How to pray with help from Martin Luther

I started reading this during our summer hols and am still working my way through. The author, Harold Senkbeil is a Lutheran pastor and that Reformation tradition enriches the classic model of pastoral care he commends in these pages. Although some aspects of Lutheran pastoral practice freak me out a bit.

In chapter 4 the writer has section on 'How to Pray'. He uses Martin Luther's model of prayer as a means of equipping pastors to help their people in the practice of prayerful meditation on God's word. 

Luther would use a "prayer wreath" approach to praying through a biblical text. I'd not come across this before and found it helpful. The "wreath" has four basic strands, (1) precept; (2) thanksgiving; (3) confession; (4) supplication. See p. 106-107 (Kindle edition). 

Senkbeil uses the opening petition of the Lord's prayer as a worked example, "Hallowed be thy name.". I summarise in my own words: 

1, Father you teach me that your name is holy. Your name is to be revered above all things. In the waters of baptism I was baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and now I belong to you. 

2. I thank you Father that you have set me apart as holy to yourself by the blood of your Son and presence of your Spirit. I gladly offer my life to you as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you, which is my reasonable service. 

3. I confess that by life and lip I have profaned your holy name. Forgive my sin for Jesus' sake.

4. Help me, Father to be holy as you are holy in thought, word and deed, that my life may reflect your character to the glory of your name.

The same basic approach can be applied to most any portion of the word of God. With a sprinkling of homiletical pixie dust the four strands can be relabelled: (1) precept; (2) praise; (3) penitence; (4) prayer.