This, then, is how you should pray …
Summary: Here we begin to take a look at the Lord’s Prayer. Why is it structured the way it is? Let’s begin to take a look.
How should we pray? The Bible tells us. Jesus tells us. God himself tells us.
HELLO!!
Are we LISTENING?!
As I have already shared, I am not a good listener. I tend to pre-judge what is being said. My internal editor filters out things that do not agree with my preconceived notions. What is left are simply the echoes of my own thoughts.
Jesus talks about this in his “Sermon on the Mount.” He says:
“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7: 5)
So there is a plank in my eye? Really?!
Yes, really.
Another way of putting this is to say I have a “blind spot.” It doesn’t have to be a physical obstruction to my sight. It can be a mental or emotional block of some kind.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day are great examples of this phenomenon. Their job was to teach people about God, but when God himself shows up, they do not recognize him. Are we any different? Even when we agree that Jesus is God, how many of us agree on what that means?
Every point of disagreement about God or what it means to be a believer is rooted in pride. Human pride.
(Do you want to argue with me about that? Huh? Huh? Do you??)
If we are blind to our own blindness, what hope is there for a cure? The answer is to pray as Jesus taught us to pray.
Read the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6: 9-15.
There is no “me” or “I” in the Lord’s Prayer. Have you noticed that? I am convinced that is intentional.
Nowhere in the Bible does God encourage us to be selfish or even put ourselves first. The opposite is true. God wants us to care about others at least as much as we care about ourselves. (Matthew 22:39)
When we pray as Jesus (aka — God, King, Creator, Healer, Priest) tells us to we begin by talking to God about God:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Translation? You, God, are our Father. You are the source of our lives. We revere your name. We want your kingdom to come and your will to be done in every way, just like it is in heaven, where you live.
Do you see? It is all about God!
Application: Remember: It is always all about God.
Food for Thought: What is the difference between simply saying the first words of the Lord’s Prayer and making them your own?
I think the challenge of any repeated phrase or prayer is to do just that – make it your own. It takes meditation upon the words and embracing those words in a heartfelt response to make it our own. Psalm 1: 2; 19: 14.
Psalm 1:2
“but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.”
Psalm 19:14
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Rich,
The verses you referenced both deal with meditation. Meditation requires two things; time and freedom from distractions. Our modern world is all about demands on our time and 24/7 distractions.
It is a challenge…
I agree. But we always make time for what is most important.
When I make them my own I get distracted from His pattern for prayer, then I fall asleep.
I know it’s all about God, but it’s hard not to make the requests about me and my life. Then I find myself again thanking Him for His forgiveness for the way I live my life. I get reminded that He is in control and I should just be thankful for where He has brought me and what He has provided for me.
And still I continue asking Him for more that what He has already given me, making it all about me than Him. Even though I continue to thank Him for what He provides. I feel so guilty sometimes, but I guess that’s why I am a sinner, one that falls short every time. I wonder if I will ever get it right. Probably not.
It won’t stop me from praying or falling asleep.
John
Thank you for your open and honest comment. I struggle with the same things. I don’t hear Jesus saying that we shouldn’t share what is on our hearts with God, even if that is a desire for some specific thing. It’s the order of the prayer I find interesting. And falling asleep praising God is not a bad thing! 🙂
10-16-2022, What is the difference between simply saying the first words of the Lord’s Prayer and making them your own?
Jesus was speaking to the hearts of thousands and would of course be speaking in plural terms as He spoke to the hearts of all those in the crowd. We must understand, accept, and respond to the Bible, knowing God is speaking to us.
Our bible is God’s word to the world, yet His message is to be applied individually by each person reading His words. All receiving Christ and growing in studies are people who have received and applied Gods message to their lives. Our prayers to Him should reflect this fact.
“My Father who is in Heaven. You are the source of my life. I revere your name and want your kingdom to come, your will to be done in every way, just like it is in heaven.
Nicely said, Ron!