For many of us praying is as natural as breathing. For others, not so. When one man was asked if he prayed, he replied, “I don’t know how to pray.” He gave an honest answer. What he didn’t realize was, praying doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s simply having a conversation with God.
Jesus disciples walked alongside Him on a daily basis. They were taught by the best Bible Teacher in the world, no one will ever compare to Him. Yet; we read in Luke 11:1 that Jesus was praying in a certain place and had to stop because one of His disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” Then in Matthew 6, another account is given of Jesus teaching His disciples on prayer. Let’s read what He tells them in Matthew 6:6-8. The passages of Scripture are taken from the Modern English Version, as this is the translation I use on a daily basis.
“But you, when you pray, enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will rearward you openly. But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray in this manner.”
And He proceeds to give them what is known as:
The Lord’s Prayer.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. but deliver us from evil. For Yours in the kingdom and power and the glory forever. Amen
Jesus tells us exactly how to pray to the Father. Many of us have been praying this prayer since we were children. A wonderful prayer to teach our own children and grandchildren.
I believe God inspired me to write this post because He wants us to understand the message within this special prayer.
It begins by our acknowledging God, our heavenly Father, His Name is reverend, and honored. By saying; Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, we invite God to have His way, and not our own, so His will can be done in our lives. We ask God to give us our daily provisions. This covers our needs, great and small. We ask God to forgive our sins as we forgive others whom wronged us. Forgiveness is meant to be given and received. We ask God to help us avoid temptation, to not sin; and to deliver us from the hand of the enemy, Satan. We finish the prayer by acknowledging God’s supremacy, His power and glory, forever. Amen
Our pastor places great significance on the Lord’s Prayer. He never ends a church service before asking the congregation to say the prayer in unison. God’s covering and blessings are upon us as we leave the church and go our separate ways.
My husband and I pray together at bedtime. We anoint one another with oil, and pray the Lord’s Prayer together. It’s our way of giving thanks to God for the day He gave us. We thank Him for sleep, dreams, interpretations and visions. Sleep is sweet knowing God is with us.
I pray you are greatly encouraged by the message within the words of the Lord’s Prayer. Amen