**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.** Matthew 6:9-11
We have talked about finding a quiet place where we can focus on our conversations with God in prayer. If we think of how hard it is to have a conversation with our spouse or with a friend with our children nearby, it is easy to understand the need for a place where we can focus without distractions when talking to the Lord, right?
Today, we are going to take a quick look at what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. It is given in response to a disciple’s request that Jesus would teach them to pray. Let’s summarize his answer.
Our Father….possessive…God is OURS to approach and enjoy his protection…
In Heaven….spiritual, eternal, not of this world….
Hallowed be thy name….Holiness….Holy…better than us…purer than us…greatly revered and honored….worthy of worship….is the NAME of GOD, the FATHER, JEHOVAH, JAH, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY….
Thy kingdom come….meaning…it’s coming…it’s not a fantasy or a fairy tale…God is coming again….and we should be praying that it happens.
Thy will be done….Not our will, not our spouse’s or our friends’ or our children’s will, but THY WILL be done. …in earth as it is in heaven….God’s will is always accomplished in the heavens…but on earth, not so much…
Give us this day our daily bread….Jehovah-Jireh…the LORD who sees and provides…The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….If you need it, ask for it.
In other words….the Heavenly Father is ours to approach with all of our needs, but we need to remember that He and his name are Holy and deserves worship and reverence. Let’s not treat him like one of the guys. Our sights should be on his kingdom and his will and not be overly consumed with the accumulation of things or our own plans, because those that are face to face with God don’t have a problem keeping their priorities right. But because OUR God is merciful and gracious, He wants us to ask for the things we need every day. Don’t assume everything will be there in its place. Scarcity in any area of our lives is to remind us that we need to remember to ask!
Tomorrow we will look at a little more of this prayer guide given by Jesus to his disciples.