As we continue to look at the miracle of prayer Jesus taught us, let’s go back to Matthew 6:9-13.
“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.
Have you ever looked at the Lord’s Prayer from a different translation? Being so familiar with this passage, we might need to view it with a new set of eyes. Let’s look at 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!“
The miracle of prayer is not “one and done.” Several weeks ago, we discovered miracles not only heal us but strengthen our faith in the process. As we study this prayer, we see miracle upon miracle interlaced within it.
The prayer itself 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 Him. However, we get to choose the relationship. God does not push Himself upon us. Instead, He patiently waits for us, loving us unconditionally all the while.
“If you feel far away from God, it isn’t because God moved.”
Today, as we look as the The Lord’s Prayer, let’s study the first part, the “God” part. We’ve already determined prayer is a our connection with God, but let’s put it in perspective.
“Our Father”
By starting the prayer with “Our Father, we are saying, “God, I know I am part of a family and I belong here.” Think about your own biological family. Do you have brothers and sisters? If you do, you know you would probably do just about anything for them.
Why would we not do the same for our brothers and sisters in Christ?
“Hallowed be your name”
We are not praying for God to be holy. God is already holy. We are asking God to reveal His holiness to us. We are asking God to show us who He is. Reverence with God is part of the miracle of prayer.
When we come into God’s presence, by way of prayer, we connect with God and are exposed to His holiness. This encounter makes some of our un-holiness disappear. In His presence, God reveals who He is and who we are. What a miracle!
“Your Kingdom come, your will be done”
The Message says, “Set the world right; Do what’s best – as above, so below.” This is where we learn to trust God and God’s will for the world and our lives. God’s ways are higher than our ways. We need to believe God knows what is best for us. Learn to trust God and believe. Indeed, another miracle!
And the miracles just keep coming…
We have got to get this “God” part straight first. 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. That’s where even more miracles wait for us.
Join me next week, as we look at the “us” part and all the miracles that lie within it. Until then, trust God that you are a part of something bigger than yourself. You belong here and you are loved!
Let us pray:
God, Our Father, 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. Leave me a comment below, forward this message to a friend and/or share on Facebook. Meet me back here next week as we discover more more miracles waiting for us. -M
