8/28/2020
Luke 11:1 “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Jesus’ response to this was what is called
The Lord’s Prayer. I was raised to say this beautiful prayer, and I am so
grateful. It is truly the model for all prayer. It is at once immensely
profound yet incredibly simple. It first lifts praise to God and His holy
name. It yields to His will being done
on earth and in heaven. It asks for no more than daily bread, not riches or
fame. It seeks forgiveness and the power to forgive without exception. It
requests safety from temptation and a liberation from evil.
Our Father who art
in heaven,
hallowed be the name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread,
and forgive us our
trespasses,
as we forgive
those who trespass against us,
and lead us not
into temptation,
but deliver us
from evil.
When I pray, do I use this as my example? Do
I come reverently before my Holy Father? Do I wander in petition and
intercession where my asking far outweighs my thankfulness? Am I contrite? Do I
pray for the strength to forgive those who injure me but do not seek
forgiveness? Do I ask for the strength to overcome temptation and evil of every
kind? I think I can certainly do better in all of these areas when I come
before God in prayer.
Chambers puts forth the idea that a man
will suffer if he does not pray, but then questions that concept. He instead
writes, “What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is
nourished not by food, but by prayer.” Prayer is our connection to Jesus and
our spiritual nourishment. I know for myself that the less I pray, the less
connected to Him I feel. The division never comes from Him, for He is always
there waiting for me. Amazing Grace.
In life, we often pray out of desperation because
life is not going well. We could be experiencing illness, financial problems, relationship
issues, or any form of crisis, and come in prayer only when worry and anxiety
take control. We can, however, talk to God about everything all the time. He
should be the most important One in our lives; the One we confide in about all,
and the One we listen to most intently. I love the take Chambers has on the
result of prayer. He writes, “It is not so true that ‘prayer changes things’ as
that prayer changes me and I change things.” Certainly God answers our prayers
every day, but it is the life transformed through yielding and prayer that is
the most powerful thing in all the world.
The Lord's Prayer - Jackie Evancho
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