Last week, we found out how important prayer is, when it comes to deepening our relationship with God. In that message, Jesus models praying for us. If you ever wondered how to pray, this message is for you.
Let’s be clear, there is no wrong way to pray. The definition of prayer is; “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.” I like to think of it as a conversation. That means talking and listening.
However, I want to dig into the model Jesus shares with us in Matthew 6:9-13, a prayer you might even be able recite from memory.
The Lord’s prayer
“Our Father in heaven,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
See it with new eyes.
I have heard this prayer so many times, I have it memorized. The problem with so much familiarity is it can lose its significance. Sometimes, it is better to read it with fresh eyes. Have you ever looked at the Lord’s Prayer from a different translation? Hear it, see it, feel it from The Message;
“Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!“
In this version, we petition God to reveal God’s self to us. His holy, divine, awesome self. Yes Lord!
As we plead with God to set the world right, we ask God to do what is best, not what we think is best. But what God knows is best.
Submitting to God shows our faith in God. Because God is in charge of us, our lives and this world we live in. This is a good reminder. Who is in control? Not me.
The Lord’s prayer is broken into two parts, with six requests. My study note says, “it contains 6 petitions, three relating more directly to God and three to us. The order of these petitions is significant and intentional.”
With God, everything is significant and intentional. We see it in the stories of the Bible, in Jesus’s words and in His life. God is always drawing us into a right relationship with The Divine. However, we get to choose the relationship. God is patient and does not push Himself upon us. But even in the waiting for us to turn toward The Holy One, God’s unconditionally love always surrounds us.
“If you feel far away from God, it isn’t because God moved.”
For the next few weeks, we are going to study The Lord’s Prayer. Next week, we will study the first part, the “God” part. Prayer is our connection with God, but let’s put it in perspective.
We don’t have to get it right, but we do need to hold it in a right perspective. Then and only then, can we move to the “us’ part of this prayer. My goal for this year is to go deeper with God. Studying the Word and spending time in prayer is an excellent way to do just that. The great thing about God is that we can never get to the end of God. The more we think we know, the more there is to discover.
Join me next week, as we look at the God part. Until then, trust that you are a part of something bigger than yourself. You belong here and you are loved!
Let us pray:
Father God, holy is your name. Reveal in us who You are and who we are. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. Thank you for patiently waiting for us. We praise and worship You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
P.S. I love hearing from you. so leave me a comment below. Forward this message to a friend who might need a little encouragement. Post on Facebook and tag me in it. Click here for more resources on prayer. -M
One thought on “How we pray…”
Thank you! Prayer is the most important part of our life. Love you