Is it true that Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that the Old Testament contains prophecies about Jesus?

Jokanem:
How Can You Pray and Be Heard?

Jehovah God is the “Hearer of prayer.” (Psalm 65:2) We can speak to him anywhere and at any time, aloud or silently.

Jehovah wants us to address him as “Father,” and he really is the best Father we can have. (Matthew 6:9) Lovingly, Jehovah teaches us how to pray and be heard by him.

PRAY TO JEHOVAH GOD IN THE NAME OF JESUS

“If you ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name.”​—John 16:23.

Jesus’ words clearly show that Jehovah wants us to pray to him, not through images, saints, angels, or departed ancestors, but in the name of Jesus Christ.

When we pray to God in Jesus’ name, we show that we recognize the vital role of Jesus. “No one comes to the Father except through me,” said Jesus.​—John 14:6.

SPEAK FROM THE HEART

“Pour out your hearts before him.”​—Psalm 62:8.

When we pray to Jehovah, we should speak as we would to a loving father. Instead of reading out of a book or reciting something memorized, we should speak to him respectfully and from the heart.

PRAY IN HARMONY WITH GOD’S WILL
“No matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.”​—1 John 5:14.

In the Bible, Jehovah God tells us what he will do for us and what he wants us to do for him. For our prayers to be acceptable to God, we need to pray “according to his will.” To do so, we need to study the Bible so that we can get to know him well. If we do, our prayers will be pleasing to him.

WHAT MIGHT WE PRAY FOR?

Pray for Your Needs. We can pray to God for our daily needs​—food, clothing, and shelter. We might also pray for wisdom to make right decisions and for strength to endure our trials. We can pray for faith, for forgiveness, and for God’s help.​—Luke 11:3, 4, 13; James 1:5, 17.

Pray for Others.

Caring parents are pleased when their children love one another. Jehovah too desires that his children on earth care about one another. It is appropriate to pray for our mate, our children, our family, and our friends. “Pray for one another,” wrote the disciple James.​—James 5:16.

Express Thanks.

Of our Creator, the Bible says: “He did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and filling your hearts with gladness.” (Acts 14:17)

When we think about all that God has done for us, we will be moved to express our thanks to him in prayer. Of course, we should also show our gratitude to God by the way we live.​—Colossians 3:15.

BE PATIENT AND KEEP PRAYING

At times, we may feel disheartened because of not getting an immediate answer to our sincere prayers. Should we conclude that God is not interested in us? By no means!

The Bible records many of Jesus’ prayers. The best known is surely the one he taught his disciples. What can we learn from it?

The Lord’s Prayer​—A Model for You

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave his disciples a model prayer, often called the Lord’s Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13; see also Luke 11:2-4.)

Over the centuries, this prayer has become so popular that many have memorized and repeated it word for word. Was that Jesus’ intention for this prayer? It hardly seems likely because earlier in that sermon, Jesus had told his disciples to avoid repetitive prayers. (Matthew 6:7)

Rather, Jesus was teaching his followers how to pray and what to pray about. Let us see what we can learn from the model prayer.

“Our Father in the heavens”

We should address our prayers only to God himself.

“Let your name be sanctified”

God’s name, Jehovah, should be honored and viewed as sacred.

“Let your Kingdom come”

God’s Kingdom is a heavenly government with Jesus as King, and it will soon exercise its rule over the entire earth.

“Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth”

God’s will is for humans to live forever on earth in peace and security.

“Give us today our bread for this day”

Jehovah is the one who provides the things we need to live.

“Forgive us our debts”

We all make many mistakes and need forgiveness.

Keeping those points in mind can help you to offer meaningful personal prayers.