great work to spread forth His kingdom and declare our willingness and desire to assist in that work, recognizing that, under priesthood authority and keys, what is bound on earth is bound in heaven. (See Matthew 16:19.)

We may, for example, pray for opportunities to share the gospel and for the strength to do so effectively when those opportunities come. We might pray for added capacity and spirituality in carrying out our Church callings, teaching our children, doing our home or visiting teaching, or strengthening the saints in other ways.

"Give us this day our daily bread." Praying for sufficient means to sustain life and carry forth our work is necessary. So is praying for a daily portion of the "bread of life" (see John 6:35) in the form of spiritual gifts and experiences that strengthen our faith and testimonies and help us to "come unto Christ and be perfected in Him." (See Moroni 10:32.)

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." As we repent and implore the Father to forgive us of our wrongdoing, we can plead for strength to be merciful and forgiving of others, recognizing that "with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:2.)

"And suffer us not to be led into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (JST Matthew 6:14) Praying for defense against the influence of the adversary can give us wisdom to recognize and shun evil early on, while there is still a way to escape it. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.) It can strengthen our faith to keep troubling doubts and worries from festering into apostasy.

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Expressing our desire that all our thoughts and actions be to God's glory serves to keep pride and impure motives from diluting our spirituality and cankering our souls.

Applying the Savior's model can invest our prayers with greater meaning, beauty and efficacy.