"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name."
This tells us to come into God's presence with worship and declare that His name is holy. We should revere and honor Him above all else. Then it goes on to say:
"Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
There's so much wrapped up in this particular verse. But in short, it's saying, "Let Your plans be done. I surrender my plans to You." This is a reminder that after we open with worship, we are to surrender all to Him. The next verse says:
"Give us this day our daily bread."
Your daily bread is your provision. But, it's provision for today. We are to live one day at a time with Him. In other words, don't get ahead of God! Throughout scripture we are told to ask God for what we need, and that's what Jesus is telling us here. Then it says:
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
When we pray, we need to forgive others. When we hold on to unforgiveness and bitterness, it's like a lock on the door of our hearts. If we don't extend forgiveness, we can't receive His forgiveness, either. The next verse says:
"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Scripture tells us clearly that God's plans are for our good! He is leading us in paths of righteousness for His name sake. He is our Deliverer, and He will lead us in the direction we should go.
Then finally, the passage closes with:
"For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
The prayer comes full circle and ends again in worship. In summary, we see that prayer includes: worship, surrender, asking for provision, forgiveness, asking for direction and worship. When we pray like this, it gets God's attention. When we pray according to His will, we know it will be done! When we ask in faith, we receive what we have asked because He who promised is faithful! Why don't you make prayer your priority? Let it be as natural as the air you breathe. Follow Jesus' example and walk in His blessing and victory all the days of your life!
No comments: