Have you ever stopped to think about the process of walking? For a toddler, the walking loop isn’t easy, but it is simple. Lift right foot, place ahead of left foot, lift left foot, place ahead of right foot, repeat as desired. After a few months of practice, walking is easy. In a short time, kids do the loop without even thinking about it. Now it’s second nature to them. The disciple making loop is similar.

The disciple making loop clarifies the process of discipleship into six memorable steps. Before I unveil those six steps, let’s establish that neither the walking loop nor the disciple making loop contains everything needed to do the job. A loop isn’t a discipleship curriculum, step-by-step instruction booklet, or even an expansive definition. Instead, it’s a cheat-sheet of what we want to make sure we don’t forget!

So, let’s get to it…The disciple maker’s loop has six parts to it. It’s best used to help a person grow in any practice of faith or life. Let’s look at each step one-by-one as it pertains to prayer…

1. Teach Him What. The first step is to teach him about prayer. Teaching is the most common aspect of discipleship. It’s the reason most churches knowledge outpace their practices. Still, teaching is important (2 Tim. 3:16) and should be done well.

2. Tell Her Why. After she understands what prayer is she needs to know her why it’s important. Why helps a disciple build inner conviction and motivation. A skilled discipler addresses the why through both the Scriptures (Acts 17:11) and through personal testimony. So, I pray not just because Scripture says it’s important but because I have experienced the difference it makes in my life. The personal testimony puts flesh on the doctrine and encourages the disciple to follow suit.

3. Show Him How. It’s not enough to teach him what prayer is and why it’s important. If you want him to pray, then you need to show him how to pray. We do this by praying together and explaining what you’re doing and why. Whether you use the ACTS acronym, the Lord’s prayer (Matt 6:9-13), or another method, if you expect him to do it, then you need to do it with him.