Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have been studying the Lord’s Prayer together for the past several weeks, and I have been thoroughly amazed at what the Lord is teaching me through this spiritual exercise. I hope that your prayer life has been enriched by this and that you will continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord. As I was preparing for my sermons in this series by studying differing books about this special prayer, I experienced several insights from God that have moved me to rethink the way I go about praying. Let’s look again at this gift from Jesus to help us in our walk with Him:
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in 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 Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13).
Such a simple prayer, but one of great depth and meaning. We first realize that Jesus teaches us to begin with God and not our needs, wants and desires. We desire nothing more than to come into His holy presence, and we recognize our absolute dependence on Him. We commit our lives to participating in His kingdom and seeking His will before we ever ask for anything from Him as an act of trust. He knows our needs and will provide; we must first seek His kingdom and righteousness. Then we can request our daily bread in full assurance that we have a heavenly Father who loves us and will bless us so that we can be a blessing for others. Next we need to recognize that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, that others have sinned against us and need our forgiveness, that God is a merciful God and desires to forgive us, and finally that we should forgive others as God has forgiven us. We then request God’s wisdom and providence to carefully lead us by His Spirit so that, as we struggle with temptation, we can make wise choices and so be delivered from the evil one. God helps us to continue to struggle with temptation so that we are aware of our vulnerability and our need for continued grace. This will keep us humble and compassionate toward others – who are also in a great battle to fight the temptations in our lives. The prayer instructs us that we close with a rousing AMEN. That the most important thing in our lives is our relationship to God and the way we celebrate this relationship is with worship. Our whole selves should give God glory and our prayer lives should reflect this celebration. This truly is the word of God. Selah.
Steve
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
This certainly is a time of new beginnings in our lives: as a nation, we are getting a new president; as a county, we are getting new leadership; as a church, we are expanding our territory and influence and as individuals, we each have our dreams and goals for the future. It is a time of excitement and opportunity but also a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Change always is a complex combination of opportunity and risk. That’s why it is important for us to remember that in the midst of a sea of uncertainty, there is a Rock that does not move. As the Scripture reminds us “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and Forever.” Hebrews 13:8
My “New Years” wish for each of you is for you to delve deeper into your relationship with God through deepening your prayer life. Prayer is communion with God, and the result of prayer is not reward but relationship. As the psalmist wrote, “deep calleth unto deep” Psalm 47:7
You should claim the promise of the Bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
The world can neither give this special peace of God nor can it take it away; it is a gift that comes from God through prayer. May the Lord bless you as you grow in your walk with Him. Selah.
Steve
This certainly is a time of new beginnings in our lives: as a nation, we are getting a new president; as a county, we are getting new leadership; as a church, we are expanding our territory and influence and as individuals, we each have our dreams and goals for the future. It is a time of excitement and opportunity but also a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Change always is a complex combination of opportunity and risk. That’s why it is important for us to remember that in the midst of a sea of uncertainty, there is a Rock that does not move. As the Scripture reminds us “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and Forever.” Hebrews 13:8
My “New Years” wish for each of you is for you to delve deeper into your relationship with God through deepening your prayer life. Prayer is communion with God, and the result of prayer is not reward but relationship. As the psalmist wrote, “deep calleth unto deep” Psalm 47:7
You should claim the promise of the Bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
The world can neither give this special peace of God nor can it take it away; it is a gift that comes from God through prayer. May the Lord bless you as you grow in your walk with Him. Selah.
Steve
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