Springtime 🌱 Teach us to pray

In Matthew chapter 6 verses 9-13, we read the story where Jesus teaches His disciples to pray.  

But starting in verse 5 Jesus begins to explain to them that when they pray, to do it privately, not on the street corners or in the synagogues to be seen by people. 

And when they give to charity, to do it in secret because the Father in heaven knows what you’ve done and will reward you.

And when you pray don’t repeat the same words over and over, thinking that you’ll be heard better because of your many words because your Father in heaven already knows what you need before you ever ask.

Then Jesus begins to give them a model prayer… and tells then to pray in this way…

Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed is 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever and ever, Amen.

Most of us know the Lord’s Prayer well. And when Jesus taught His disciplines to pray, He was summing up what His ministry was all about. And this prayer serves as a pattern for our own lives.

The Lord’s Prayer is much more than reciting certain words or a sentimental phrase.

We are in effect declaring that we also want to be a part of Christ’s mission.

The focus turns us away from ourselves and our problems to His work in the world and towards His view of what’s forthcoming.

The Lord’s prayer starts out by addressing God as “Father”

“Our Father who is heaven, Hallowed by Your Name.”

Jesus is us that we (each one of us) are personally related to the One true God. He is our Father who cares for us and watches over us.

He is our Father and we are his children, just as Romans 8:15 tells us, for we “have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father’”

Next: “hallowed by Your name…” (or) Holy is His name; His name is to be honored and reminds us that we are addressing the true Creator God yet there is an intimacy from knowing that He is also our Father.

God’s name is deserving of the highest honor.

Just as we read in Revelation 4:11, for he is worthy “to receive glory and honor and power”.

We want the world to know how refreshingly different our God is. There is nothing on earth that satisfies like Him, no one who understands like Him, forgives like him, and is able to liberate like him.

“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2).

The Lord’s prayer provides a pattern for us to offer genuine praise to the Father…

As we bring our requests, our burdens and worries to Him, with thanksgiving and hope, we are also praying that our Father hears and responds to all who call upon His Holy name.